Perinton adopts 10 recommendations to minimize odors from landfill

Democrat and Chronicle

One of the neighborhoods affected by the increased smell from High Acres Landfill is Magnolia Court, a new development built across the street from the waste site.

The Perinton Town Board adopted 10 recommendations from the Perinton Conservation Board in an effort to minimize odors coming from Waste Management's High Acres Landfill during a meeting on Wednesday.

The recommendations come following the Conservation Board's efforts to provide explanation for the persistence of the odor coming from the landfill, which more than 2,000 residents have joined together to rally against as part of Fresh Air For The Eastside, a community group established to collect information regarding the landfill and its impact on quality of life.

More:High Acres Landfill impact: What's next for Perinton?

More:Fairport school district says stench from landfill is impacting classes

The recommendations adopted by the board, which include monitoring levels of hydrogen sulfide, the main culprit of the "rotten egg" odor that has residents concerned, are expected to be presented to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). The board will urge NYSDEC to agree to the recommendations, and expect that Waste Management will agree to comply.

Ken Rainis, Conservation Board chairman, said that the recommendations would "present more stringent air quality monitoring regulations than currently required by New York State."

More:What's that smell? Odor from High Acres landfill rankles residents

A complete list of the town's 10 recommendations were distributed via a press release and can be found below:

1) Direct Waste Management to retrofit Cell 11, and all existing and future solid waste disposal areas, to conform with 6 NYCRR 363-7.1(3)(1).

2) High Acres should operate the collection system so that the hydrogen sulfide concentration is less than 10 ppbv above background at the surface of the landfill for odor control and compliance with the NYSDEC one-hour average concentration of hydrogen sulfide not to exceed 0.01ppmv (10ppbv) under 6 NYCRR 257-10.3.

3) Compel monitoring for hydrogen sulfide at any surface scan location where methane readings are at “action-level” conditions of 200 parts per million or greater.

4) Request vertical and horizontal gas collection well monitoring (temperature, oxygen/nitrogen, and pressure) be performed weekly instead of monthly.

5) Direct that Waste Management be required to provide the Perinton Conservation Board with updates on mitigation progress and monitoring at each Perinton Conservation Board meeting. This information would be made public.

6) Request Waste Management to immediately suspend all municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal in Perinton temporarily until WM can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the NYSDEC that all mitigation and compliance measures have been met and demonstrated effective in odor emissions.

7) Have Waste Management support third-party monitoring of local Fairport schools, as directed by the Fairport Superintendent of Schools, for non-methane organic compounds and hydrogen sulfide until such time as the technical data indicate that there is no health concern due to odors from the High Acres landfill.

8) Request that the NYSDEC implement flow-induced vibration requirements that minimize flare-induced vibration occurrences, and compel reporting and resident notification. Require residential/Town notification of gas plant shutdowns exceeding one hour and the potential impacts for odors, vibration, or other potential issues that can immediately impact residents.

9) Request that NYSDEC compel on-site backup power (generator) to operate the gas collection and control system such that a power failure or gas plant shutdown will not affect system control (vacuum) requirements, gas/odor collection and control per Title 5 permit that covers the entire facility (both Perinton and Macedon).

10) The Town of Perinton establish a question and answer resource on the Town website that provides general information about landfills, odors, and odor control. The PCB recommends that the Town engage a third-party consultant who will work with the PCB’s topic outline. Furthermore, the PCB recommends that the consultant compile answers to submitted questions by residents to the Town website. Additionally, a notification should be sent to the residents informing them that this resource is available.

LPEACE@Gannett.com