UCRRA

Stop Exporting Waste, Oppose Polluting Incineration, and Tackle Waste at the Source in Ulster County

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WHAT
Provide public comment during Ulster County Legislature meetings

WHERE
Ulster County Legislative Offices located at 244 Fair Street, 6th floor

WHEN
The next one is Tuesday, May 20 at 6:45pm. They meet third Tuesday of each month

WHY
Urge the Ulster County Legislature to focus on managing our waste locally and transparently.  They must say no to polluting incineration or so-called “waste to energy” projects that are toxic, polluting and false solutions.  The public deserves a clear, accessible roadmap that outlines the county’s plans, proposed policies, and legislation posted on a public-facing web page. These steps should be guided by the Zero Waste Hierarchy, prioritizing waste reduction, reuse, and responsible resource management.”

HOW
Sign-up to speak after 6:00pm on the 6th floor of the county building.  Comments must be no more than 2-minutes in length (approximately 260 words)

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A collaborative post by KingstonCitizens.org and TownOfUlsterCitizens.org

New York State is known for its progressive environmental policies, but its waste management practices tell a different story. Every day, trash from cities like Kingston is hauled more than 500 miles round trip to Seneca Meadows, the state’s largest landfill, located in Seneca Falls, a small community of approximately 8,800 people. 1  These residents unfairly bear the burden of much of New York State’s waste – pollution, heavy truck traffic, foul odors, and long-term environmental degradation.  With the landfill’s permit up for renewal, residents are calling for its closure by December 31, 2025, 2 and we fully support their demand.  

Despite knowing for nearly a decade about the impending closure of Seneca Meadows, Ulster County still lacks a clear county-wide plan for responsibly managing its own waste.

Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency (“UCRRA”) currently sends 140,000 tons of Municipal Solid Waste (“MSW”) and Construction & Demolition (“C&D”) debris to the Seneca Meadows landfill in Seneca Falls, which is approximately 253 miles each way, averaging 12 trips a day, six days a week. 3

At the same time, several of our Ulster County Legislators think incineration and other so-called “waste-to-energy” projects are a solution to waste management, but incineration is just another harmful approach that exposes those living nearby to toxic pollutants like dioxins, mercury and other highly toxic metals, nitrogen oxides (triggers asthma attacks) and fine particulate matter that threaten public health and the environment.  The process also generates toxic ash that is also being landfilled in a more concentrated, dangerous form. Incineration doesn’t solve our waste problem; it compounds it. 

Furthermore, it is inefficient at producing energy. For instance, the trash incinerator in Peekskill (the largest in the Hudson Valley) produces only 1/10th as much electricity as the Cricket Valley gas-fired power plant. 4

“Trash incineration is the most expensive and polluting way to manage waste or to make energy,” said Mike Ewall, Executive Director of Energy Justice Network and one of our longstanding, key partners. “It is dirtier than landfilling and, as the state has documented, is more polluting than coal burning.”5

The disparity in New York’s environmental policies

The push for incineration and then the continued reliance on exporting our trash to landfills and incinerators in other counties and states reminds us of our fracking moratorium. In 2014, the state banned hydraulic fracturing (fracking) due to its environmental and health risks. However, we continue to import fracked gas from other states.

New York’s climate goals also expose another contradiction: the Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE) project. This hydropower initiative brings energy from Quebec to New York, but it comes at the cost of flooding rivers and disrupting ecosystems in Canada, displacing Indigenous communities in the process. 6 

If we are serious about environmental justice, New York must stop neglecting the communities bearing the brunt of our waste. The state has a history of greenwashing – promising change while allowing harmful practices to persist. Real progress means addressing our waste locally, not shifting the burden onto others. And instead of relying on harmful waste management methods like incineration or exporting trash to landfills and incinerators in other counties and states, we must focus on reducing waste at its source through systemic change, and develop our own in-county, publicly-owned disposal capacity to handle our own waste responsibly. This includes mandating composting to divert organic material from landfills and incinerators, banning single-use plastics and excessive packaging, and holding manufacturers accountable for the waste their products generate. Public education is crucial, as people need to understand the environmental impact of their consumption and what they can do to reduce it. Waste management solutions should be localized, equitable, and designed to serve, not burden, communities.

In Ulster County, composting should be mandatory, just like wearing a seatbelt. Just as seatbelt laws protect public safety, mandatory composting is essential for reducing waste, cutting methane emissions, and conserving valuable resources. It’s an easy, effective way for everyone to contribute to responsible waste management because, like seatbelt laws, it’s about the collective good, not just individual choice.

Reducing waste instead of investing in polluting alternatives

In 2024, the Sullivan County Legislature began exploring the development of a so-called “Waste to Energy” plant in the county. In January, Ulster County Legislator Kevin Roberts persuaded Sullivan County to pass a resolution opposing a landfill in Wawarsing, suggesting that Ulster County might instead partner with Sullivan to bring a Covanta facility to the region. 7

In April, a bipartisan group of Ulster County legislators and guests toured Covanta’s incinerator in Westbury, Long Island – a troubling sign that outdated, polluting waste management strategies are still being considered. Since the tour, proponents have been actively circulating Covanta presentations and research in support of a regional so-called “waste to energy” facility. At the May meeting of the Energy and Environment Committee, committee members – including three legislators who participated in the tour – held an extended discussion on the potential benefits of bringing this polluting plant to the region. 8

Let’s be clear: incineration is not a solution. Studies have shown that incineration (and landfilling toxic ash) is 2-3 times more harmful for health and environment than going directly to landfills without burning first, and most of the landfill impacts can be reduced if we keep food scraps and yard waste out of them by composting.  Instead of doubling down on harmful infrastructure, our leaders need to work with the public to develop systems that reflect the principles of the Zero Waste Hierarchy. This framework defines Zero Waste as the conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of products, packaging, and materials without burning and with no discharges to land, water, or air that threaten the environment or human health. It offers a guide for real systemic change that prioritizes waste prevention and community well-being. 

Ulster County already has a promising composting program, with plans in the works for its expansion. Our county legislators should focus on engaging the public to support the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency in investing in this program, rather than touring incinerators.  It’s a non-starter.

Take action. 

The public must act now to shut down any discussions about polluting incineration or so-called “waste-to-energy” projects for our trash in Ulster County, whether proposed in our county or elsewhere. Although these talks are currently happening in committee and not yet on the full county legislature’s agenda, the public can still make its voice heard. Community members are encouraged to show up at legislative meetings and speak during the public comment period on this issue before harmful decisions are made in the background.

WHAT
Provide public comment during Ulster County Legislature meetings

WHERE
Ulster County Legislative Offices located at 244 Fair Street, 6th floor

WHEN
The next one is Tuesday, May 20 at 6:45pm. They meet third Tuesday of each month

WHY
Urge the Ulster County Legislature to focus on managing our waste locally and transparently.  They must say no to  incineration or so-called “waste to energy” projects that are toxic, polluting and false solutions.  The public deserves a clear, accessible roadmap that outlines the county’s plans, proposed policies, and legislation posted on a public-facing web page. These steps should be guided by the Zero Waste Hierarchy, prioritizing waste reduction, reuse, and responsible resource management.”

HOW
Sign-up to speak after 6:00pm on the 6th floor of the county building.  Comments must be no more than 2-minutes in length (approximately 260 words)


CITATIONS

(1) https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/senecafallstownsenecacountynewyork/PST045224
(2) https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/politics/2025/04/02/demonstrators-protest-seneca-falls-town-board-s-approval-of-landfill-operating-permit
(3) https://extapps.dec.ny.gov/fs/projects/SWMF/Annual%20Reports_Solid%20Waste%20Management%20Facility/Annual%20Reports_by%20Activity%20Type/Landfill/Landfill%20Annual%20Reports%20-%202023/R8/50S08_Seneca_Meadows_msw_R8_2023.2024-3-1.AR.pdf
(4) https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/eia923/
(5) https://energyjustice.net/incineration/
(6) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efSb1H2Aq0I
(7) https://citizenportal.ai/articles/2144459/Sullivan-County/New-York/Ulster-County-leaders-urged-to-oppose-controversial-landfill-near-Sullivan-County-border
(8) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmAKJyOriuI

 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES 

The City of Kingston’s composting program “rots”!

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Photo credit: Julie Noble

By Rebecca Martin

The City of Kingston’s composting program “rots”!

Composting is the process of  breaking down organic waste, like food scraps, to create nutrient-rich compost. This process involves rotting, or the destructive dissolution of organic matter. When we remove food waste from the waste system, with composting,  we are actively diverting food scraps from our regular trash and turning them into nutrient rich soil. It is essentially taking food out of the landfill where it would otherwise decompose and produce harmful methane gas; this helps reduce environmental impact and conserve resources used to produce food. 

According to the EPA, 22% of our waste stream is food scraps, meaning it is the largest single category of waste sent to landfills

Composting’s benefits include saving our community tax dollars. Kingston’s garbage is hauled more than 250 miles away to the Seneca Meadows Landfill. The tipping fees are extremely expensive and are getting more so with each passing year. 

As it pertains to environmental justice, Seneca Meadows Landfill is located in Seneca Falls, a small town of a little more than 9,000 people. They are enduring great harms living next to one of the largest active landfills in New York State that accepts trash from communities like ours.

Established in 1953, Seneca Meadows landfill has a permitted waste capacity of 6,000 tons per day. The landfill will reach capacity by the end of 2025, coinciding with the expiration of its existing permit. They want to profit as much as they can and kick the can down the road to expand their capacity by 47 acres and extend their permit in 2040.  Here’s what Seneca Lake Guardians, made up of community members living in Seneca Falls, think about that. We must understand  how we are contributing to their community harms and stop it.

Recently, Ulster County announced it wanted to find a landfill of its own in the county with much public outrage.  Now imagine how Seneca Falls community members feel about communities like ours sending our unending stream of trash there. 

It’s unjust and unfair.  

It’s why the county must approve its Zero Waste Management plan that it’s been working on for a long time, and why we endorse a landfill in Ulster County.  Why should we place the burden of our waste on a community 250 miles away? The only way that we are going to make changes is to take on the burden  right here at home.

Zero waste is key and composing is an opportunity for Kingston residents. Let’s get the ball rolling to take responsibility for what we are throwing out.  Sign-up to Kingston Organics.  I’ve taken pictures of my weekly haul to show you just how easy it is to get food scraps, meats, bones, etc. out of our waste stream.

Step one:
Make a designated can for all of your food scraps. You can capture meat and bones, too. I’ve lined mine with a bag that I can wash and use again for a couple of months of collection.
Step two:
I collect my food scrapes for a week to deliver on Sunday’s. Kingston has a number of locations that are close to you that you can deliver to.
Step three:
I visit the location in the Rondout to bring my food scraps for composing.
Step four:
There is a simple passcode to access the bins (you’ll get the code once you sign-up)
Step five:
Dump and go! By doing so, you’ve contributed to eliminating unnecessary food scraps from our waste stream, making less emissions and saving tax dollars in tipping fees from delivering our trash to Seneca Meadows, some 250 miles away.

KingstonCitizens.org Request UCRRA to Remove BioHiTech Facility in Local Solid Waste Plan for Ulster County

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By Rebecca Martin

On Monday, June 29 at noon, the Ulster County Recovery Resource Authority (UCRRA) will hold their monthly meeting. We have provided the following pubic comment.

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Dear Members of the UCRRA Board,

We wish to commend you for your hard efforts in creating a Local Solid Waste Plan for Ulster County.  From our early conversations with professionals, Ulster County and specifically UCRRA is seen as a leader on managing solid waste. 

However, in regard to the BioMass section of your document (page 111-112), we request that the board consider a resolution to remove the BioHiTech facility in Ulster County from its plan.  

Recently, we have learned about BioHiTech, a “Municipal Solid Waste Processing Facility” with a project that is now online in West Virginia and another currently under scrutiny in the City of Rensselaer. 

The proposed facility in the City of Rensselaer initially referred to itself as a “composting facility” in its Environmental Assessment Form for SEQR. Far from it.  As we understand it, this “emerging technology” produces Refuse-derived Fuel (RDF) by first collecting municipal waste. After removing any valuable metals, the plastic and fibers are dried and shredded into confetti.  They are then trucked away to cement plants where it is incinerated to supplement coal in creating energy. The remaining waste is dumped in unnamed landfills or garbage incinerators.

With a population of 9300 residents, the City of Rensselaer community is already shouldering four polluting facilities (a nearby massive asphalt receiving facility, the Rensselaer Cogeneration gas-fired power plant, a major Amtrak hub and the Dunn Construction and Demolition debris landfill (situated next to a pre-K to 12 public school) and across the river, Global oil terminal). “The proposed BioHiTech facility project, situated near a DEC potential environmental justice area, would be built on top of a capped toxic waste site, the former BASF property, where existing contamination affects the soil, groundwater, and nearby Hudson River.  It would accept constant shipments of municipal garbage. Trucks would make about 82 trips in and out of the facility every day, according to the applicant.” This would be tragic for Rensselaer.

So it is of great concern to us that in UCRRA’s most recent plan, it calls to contract a consulting firm to evaluate the possibility of permitting and constructing a local landfill or a BioHiTech Facility within Ulster County.

In section 7.11 Technology Selection, it says, “..three technologies have been selected to pursue in the 10-year planning period. Feasibility studies for siting a local landfill, installing a BioHiTech (biomass) Facility, and waste exportation by railroad will be conducted”

To be clear, we understand that to date, UCRRA has not included incineration as a solution to municipal solid waste within Ulster County. That’s wise given the history of environmental advocacy here, as the outcry would be fierce. Let it be known that we also do not support Ulster County engaging in incineration anywhere. 

On page 74, section 5.2.9 Local Environmental Justice it says,. “Environmental justice means the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Fair treatment means that no group of people, including a racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic group, should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, municipal, and commercial operations or the execution of federal, state, local, and tribal programs and policies. Environmental justice, under the NYSDEC Policy 29 aims to enhance public participation and the review of environmental impacts from proposed construction of facilities in environmental justice communities, and to reduce disproportionate environmental impacts in overburdened communities.” 

If UCRRA is indeed concerned about Environmental Justice communities in Ulster County, then it should also be concerned in its role to potentially exploit communities outside of Ulster County, those who would bear the brunt of our shipment of shredded plastics and fiber for incineration. We encourage you to think hard about how you would feel if you and your family were living near an incinerator burning waste in general, and then the waste of those from another state. 

For all of these reasons, we request that the UCRRA board consider passing a resolution to remove BioHiTech from its current Local Solid Waste Management plan as a potential future option in Ulster County.

In addition, we sought advice from Neil Seldman and made a small donation to the Institute for Local Self-Reliance to review UCRRA’s 2011 and 2020 Local Solid Waste Plans and provide a memorandum to outline the pros and cons for Ulster County. All incineration plans are stated as “a very bad idea.”  He goes on to say that he “will not comment on this very outdated 20th century technology.” Most, if not all of us, are aware of Seldman’s work and hold him in high esteem. We are submitting the memorandum as an attachment to our public comment. 

RESOURCES

READ: Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency Local Solid Waste Management Plan

READ: Institute for Self Reliance Memorandum on Ulster County Local Solid Waste Plan

READ: Riverkeeper Opposes Waste Facility on the Hudson River in Rensselaer

VIDEO: City of Kingston and UCRRA Board and Staff Discuss Transition Strategy for Recyclables.

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Today, Mayor Steve Noble and DPW Superintendent Ed Norman met with the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency (UCRRA) requesting a short-term extension from single-stream recycling to dual stream recycling through June 30, 2019.   It appears some headway was made – and we appreciate everyone’s efforts.

You can review the full discussion below thanks to The Kingston News and brought to you by KingstonCitizens.org.

VIEW:  “Kingston Residents Can Mix Recyclables Beyond Jan. 1, 2019” in the Daily Freeman

 

City of Kingston to Negotiate Single Stream Recycling Materials Through June, 2019.

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By Rebecca Martin

On Wednesday, December 12th at 2:00 pm the UCRRA Board is hosting a special meeting to discuss the City of Kingston’s request to extend the acceptance of SSR (Single Stream Recycling) beyond December 31, 2018.  VIEW

This is an important step forward as if the City of Kingston and UCRRA can come to the table to agree, our single-stream recycling will continue to be managed by UCRRA through June 30th to allow the city of Kingston to complete its recycling transition plan. Otherwise, we will have to manage it on our own and that doesn’t make any sense in the short term.  It’s KingstonCitizens.org’s goal to encourage a compromise.

We ask citizens who can’t attend this week to support UCRRA and the CoK in their negotiations on our behalf.

CoK Mayor Steve Noble
mayor@kingston-ny.gov

UCRRA Executive Director Timothy Rose, PE
tros@ucrra.org

Thank you for your willingness to work together on Kingston’s single-stream recycling transition. We respectfully request that UCRRA continue to accept Kingston’s single-stream recyclables until June 30, 2019 to allow us to complete our recycling transition plan.

Thank you for your consideration. Please distribute our request to all UCRRA board members.

Name
Address

 

 

 

UCRRA Board Unanimously Pass Resolution to Triple Kingston’s Single-Stream Recycling Costs through December.

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Click on image to view video.

By Rebecca Martin

On Wednesday, the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency (UCRRA) unanimously passed through Resolution No. 2445 that will end single-stream recycling for the agency on December 31st, 2018 and resolution No. 2446 to increase tipping fees for the remainder of the year beginning July 1, 2018.

What does that mean for Kingston?

Single stream recycling is Kingston’s current system, and we made a large investment in order to do so between 2011 and 2013 with UCRRA’s blessing.  Although Kingston is the only municipality who does so through UCRRA, other communities in Ulster County engage in single stream recycling through private haulers without any trouble.

The City of Kingston, that serves approximately 24,000 people, must now scramble to figure out how to manage its single-stream recycling  before the end of the year and in the meantime, the costs to use UCRRA as we have will TRIPLE from $20 per ton to $76 per ton in July ($61 + $15 user fee). The price may fluctuate from month to month, and be even higher until single-stream is discontinued at UCRRA and we go off on our own.

The bitter pill in all of this for the public is that during the UCRRA Board’s informational meeting earlier in the spring, the agency was aware of the potential changes in the market last October. Prior to the City of Kingston adopting its municipal budget and with more time to engage in discussions with the public and private enterprises.

VIEW  Video
Brought to you by KingstonCitizens.org thanks to the Kingston News

KingstonCitizens.org will host a public educational forum on the UCRRA board in September of 2018.

 

 

VIDEO: City of Kingston Mayor Steve Noble UCRRA Public Hearing on Single Stream Recycling

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Photo Credit: Phyllis McCabe for Hudson Valley One.  Click on image to view Mayor Steve Noble’s Testimony at the UCRRA Public Hearing on Single Stream Recycling and rate increases on June 14th. 

 

Mayor Steve Noble gave excellent testimony at Thursday evening’s Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency’s (UCRRA) public hearing on Single Stream Recycling and rate increases.  You may click on the image to view his testimony, or following along here:  VIEW 

The public can submit comments for the next 10 days (through June 24th) to UCRRA@ucrra.org

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“I could come before you this evening to talk about how the city of Kingston began its single stream operation. I could talk to you about how the Research Recovery Agency blessed the city of Kingston’s transition to single stream recycling. I could talk to you this evening about how much money the city has spent with both local funds and state grant dollars purchasing recycling bins for the city of Kingston residents. 

I could also talk to you at length about the amount of money spent on mechanizing our equipment to have the single stream recycling trucks that we purchased with state dollars. I could also speak to you this evening about how our recycling rates have almost doubled in the city of Kingston since we implemented this new recycling program. But in five minutes, I can’t do that.  I also don’t believe I can do that in the month in a half that we’ve had since UCRRA announced its plans to discontinue single stream recycling. 

This is viewed as something that, as you all have indicated, has been happening because of China. But I would say that the issue of recycling has been happening around our country and around New York for decades, trying to get people to recycle. And it has not been easy. And it’s been something that we’ve all struggled with. 

Whether we’re single stream or dual stream, people still don’t know how to recycle correctly. People still put plastic bags in dual stream recycling just like they do in single stream recycling. They still don’t know where to put shredded paper. And whether it can be recycled or it can’t be recycled. And I think the same issue is here. This is an important decision. What do we charge? How do we manage it? Is it dual stream? Is it single stream? 

The agency is shifting course and deciding, again, that dual stream is the only way that Ulster County should operate. Then that should be a public discussion, and it should involve the county legislature. It should involve the recycling oversight committee. It should involve a whole lot more meetings like this, and it should involve the stake holders that will be directly implemented and impacted by these decisions. That should include the large haulers like Waste Management and County Waste. And it should involve the residents of the city of Kingston that don’t speak English. 

It should involve all of our residents. And the agency needs to step up and engage with our communities and really decide how can we build a better, more sustainable and also more resilient recycling industry here in Ulster County. And there is no way that that can happen before December 31st of 2018 before the proposed switch that you’re asking us to do. 

We need to be able to spend that time working together to decide once and for all how we do this. As many of you know, it’s taken the city of Kingston four years to completely implement single stream recycling in just the residential neighborhoods. On Tuesdays, we still have dual stream recycling, for the most part, on our business commercial districts in the city. And so we still haven’t gone fully single stream. 

I do think that it’s important that this decision not being made in haste. I think that the board has created a crisis, and made this seem like a crisis, making it seem that our agency is stockpiling single stream recycling. Making it seem that we have no place to put it. Making it seem that there is an emergency happening here in Ulster County, and it’s just not true. 

And yes, we all recognize that the market is changing, and that we have a huge issue that we all have to tackle together. But again, I don’t believe it needs to be done in six months. I don’t believe it needs to be done like this.  I encourage all of you to consider that when you’re deciding on how the board is voting on these next two resolutions. And so with that said, I just want to say thank you again for letting me speak this evening.”

Request that UCRRA Postpone Their Decision to Discontinue Single Stream Recycling.

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“Right now … once it gets to [single-stream] stage, it’s worthless. So that’s just the unfortunate reality — that we’ve taken that vision … and screwed it up.”
– David Gordon, UCRRA Board Member

By Rebecca Martin

Last week, both elected officials and the public learned from an article in the local paper that the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency (UCRRA) “announced plans to stop single-stream, or commingled, recyclables in 2019 and proposed doubling the fees for single-stream loads until the new policy was in place.”  Kingston Mayor Steve Noble took swift action with a letter in response that provided specific actions for the public to take.

There are two important upcoming meetings in May for the public. The first, the Ulster County Legislature’s Energy and Environment Committee will meet on Thursday, May 3rd at 5:30pm (at UCRRA located at 999 Flatbush Road in Kingston, NY) and, more importantly in order for your voice to be heard, a public hearing is set for May 23rd  (VIEW our facebook event) with a potential vote to follow that would establish both new policy and a higher fee for our current commingled system imposed upon Kingston.

WHAT IS UCRRA? 

In 1986, the Ulster County Legislature obtained authorization from the State Legislature for the creation of the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency (the “Agency”), a public benefit corporation which was formed for the purpose of developing, financing, and implementing a comprehensive Countywide solid waste management program. In the mid-1980’s, after new initiatives to close non-complying exiting landfills were undertaken by the NYSDEC and strict requirements for the siting, construction, and operation of new disposal facilities were enacted, many communities found it beyond their financial and managerial capability to continue to dispose of waste in traditional ways. Consequently, many of the local municipalities in Ulster County requested that the Ulster County government assume the responsibility for solid waste management, and the Agency was created by the New York State Legislature pursuant to Chapter 936 of the Public Authorities Law approved December of 1986. The Agency’s organizational structure consists of a five-member Board of Directors (appointed by the Ulster County Legislature); an Executive Director; Agency Counsel; and thirty administrative and operations personnel.

The Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency (UCRRA) currently owns and operates two transfer stations. The first is located at 999 Flatbush Road in the Town of Kingston and the other on Clearwater Road in the Town of New Paltz. The property for the New Paltz Transfer Station is leased from the town.

DUAL STREAM AND SINGLE STREAM RECYCLING

Dual stream recycling keeps paper in one container and other recyclables—such as plastic and metal—in another. Proponents of duel-stream recycling say that contaminants are eliminated from paper products by separating them, costing less in processing and allowing more of the end product to be re-used.

With single stream (or co-mingled) recycling, rather than sorting paper from other recyclables—such as metal and glass—residents place everything into the recycling cart together. Proponents of single-stream recycling say that it makes recycling easier to do. And when recycling is easier, more people may participate—raising recycling rates and increasing the amount of material that’s diverted from the landfill.

Single stream is Kingston’s current system, and we made a large investment in order to do so between 2011 and 2013. Some of our readers may remember when Kingston made that transition. It required large purchases such as new collection trucks and garbage/recycling bins.

THE COSTS

Along with the transition of trucks and bins, based on numbers from 2010, Kingston pays $71 per ton to ship our garbage up-river some 250 miles. That number is most certainly higher now, and may even be closer to $100 per ton today.  It is clear that keeping materials that can be recycled out of the trash stream is a big savings to both the budget and the environment.

As for recycling costs, according to a recent Daily Freeman article, “Kingston pays $20 per ton for commingled loads…” and from what I understand, our city also pays its fair share in offsetting the cost of recycled paper products that are contaminated.

Single stream recycling is not a new concept in Ulster County. Although Kingston is the only municipality who does so through UCRRA, other communities in Ulster County engage in single stream recycling through private haulers without any trouble.

Recent articles shared state that China is not accepting our recycled materials, a major link in the chain. According to some, without a buyer, our bailed recycled materials will sit in storage before eventually going into the landfill. Is that the case for private haulers in Ulster County who accept single-stream, too? Why then does a city like Seattle for instance, managing far more recycling than UCRRA does, continue to run it’s large, successful single-stream recycling program with a buyer for their recycled products?

THE ULSTER COUNTY LEGISLATURE.

The Ulster County Legislature appoints the five-member body to constitute the UCRRA Board and has both a Recycling Oversight Committee (where UCRRA Board member and Kingston resident Charlie Landi is appointed as liaison) and an Energy and Environment Committee that “set policy and review contracts pertaining to but not limited to the activities of the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency”.

Although the announcement came out of the blue in Kingston, members of the UCRRA board say that Kingston’s single-stream recycling has been a problem for many years.  Did the legislature, who oversees UCRRA, know this or were they caught off guard, too?

KINGSTON’S REPRESENTATIVE ON UCRRA’S BOARD. 

Kingston’s representative on UCRRA’s board is former Ward 3 Alderman Charlie Landi who once stated that bottling Kingston’s municipal water would make good economic sense for Kingston.

Also on the board is the former Town of Ulster supervisor Fred Wadnola. It has been told that Wadnola negotiated a water deal with the City of Kingston decades ago for the town during his term.  As I understand it, the deal with its high rate has been trying for the town, and is one that the current town administration has been trying to find a way out of or at the very least renegotiate since at least leading up to the proposed Niagra Bottling Proposal in 2014.

WHAT CAN YOU DO? 

Given the magnitude of what the UCRRA board is proposing here by eliminating single-stream and it’s poor handling of the communications here in my opinion.  Kingston should have the time that it needs to ‘sort through’ the problem.

SIGN

KingstonCitizens.org’s Petition, requesting the board postpone the vote and to create additional public hearings.

ATTEND

The upcoming Public Hearing on May 23rd (click on the link to be taken to our Facebook event for more information) to speak to the UCRRA Board’s proposed changes.

1)  POSTPONE VOTE. The Ulster County Resource and Recovery Agency postpone its vote on the proposal for a minimum of 60 days to allow the Agency time to review the consequences of ending the acceptance of single-stream recycling on December 31st, 2018. Furthermore, to not consider fee increases to go into effect until at least January 1, 2019 to allow participating municipalities time to budget appropriately or consider alternative options.

2)  ADDITIONAL PUBLIC HEARING. The Agency hold a second public hearing in Kingston to allow the public and all officials additional time to review the proposal and to understand how it would impact our community.

3) PROVIDE INFORMATION TO PUBLIC AND IMPACTED MUNICIPALITIES. The Agency research regional collection sites for single-stream recycling and provide a report to the public on its findings.