FAQ's
Q: Why does the landfill smell?
A: The composition of waste and the landfill environment can both contribute to odors at a landfill. Certain types of waste, particularly construction and demolition debris, create odors as they decompose. For example, drywall has a gypsum (a naturally occurring mineral) core. When gypsum decomposes in a landfill it creates a nontoxic gas that has a rotten egg odor. Mill Seat Landfill manages products that are known to create odors in a variety of ways such as digging a pit and immediately covering waste, limiting the amount of waste that can be accepted, or not accepting certain wastes.
Q: Is the air toxic?
A: No, landfill gas is a natural byproduct of waste decomposition. Landfill gas is comprised of methane, co2, nitrogen, and oxygen. Mill Seat Landfill is highly regulated and requires regular air quality monitoring. Mill Seat Landfill has been 100% compliant in all environmental monitoring.
Q: How do you mitigate odors?
A: Mill Seat Landfill captures landfill gas so it is not released into the air, maintains the proper ratio of waste types, keeps the active working face small, applies daily cover material, and has an odor neutralizer system which operates 24/7.
Q: Does the landfill pollute our water?
A: No, Mill Seat Landfill has a double composite liner system, made up of almost 6ft of multiple layers of plastic and impermeable clay. This protection system creates an environment similar to a bathtub without a drain. The liner system costs approximately $1 million dollars per acre and ensures that no water that passes through the waste (called leachate) enters the ground. Leachate is collected and pumped through pipes to the wastewater treatment facility where it is cleaned.
Q: What happens at the end of the life of the landfill?
A: Each landfill has an end use plan. The community provides input on what they want the space to be once waste is no longer accepted and the landfill has reached is capacity. Other WM closed landfill sites have become golf courses, parks, green space, etc.
Q: Where is waste collected from?
A: Mill Seat Landfill was created to serve the residents and community. Over 95% of waste comes from New York State.
Q: Do you create energy from landfill gas?
A: Yes! Energy is produced at Mill Seat following the decomposition of organic waste material located within the landfill. The gas is de-watered, filtered and pressurized at the facility, and is then piped to the generators, where the fuel turns the engines to produce electricity.
Q: Where does this renewable energy go?
A: Mill Seat Landfill has a Renewable Energy Plant on site where engines and transformers generate and transfer energy to the grid. This energy is combined with other types of renewable energy such as wind and solar, which residents can purchase for their homes via their energy provider’s green option.