February 17, 2015
Special meeting will decide on FEIS
Cortland County Solid Waste Committee legislators plan to hold a special meeting prior to the Feb. 26 Legislative session to discuss the adoption of the draft Final Environmental Impact Statement, which, if passed, would be another step toward the vote on an ash for trash partnership with Onondaga County.
During a Solid Waste Committee meeting held Feb. 10, some legislators raised procedural questions about what will become of the document if the committee fails to send it on to the full Legislature.
Adopting the draft FEIS is another step in the process as the Legislature ultimately must decide if it wants to send about 25,000 tons of trash yearly to the Onondaga County incinerator in exchange for 90,000 tons of ash to be stored at the landfill.
Accepting the draft FEIS makes it the finalized version of the document, an FEIS. Jeremy Boylan, clerk of the Legislature, said this morning the committee would be voting that the FEIS has adequately covered all the comments submitted during the public review period of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement.
For the resolution to pass through the Solid Waste Committee to the full Legislature, it “requires a majority vote of the members present (a quorum being present),” according to the county’s Rules of Order.
Boylan said this morning if the resolution fails in the Solid Waste Committee, it can be brought to full Legislature by two-thirds vote of the full Legislature suspending the rules of order.
If the resolution passes in committee but fails in the full Legislature this month, it can be brought back to legislative session up to three times per year, Boylan said.
Some committee members have already expressed opposition to accepting the document. The document has come under fire from members of the public who say it has not adequately addressed all the concerns raised throughout the environmental study process.
Legislator Raylynn Knolls (D-LD7), a member of both the Solid Waste and Health and Human Services committees, said Monday afternoon she will not endorse the ash for trash partnership after receiving and reviewing the environmental documents associated with the project.
“I think we have hit the point where we as legislators need to make our personal opinion known,” Knolls said. “I think we’re getting far enough into it (that) you take your stance for or against it.”
Knolls said she plans to vote against ash for trash.
“I think I’ve reached that point where I learned enough about the situation that I have formulated my own opinion in what I feel would be best for this county,” she said.
Legislator Jim Denkenberger (R- Cuyler, Solon, and Truxton) said Monday afternoon he expects the resolution will go through committee but he said he will oppose it because he is not in favor of the partnership.
“I think personally, in my own view, the quicker we kill this the better simply because if we accept the contract ...it would be the biggest mistake the county’s ever made,” Denkenberger said. “I just think it cut us off from any innovations for the next 15 or 20 years.”
Denkenberger would like to hear more discussion about the alternatives, such as recycling, before putting all the time and money into the landfill.
“I think it’s going to break even with the contract,” he said, noting he does not think the partnership will make money. “It’s going to lock us down for a long time.”
Other committee members are hopeful the resolution will pass through the committee to go to the full Legislature so other legislators will have a say on the decision making.
Legislator Tom Hartnett (D-LD3) chair of the Solid Waste Committee said Monday afternoon if the resolution does not pass in his committee, it can always be brought up at the committee meeting next month.
He also said he hopes the resolution goes to the full Legislature because he thinks the full Legislature should be the body tasked with accepting the document.
“I think that all the committee members would give ... an opportunity for everybody to vote on it,” Hartnett said. “I think all the legislators should have that option, not just our committee.”
Solid Waste Committee member Charles Sudbrink (R-Cincinnatus, Freetown, Taylor and Willet) said Monday afternoon he does not want to take a stance on the deal until contract negotiations are finalized. That way he can determine if the deal would be beneficial to the county.
He is not concerned about the resolution dying in committee and would like all legislators to have a chance to vote on the adequacy of the draft FEIS.
“I think it’s only fair that the full Legislature have a say in it,” Sudbrink said.
Onondaga County Legislature’s Environmental Protection Committee unanimously approved the draft FEIS on Feb. 10 and the next step is for it to move to the full Legislature.
Chair Mike Plochocki ( R-6th District) said Monday afternoon the resolution passed during committee may not be voted on at Onondaga County’s next Legislative session March 3 because he heard that some legislators may want more time to review the document.
Several residents in Cortland County have been requesting a public hearing on the draft FEIS, although a public hearing is not required on final documents according to attorney Pat Snyder.
Plochocki said he would consider having a public hearing if Onondaga County residents requested it.
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