A rally is set for Tuesday in Waterloo as community groups, families, and educators push back against a proposed expansion of Seneca Meadows, New York’s largest landfill.
Seneca Lake Guardian and Concerned Citizens of Seneca County will gather at noon near Waterloo High School and Middle School, urging Governor Kathy Hochul and the state Department of Environmental Conservation to reject the plan.
The landfill, operated by Texas-based Waste Connections, is slated to close by the end of 2025 under a local law that was reaffirmed earlier this year by a state Supreme Court ruling. However, state regulators are still weighing a proposal that would expand the landfill’s footprint by 47 acres and keep it operating through 2040.
Opponents argue that the landfill poses health and quality-of-life risks to children and families in Waterloo, citing noxious odors that frequently drift across nearby schools and athletic fields. They have even reported that some students and staff have become sick or missed school when the smell becomes overwhelming.
