Ontario County officials: Landfill odors may rise after cap fails - Democrat & Chronicle

Ontario County NY officials: Landfill odors may rise after cap fails

Ontario County officials: Landfill odors may rise after cap fails

No one was injured after nearly three and a half acres of a seven-acre cap slid down the southwest face of the Ontario County Landfill on Wednesday afternoon.

But people who live and work near the site may experience increased landfill gas odors, Ontario County officials said.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation and Casella Waste Management of Ontario LLC, which operates the landfill for the county, are investigating what caused the landslide and working on a cleanup plan.

As of Friday afternoon, the cause of the permanent cap failure was still unknown, county officials said.

At this time, it appears that while the permanent capping soil was displaced and that some damage was sustained by a synthetic waste barrier, it does not appear that any waste material was exposed, compromised or migrated outside the confines of the landfill, county officials said.

Throughout the summer construction season, permanent capping material was placed on this section of the landfill. This work was carried out by third-party contractors and engineers retained by Casella in accordance with DEC-approved plans and regulatory requirements.

During the failure of the permanent cap material, a large volume of soil slid down the slope of the landfill, damaging some landfill gas collection infrastructure in this area.

County officials said that due to the safety concerns remaining at the site, the assessment of damages is ongoing.

The incident occurred in a portion of the landfill that was not actively accepting waste and therefore has no impact on waste acceptance operations, county officials said.