ACAL News

Recent Documents...

datetitledescription
08/12/11Managing Solid Waste Facilities to Prevent OdorPaper by written by The National Solid Wastes Management Association (NSWMA) - a trade association representing for-profit companies in North America that provide solid, hazardous and medical waste collection, recycling and disposal services.
06/21/10NYSDEC New Solid Waste Plan DraftEntitled Beyond Solid Waste - A Sustainable Materials Management Strategy for New York, the NYSDEC has drafted a 480-page plan to reduce solid waste through increases in reuse, recycling and composting in local communities. Further, the plan calls for a reduction in packaging by manufacturers and a reduction in climate and environmental impacts caused by transporting waste and harmful emissions coming from incinerators and landfills.
06/17/10New Yorkers for Zero Waste Platform 2010Local, regional, state and federal organizations join with NY Zero Waste Alliance, a project of Citizens Environmental Coalition, to support the reduction of waste through increase in reuse, recycling and composting.
10/24/0611 August 2006 DEC LetterRegion 6 Water Engineer Steven Botsford's letter to OHSWA Executive Director Hans Arnold stating OHSWA's environmental responsibility for clean water quality compliance associated with the Ava Landfill site.
06/08/06ACAL vs. OHSWAACAL filed a lawsuit against OHSWA for polluting the trout spawing stream of Moose Creek for over a year. The ongoing pollution to the creek violates State environmental law and the Clean Water Act.
04/20/06Letter to Ava from OHSWALengthy letter from OHSWA Executive Director Hans Arnold to the Ava Town Board regarding a "host community benefit package". The Ava board refuses to negotiate with OHSWA for a 1000+/- acre landfill that is being forced into their rural community.
03/31/06DEC response to AvaDEC Region 6 Director Sandra LeBarron's letter to Town of Ava regarding Ava's request to rescind the March 2006 DEC Consent Order and take "appropriate enforcement action". Ms. LeBarron states the DEC's response must be "somewhat restrained" since ACAL has filed a notice of intent to file a citizen's suit against OHSWA.
03/21/06Notice of Intent to SuePursuant to the Clean Water Act, against the Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Management Authority (OHSWA) and Rifenberg Construction, Inc. by Adirondack Communtities Advisory League (ACAL)
03/20/06Ava Complaint to DECThe Town of Ava sends a letter to Region 6 DEC requesting their Consent Order be rescinded. The town board and the citizens they represent are genuinely concerned about the environment in Ava. They are extremely distressed that OHSWA and Rifenburg have been given permission by the DEC to allow excessive sediment to enter Moose Creek - "a provision that is contrary to the basic mission of the DEC."
02/13/06NYSDEC Consent OrderNYSDEC is giving OHSWA permission to discharge excessive sediment and water into nearby Moose Creek, a federally protected trout spawning stream in Ava, NY.
09/10/05DEC ComplaintAugust 2005

News Updates...

The mission of Adirondack Communities Advisory League (ACAL) is to protect the air, water, land and wildlife in the Tug Hill region of northern Oneida and southern Lewis counties.

Over the past 12 years, ACAL has fought to protect our natural resources by fighting to stop the Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Authority from building their archaic solution to two-county so-called “waste problem.”

OPINION: I believe there is no “waste problem” in Oneida-Herkimer counties. The following facts will support my opinion:

FACT: Oneida and Herkimer county combined population total is approximately the same as Albany County alone – just under 300,000.

FACT: According to the New York State Statistics website, population in Oneida and Herkimer counties has continually DECREASED by 8.2% from 1990-2000.

FACT: County Executive Joe Griffo and the Oneida County Legislature recently increased Oneida county sales tax to a whopping 9.75%. With the highest sales tax in New York State, Oneida residents are already beginning to leave the area, which will mean an additional decline in county population.

FACT: The proposed Ava Landfill has grown to nearly 700 acres in size. OHSWA has purchased rural property at 4 times its full market value, and has taken the rest of the land through eminent domain.

FACT: The Colonie Landfill in northern Albany county is less than 200 acres in size and has grown into a mountain of stench and pollution that can smelled over a mile away. Local residents have been drinking bottled water for over 10 years. The banks of the Mohawk River are constantly littered with plastic bags and debris, and Route 9 is always covered in trash being deposited from the tires of garbage trucks.

QUESTION: If Albany county is about the same size as Oneida and Herkimer counties combined, and the Colonie Landfill is less than 200 acres in size, then why is the proposed Ava landfill more than 3 times that size with more land slated to taken or purchased by OHSWA in the near future?

It’s simple. The Town of Ava has been selected by New York State as the new mega landfill to accept New York City garbage. Period. Why else has Governor Pataki and Senators Clinton and Schumer repeatedly ignored our letters, phone calls and email?

People of Northern Oneida and southern Lewis counties – we are being held prisoners in our own state! We are victims with no voice, no freedoms, and no rights!

FACT: Fresh Kills Landfill (near NYC) was opened in 1948. It was only suppose to be open for a few years to help handle the NYC garbage problem. Instead, Fresh Kills was open for 48 years and grew from 1500 acres to an insane size of 2,200 acres.

FACT: The Fresh Kill Landfill was not only the biggest landfill in New York State and the entire United States, it was the biggest landfill in the entire world! Doesn’t it make you proud to know you live in a state that grew the largest garbage dump in the world?

FACT: The Fresh Kills landfill grew so fast, that in 1997, it was slated to close. 1997 was the exact same year, the Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Authority stated the Ava landfill would open. Coincidence? I don’t think so.

FACT: There are hundred of lawsuits filed against the City of New York by local residents who live near the Fresh Kill landfill. People have died and more are dying of cancer and various blood diseases. Children, who played in the once fresh streams that ran along the perimeter of the landfill, are now dead or dying. Why? Hazardous wastes and deadly toxins were dumped in the unmonitored landfill. If the DEC had done their jobs, the Fresh Kills landfill would have been closed decades ago and maybe some of the poor innocent victims would still be alive today.

FACT: The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has worked closely with the Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Authority to get this mega landfill sited in the Town of Ava. ACAL has copies of memos and stacks of letters written by DEC personnel indicating that they were all collaborating in this landfill effort. Information, by the way, ACAL is forwarding to the New York State Comptroller’s Office.

FACT: The NYSDEC cannot be trusted. They ignored the many complaints and phone calls from area residents last summer when the Moose Creek was polluted with mud contaminant and debris from the beaver dam that was destroyed by unknown causes. The DEC refused to test the water of the Moose Creek or walk its banks. ACAL has pictures of dead trout that were killed as a result of OHSWA’s negligence. Was OHSWA held accountable for this violation of their landfill permit? Of course not. If the DEC refuses to monitor what is occurring during the landfill construction process, God help us all when it is up and running!

FACT: Senator Ray Meier told two Ava residents who recently visited his office in Albany that they’re getting the landfill whether they want it or not! Does this comment sound like it’s coming from a representative of the people of this area? Did you vote for Meier? I sure didn’t! I can’t imagine anyone speaking to adults in such a derogatory manner. I think Mr. Meier could use a few lessons in simple common courtesy.

So, what do we do?

First and foremost, vote responsibly. It is the right of all citizens to know who they are voting for and to educate themselves on the issues before they vote.

Secondly, it is absolutely necessary that local residents attend their town and village boards meetings and voice their continued opposition to the Ava landfill.

Thirdly, area residents must continue to educate themselves about the proposed landfill and what it will mean to your community and your homes when it is running. Please do not assume the landfill is going to be the size of the old Boonville dump on Route 12. This landfill will be bigger than anyone can possibly imagine. It will grow to at least the size of a 20-story building, located on one of the highest hilltops in our area. Town and Village of Boonville residents will eventually see it and smell it on a daily basis, especially since they are located due west from the landfill site. Town of Ava and Lewis residents will also see and smell the landfill before Boonville. People who cannot bear the stench or risk to their drinking water will move away.

Town of Ava residents, located near the landfill construction, have already begun to experience problems with their wells. Some homeowners have had to replace their pumps and have their water tanks flushed out because of the excessive sentiment now located in their drinking water. These people, many of who have lived in Ava all their lives, are literally being forced out of their homes.

We may be victims but we must not sit back and do nothing while watching the horrors unfold around us. That is why is so very important for the townships to refuse any negotiations with the Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Authority. Is accepting minimal tax breaks, bypass roads, and fire trucks worth sacrificing your fresh air, pure drinking water, and your children’s futures? Accepting anything from OHSWA is like saying the past 12 years of fighting this landfill was all a big joke and that we deserve to be violated and discriminated against. The past 12 years hasn’t been about seeing what we could get out of this landfill. It has been about the courage and perseverance of small-town residents who demand the same freedom and rights as other New Yorkers! Negotiating with OHSWA means you give up and that it’s okay to build a landfill here.

It is the moral and civil obligation of all rural citizens to do what it right for our communities. IT IS NOT OKAY TO BUILD A LANDFILL HERE!

03/16/12 - NEW SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION
08/07/11 - Can Landfill Odors Be Prevented?
07/27/11 - Don't Give Up the Ship
12/21/10 - AUTHORITY SETTLES LAWSUIT WITH ACAL
10/11/10 - Black River Trash Bash
07/02/10 - Burning household trash is illegal in New York
06/17/10 - New Yorkers for Zero Waste Platform
07/13/09 - ACAL - Alive and well
04/13/08 - ACAL 2008 Update - Part 2
03/18/08 - ACAL Continues Environmental Mission in 2008
11/09/07 - Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust
10/26/07 - A good read - The Adirondack Atlas
10/12/07 - New York State Opening Meeting Law
09/28/07 - ACAL Fall Foliage Auction Oct. 5
09/21/07 - Integrity found in the Town of Ava
09/14/07 - Tug Hill resources have been targeted
08/19/07 - Fair and straighforward journalism?
08/10/07 - A Needed Appreciation for Nature
08/03/07 - New York State Municipal Home Rule Law
07/27/07 - Boonville Village Litter/Debris Local Law
07/19/07 - Black River Landing Subdivision Issues
07/13/07 - WTE vs. Landfills
06/29/07 - Too many impaired waters - Black River Watershed
06/22/07 - Protecting our drinking water starts at home
06/15/07 - ACAL Joins Northern Forest Alliance
06/07/07 - ACAL Holds 200/20 Drawing & Picnic, Annual Meeting
06/07/07 - ACAL AWARDED GRANT
06/01/07 - Be a solution - get involved
05/25/07 - American flags do not belong in landfills
05/24/07 - PRESS RELEASE - ACAL Signs Stolen & Vandalized
05/18/07 - Reality check for the DEC
05/04/07 - All citizens are called to act responsibly
04/27/07 - "An Inconvenient Truth"
04/13/07 - Citizens Deserve the Whole Truth ...
04/06/07 - Great Lakes United & Citizen Resources
03/30/07 - "What is the future of local government?"
03/23/07 - Citizens Expect More From Local Government
03/16/07 - Plastic Grocery Bags Harm Wildlife
03/09/07 - The Precious Gift of Water
03/02/07 - Working Together to Protect the Environment
02/26/07 - Grassroots groups are citizens who care!
02/16/07 - Local Citizens Want Environment Protected
02/09/07 - Open Letter to Boonville Town/Village Officials
02/02/07 - Ava Landfill Story Told in Chicago
01/26/07 - It's time for New Yorkers to reclaim their rights!
01/12/07 - CITIZENS' RIGHTS ARE NOT FOR SALE!
01/05/07 - "DO NOT LITTER" Applies to Everyone
12/15/06 - "March of the Penguins"
12/08/06 - Be "good news" in the community
12/01/06 - Moose Creek Prediction - 12 years ago!
11/22/06 - United Haulers v. OHSWA
11/17/06 - A Citizen's Rights
11/03/06 - EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE
11/01/06 - ACAL statement regarding opening of landfill
10/24/06 - OHSWA Opens Landfill Without Required DEC Permit
10/20/06 - OHSWA required by DEC to have proper permit
10/13/06 - Dr. Bob Johnson Speaks at Public Forum
10/06/06 - OHSWA Fails to Deliver
10/04/06 - PRESS RELEASE - Court Denies OHSWA Motions
09/26/06 - PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
09/21/06 - If OHSWA knew what they were doing ...
09/08/06 - Joint Board Resolution Revisited
08/28/06 - A Special Message
08/11/06 - Who will save the Town of Ava?
07/21/06 - The Emperor isn't wearing any clothes!
06/10/06 - Honoring Flag Day
05/19/06 - Local Residents Demand Protection for Environment
05/12/06 - The Foundation for a Better Life
05/05/06 - ACAL will pursue justice
04/28/06 - "Tug Hill, A Threatened Paradise"
04/21/06 - NYS environmental law contradicts State action
04/13/06 - The Tug Hill Plateau is worth protecting!
03/22/06 - Press Release - OHSWA & Rifenburg Being Sued
02/24/06 - ACAL Finds NYSDEC Consent Out of Order
02/03/06 - ACAL Defends the Truth
01/02/06 - PRESS RELEASE
12/15/05 - ACAL Continues with its Mission
12/01/05 - Tug Hill Heritage
11/23/05 - Boonville Breaks Resolution
11/06/05 - October 2005 OHSWA meeting
10/28/05 - NYS Waste Disposal Policies Not Enforced
10/21/05 - Environmental Conservation Laws
10/12/05 - Response to Village Trustee
09/23/05 - OHSWA Permit Violations
09/16/05 - ACAL Misinformation
09/07/05 - Press Release: DEC Enforcement Action
08/24/05 - ACAL Misinformation
08/05/05 - It's never too late
07/22/05 - Citizens, stand strong - DO NOT NEGOTIATE!
07/15/05 - PRESS RELEASE - Problems on Ava Landfill Site
07/08/05 - The truth must be told
07/07/05 - WBRV Statement #5 - DANGER to our drinking water
07/06/05 - WBRV Statement #4 - Polluting landfills kill
07/05/05 - WBRV STATEMENT #3 - Boonville Poll Not Official
06/29/05 - WBRV Statement #2 - Landfills provide NO benefits
06/27/05 - WBRV Statement #1 -Towns must stick together
06/24/05 - Waste to energy facilities better alternative
06/17/05 - Boonville boards break agreement
06/17/05 - Slope failure sends mud into Moose Creek AGAIN!
06/12/05 - Environmentally safe alternatives to landfills
05/27/05 - Town of Ava will file an appeal
05/22/05 - Dynamite blasting on landfill site?
05/15/05 - Oneida County in Trouble
05/08/05 - FACTS and What You Can Do
05/01/05 - Community Gathers for Prayer Service
04/24/05 - Personal Letter to NYS Comptroller Alan G. Hevesi
04/17/05 - Power of Prayer
04/03/05 - The Waste Authority Must Be Stopped!
03/27/05 - Letter to NYS Comptroller Alan G. Hevesi
03/20/05 - OHSWA Propaganda
03/13/05 - Letter to Griffo - Put Words into Action!
03/06/05 - Get involved in your community
02/27/05 - Assemblyman Townsend Has Concerns Re: OHSWA
02/06/05 - Power of the Press
01/24/05 - Legislator Pam Mandryck Opposes SWA Reappointment
01/02/05 - Weeks of 1/2 - 1/16/05
12/22/04 - Response to letter
12/12/04 - Senator Ray Meier Favors Ava Landfill
11/28/04 - Proud Heritage
11/14/04 - Oneida County chooses - for the people, or not?
11/07/04 - Letters sent to Governor and NYS Senators
10/31/04 - Ava/Boonville future - NO DUMP!
10/28/04 - Letter to Governor Pataki
10/24/04 - Environment Justice All the Way!
10/22/04 - Press Release
10/17/04 - No Civil Rights for Ava Residents
10/10/04 - Article 78 Lawsuit Against DEC Commissioner Crotty
10/03/04 - 400+ Days and Still Fighting!
09/27/04 - Family Home Threatened
09/26/04 - Important Facts to Know About the Ava Landfill
09/19/04 - Letter from Concerned Citizen
09/12/04 - Small Town of Ava Dragged into Court by OHSWA
08/29/04 - Where Do Your Loyalities Lie?
08/22/04 - Beaver Dam Incident Still a Mystery
08/15/04 - Ava-Boonville-Lewis Joint Boards Resolution
 

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