With the overflow of the landfill on Rapp Road on the horizon, Guilderland, along with most of the municipalities currently using the landfill, has sent a letter of support to Albany County, backing its application for a grant to study the creation of a regional solid-waste management authority.  The authority would cover four counties — Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, and Schenectady.

Mike Franchini, commissioner for Albany County’s Department of Public Works, told The Enterprise that the region really needs an alternative place to deposit refuse, and that the results of the study could help provide that alternative for all surrounding communities.

“Even if the landfill on Rapp Road wasn’t going to reach capacity soon, we’d still want to be thinking ahead for alternatives,” said Franchini. “We have to think about what we want waste management to look like in the Capital Region in four or five years.”

According to Guilderland Supervisor Kenneth Runion, the landfill on Rapp Road will fill to capacity sometime during the next 18 months to three years. The city of Albany has been considering an expansion, the fourth since the landfill was first built 20 years ago.

There has been plenty of opposition to this expansion, said Runion, including concern from the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation that the expansion could affect the surrounding wetlands, part of the Pine Bush Preserve.

For this reason, when the proposal for the application for the $50,000 grant came from Albany County Executive Michael Breslin’s office, Guilderland readily offered its support. Letters of support were also received from the villages of Altamont, Voorheesville, Ravena, and Green Island; the towns of New Scotland, Westerlo, Bethlehem, and Colonie; the city of Albany, and the county of Rensselaer, according to a release from Breslin’s office.

No Strain

“Even if the landfill on Rapp Road wasn’t going to reach capacity soon, we’d still want to be thinking ahead for alternatives,” said Franchini. “We have to think about what we want waste management to look like in the Capital Region in four or five years.”

There are a few other solid waste management authorities in the state, and Franchini said the best model of what Albany County has in mind is the Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Management Authority. The Oneida-Herkimer authority was established in 1988 when both counties were lacking permitted disposal space, said William Rabbia, executive director of the authority.

Oneida-Herkimer received legislation from the state approving the authority; the legislation also established a board of directors. The goal of the public benefit, not-for-profit organization was to manage all waste within the two counties, and to set up an integrated system that would establish disposal for solid waste, recyclables, green compost, and hazardous waste, said Rabbia.

The goal has been achieved, Rabbia said. The organization has established a regional landfill, with a 60-year life; a 200-ton per day recycling center; a green waste compost center; a hazardous waste facility; and, three solid waste transfer stations. In addition, the authority manages some curbside collection and has a specialized staff to educate citizens on the benefits of recycling, said Rabbia.

By selling recyclables and charging tipping fees for solid waste disposal, the organization has become completely self-sufficient, according to Rabbia. “We haven’t had to ask for any money,” he said. “There has been no strain on the county budgets.”

Although the Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Management Authority provides a good model, “We’re not predetermining anything,” said Franchini. “We’re really waiting to see what the best solution would be for Albany.”

As for how soon a similar system could be established in Albany County, the permit process could take a while, Franchini said. The grant application could take three or four months to go through, and, once the grant is received, getting a permit could take up to a year.

“We are really happy with the support we saw from the surrounding communities,” said Franchini. “The fact that we saw so much feedback is great.”

“It proves that we all, as a group, need to find a solution,” said Runion.

A committee will be formed and a project website will be created, so that the public can see progress, comment, and ask questions.