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Image provided by: Guilderland Public Library
The Altamont Enterprise- Thursday. December7,20Q& Editorial Stop the stench Something is rotten in the town of Guilderland. The stench of garbage has been in the air, on and off, for years. Resi- dents in the leafy neighborhoods of McKownville have had enough. Donald Csaposs, development di- rector for Guilderland, is a McKownville resident. He told us this week that he never knows if it will be \safe\ to use his small but pleasant backyard. \I never know if it's going to stink out there,\ he says. David Bosworth, a town council- man as well as a McKownville resi- dent, told our reporter that, when cold weather hits McKownville as it has this week, a fog of noxious gases rolls across the community from the landfill. Bosworth also said some residents are considering a move from a neigh- borhood they love because they can't stand the smells any longer. Two-and-a-half years ago, we wrote about a resident of Graylon Place who described the stench as \god awful\ and said he was con- cerned it would decrease his property's value. The smells are coming from the Rapp Road landfill, which is a money-maker for the city of Albany. Eleven Albany County municipali- ties, known as the Solid Waste Plan- ning Unit, use the landfill; each pays tipping fees to the city, which last year totaled about $10.8 mil- lion, according to Albany Comptrol- ler Thomas Nitido. He said this makes up about 7.3 percent of the city's $148 million operating budget. City property taxes would go up 23 to 25 percent if Albany had to cover that portion of the budget, were it to lose the in- come from the landfill, Nitido told us earlier. Albany shouldn't be using the money from member municipalities to balance the city budget. It should use the money to run the landfill properly. Two-and-a-half years ago, when the Graylon Place resident com- plained about the \god awful\ stench, the corporation counsel for the city of Albany told us the stench was temporary as pipes were being laid to eliminate methane gas that comes from decomposing waste. If that gas were allowed into the air, it could be harmful to the public, he said. How harmful? We've consulted with experts this week. All agree that, while meth- ane in open spaces isn't a public- health issue, methane is harmful for the environment. It's a green- house gas that, once released into the earth's atmosphere, allows in- coming sunlight to pass through but absorbs heat radiated back from the earth's surface. This causes glo- bal warming that scientists around the world now recognize as destruc- tive. Donald Reeb says the McKownville Neighborhood Asso- ciation which he heads has been stonewalled for years by the city of Albany and the landfill manage- ment, and is tired of a one-sided Byrd's-Eye View conversation. He also says the state's Department of Health hasn't been responsive about the effects on resi- dents' health of methane and what- ever is causing the bad smells. The association is now about to hire an expert itself to run tests, Reeb said. Citizens deserve answers. But beyond that, a solution is needed. Csaposs cites Seneca Mead- ows, the largest landfill operation in upstate New York, which he has visited. The 700-acre facility in the Fin- ger Lakes region has two landfill gas-driven electric plants and two fully-enclosed flares. Landfill gas, a byproduct of the decomposition of organic materials, is collected with a network of wells and burned in the landfill gas-driven electric plants. Burning the landfill gas destroys ^ non-methane organic compounds and provides low-cost renewable energy. The facility's state-of-the-art tech- nology keeps smells down, Csaposs says, and it provides offices and a nearby farm with low-cost energy. Closer to home, the town of Colonie hired a contractor to establish a methane-recovery facility on its landfill, which will generate funds. The city of Albany should use some of the funds it gets from the 11 municipalities supporting the land- fill to correct the problems and build a system that could, in the long run, generate funds. Complaints from Guilderland resi- dents apparently aren't enough to spur action. Several years ago, the town enforced its zoning ordinance when residents near the Metro 20 Diner complained of smells from the restaurant. The business owner was required to install expensive filters. Surely a municipality—in this case, the city of Albany — should be held to the same standards as an indi- vidual business owner. The town, however, has no juris- diction because the Rapp Road facil- ity is outside of its borders. The state's Department of Environmen- tal Conservation has already fined the city because of the smell. We urge the other municipalities — including New Scotland, Berne, Knox, Westerlo, Rensselaerville, and Altamont — to let their voices be heard. After all, it is garbage from all of these places that is causing the stench McKownville residents have to endure. We were distressed last summer when all but one of the member municipalities signed Albany Mayor Gerald Jennings's letter of support for expansion of the landfill into pristine Pine Bush lands. Only Guilderland, which has land in the Pine Bush, took a strong stand against it. Those plans to expand to the west were scrapped in favor of expanding to the east, even though the price for moving the facilities currently lo- cated there is estimated at $2 mil- lion. Rebuilding facilities would be the perfect time to revamp the system, making it safe, odor-free, and cost effective. CHRISTMAS SERVICES The Enterprise will list Christmas church services in the Dec. 21 edition. Information — including time, location, and pastor— must be received in the news office by Dec. 15. Information can be sent by fax to 861-5105, by e-mail to altamontenterprise@csdsl.net , or by postal mail to: The Altamont Enterprise, Post Office Box 654, Altamont, NY 12009. Tea. 't&c e^LlSto >st> Create a memorable holiday scene To the Editor: As in the past four years, as part of the \Light Up the Village\ activities, a communitywide challenge will be held through the month of December for the best exterior holiday decorations in both residential and commer- cial categories. Judging will be by a panel of resident village elves, young and old, to take place on or about Dec. 21. Prizes of $100, $50, and $25 respectively for first, second, and third in each category will be awarded. All families and businesses are encouraged to participate. There are no style categories or pre- conceived notions by the com- mittee. The judges will be look- ing only for the most beautiful, original, unique, cute, fun, clever, weird, and bright. So, once again, dig out those dusty boxes from those attics and garages and create a memo- rable holiday scene at your house or shop; we'll be watching. Dean Whalen Chair of the Altamont Community Tradition Holiday Decorating Elves The Hope Tree To the Editor: The Helderberg Safe Haven, a Hilltown facility providing tem- porary housing for families in turmoil or need, wishes to invite you to the Berne Festival of Trees. Come and learn about us while enjoying all of the many trees on display. We can be seen on Dec. 9, from 4 to 8 p.m. and Dec. 10, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Berne Historical Society on Helderberg Trail in the hamlet. If you know anyone in need of housing, please contact us at 861-7009. Kelsey Maslowsky and Margaret Capuano Helderberg Safe Haven Email us today at our new email address: altamontenterprise@csdsl. net THEUHMOJIT Enteipei
