|
Chemung County became involved in solid waste disposal and management in the
late 1960s. Prior to 1969, solid waste disposal was primarily handled by the municipalities, with a few private,
commercial collection and /or disposal firms. Disposal practices ranged from totally inadequate open dumps with burning to barely
adequate landfill operations. Many of the public and private disposal sites contributed to public nuisance problems
(insects and rodents), potential public health hazards (air and water pollution) and experienced operational difficulties
in properly handling the volumes of wastes delivered for disposal.
The county, recognizing that waste disposal methods were inadequate and that waste volumes would be increasing,
initiated a series of county-wide solid waste disposal studies. The purpose of these studies, performed by O'Brien
and Gere, was to develop a coordinated long-range plan for the proper disposal of solid waste in the county through
the year 2020. The plan's scope included developing projections of solid waste quantities, identifying suitable
disposal techniques, recommending long-range disposal facilities and determining annual operation and maintenance
costs for the various proposals studied. The plans' final recommendation was that the county establish a county-wide
solid waste disposal district whose function would be to properly dispose of all solid waste generated within the
county. The studies concluded that a centralized county operated landfill was the most cost-effective solution.
The plan also called for a central milling station to be constructed to prolong the site life and ensure the operation
of an environmentally superior landfill disposal facility.
The county proceeded with the recommendations of this 1969 study and developed district formation reports and engineering
design documents. The Chemung County Solid Waste Disposal District (CCSWDD) was established in 1971 in accordance
with Article 5-A of the county law. The CCSWDD milling station and sanitary landfill began operation in December
1973. The original landfill site encompassed 139 acres located in the Town of Chemung just north of State Route
17. Engineering plans for the site indicated an approximate 20-year life expectancy in five "work areas".
An explosion at the milling station in 1979 put that facility out of operation for approximately three years. During
this time, unmilled wastes were disposed of at the landfill significantly shortening the originally estimated 20
year site life. In 1983, when the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) operating permit
for the county operation expired, landfill operations had been closed in Areas 1 and 3. Active filling was being
in Area 5. Area 2 had been converted to a construction and demolition disposal site and Area 4 was as yet undeveloped;
still in its natural state.
In July 1984 the CCSWDD, recognizing the limited life of the existing landfill site, entered into a contract with
Clark Engineers to screen/evaluate potential new landfill sites in the county. After evaluating 48 potential sites,
this study indicated the most feasible site to be those lands immediately adjacent to the existing operation. The
CCSWDD engaged Empire Soils/Thomsen Associates to begin preliminary soil testing and subsurface investigations
on county-owned lands north of the existing working landfill and adjacent privately-owned lands (with a purchase
option executed by the county) to the east and west.
During the time that these additional studies/evaluations were initiated, the CCSVVMD proceeded to file an application
for a new 6NYCRR Part 360 permit to continue and expand the existing operations within the county owned lands at
the Chemung site. This application remained pending under interim DEC guidelines for solid waste disposal facilities
until June 1986, when CCSWMD entered into a Consent Order with NYSDEC regarding the operation of the existing sanitary
landfill facility. This order required the District to conduct detailed hydrogeologic investigations for the proposed
expansion areas. The purpose of these investigations was to determine if the expansion areas were over a primary
or principal aquifer and thus by NYSDEC policy not suitable for use as a landfill. Based on results of the investigations,
the CCSWMD would decide whether to continue or permanently close the landfill operation.
 In
the early 1980's, the District also switched from "milling' it Municipal Solid Waste, to "shredding"
it. The District replaced the two Hammer Mills with a low-speed sheer shredder which slowly tears the bagged solid
waste up. In 1991, in response to the state mandate on recycling, the County opened a 25,000 square foot Materials
Recycling Facility. During the period from June 1991 to July 2001, the District sent over 86,000 tons of recyclables
to market, thereby preventing this material from being landfilled.
In 1989, the District also began accepting Construction and Demolition materials at a separately permitted landfill
on the same property as the existing MSW Landfill in Chemung, NY.
Top of Page
|
