Support The Daily Orange this holiday season! The money raised between now and the end of the year will go directly toward aiding our students. Donate today.

The Syracuse City Common Council unanimously passed a resolution opposing the Seneca Meadows landfill’s proposal to increase its capacity in the interest of protecting Skaneateles Lake from contamination. The lake provides fresh water to approximately 200,000 people across the city of Syracuse and surrounding areas.

Seneca Meadows is the largest landfill in New York state, with its current height reaching almost 300 feet, according to The New York Times. The landfill is expected to reach its maximum capacity this year. Seneca Meadows’ proposed solution would add 47 acres of space and increase the height by 70 feet, according to WXXI News.

If the landfill isn’t expanded, it will close when its state permit expires in 2025. If the expansion is approved, the landfill is estimated to remain open until 2040 according to News 10. New York state’s Department of Environmental Conservation will make the final approval decision.

The council’s resolution encourages the DEC, the town boards of Seneca Falls and Waterloo, the Seneca Falls Zoning Board of Appeals and the Seneca County Board of Supervisors to also oppose the proposal. According to Environmental Health News, the common councils of Skaneateles, Interlaken, Geneva and Yates Counties have passed similar resolutions.

“This is a good time to urge the Onondaga County Legislature to follow suit and do what we are doing today. We are a county that knows exactly how dangerous a lake can become when we allow it to be polluted,” Councilor Jimmy Monto, who represents District 5, said.

Historically, Syracuse and the broader Onondaga County area have faced water pollution concerns with Onondaga Lake. In 2024, Onondaga County was fined almost $100,000 after improperly disposing of over 36 million gallons of raw sewage that contaminated Onondaga Lake, syracuse.com reported.

The lake remains one of the most polluted in the country as a result of runoff, industrialization and wastewater pollution. Onondaga Lake has also been polluted from decades of mining by Honeywell International Incorporated, which added large quantities of sediment to the lake.

Though over 25 miles away from Skaneateles Lake, council members expressed concerns about waste being transported close to the city’s main water source. The landfill also sits on the edge of the lake’s watershed, increasing its risk of contamination.

Syracuse has relied on Skaneateles Lake as its primary water supply for more than 125 years, according to Onondaga County’s website. The lake’s water is considered to be high quality and is used without filtration. Lake Ontario serves as the city’s backup water supply.

In October, the Seneca County Board of Supervisors voted to demand that New York state investigate Seneca Meadows’ proposal before a final decision on the landfill’s expansion.

The DEC has not yet set a date for a final decision on the proposal.

Other business:

• The council again delayed its vote on the state’s proposed Good Cause Eviction laws. The proposal would require landlords to provide reasonable cause for rent increases in an effort to combat evictions. The vote has been on the council’s agenda since September.
• A bill increasing the maximum age of active police officers from 35 to 40 passed unanimously. The bill also eliminates the maximum age for people to take the civil service exam required for police officers and environmental conservation officers.
• Councilors awarded a special permit to open a new restaurant at the vacant property at 508-510 Westcott Street.

Published on December 10, 2024 at 12:39 am

Contact Arabella: akklonow@syr.edu