Dunn files to renew its landfill permit
Application draws condemnation from environmental activists
S.A. Dunn has filed its application with the state to renew its permit for five years to operate the construction and demolition debris landfill, and has drawn more condemnation from the Rensselaer Environmental Coalition, which wants the facility shut down.
S.A. Dunn faces a stringent review from the state Department of Environmental Conservation as the coalition, the city of Rensselaer, the town of East Greenbush and the Rensselaer County Legislature have spoken against a new permit.
“We remain committed to working closely with DEC and other local leaders as we move through the renewal process. We are excited to start that process today,” Jeff Burrier of S.A. Dunn said Friday when the permit was filed. “We’ve made significant investments to make S.A. Dunn greener and more efficient, and look forward to starting the renewal process.”
Coalition leadership attacked the landfill Wednesday as an environmental hazard harming city residents, in particular the students at the Rensselaer City School District, whose campus is near the landfill.
“Permitting of the Dunn landfill in 2012 should have never been approved, especially with the proximity to a school district as well as residential neighborhoods. The public continues to suffer each day with the impacts of truck traffic, noise, pollution, and the unforeseen impacts on public health,” Dave Ellis, coalition chairman, said in a statement.
S.A. Dunn stressed the economic benefits of its landfill operation in filing its application. This included $937,000 paid in taxes, as well as claims that the operation supports 73 jobs; labor income of $4.9 million annually, including $3.6 million in Rensselaer County; annual operational economic output of $18.7 million, including $13.8 million in the county; and $210,500 in contributions to local organizations in 2021.
The company said the renewal reduces the dump landfill by
220,000 cubic yards and would build berms on the northern and eastern boundaries of the site.
“Without S.A. Dunn and the
resources we provide, the city of Rensselaer will have to make some difficult decisions on is
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sues like local taxes and funding critical services,” Burrier said in the statement.
Opponents reject the idea of continuing operations at the dump.
“The Dunn landfill has caused serious environmental harm in the city of Rensselaer and nearby East Greenbush,” Judith
Enck, former regional administrator with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, said in a statement. “The students at this school and local residents have suffered enough. It is imperative that this permit not be renewed by the (Gov. Kathy) Hochul administration.”