Grapple over garbage growing in Cayuga County

MENTZ, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — A grapple over garbage is growing in Cayuga County.

With landfills slated to close over the next few years, a waste transfer station — or temporary holding place for trash and recycling — is being proposed in the Town of Mentz.

But nearby homeowners are saying “not in my backyard.”

The sound of crickets and birds chirping and the vast green fields attracted Brandon Magill and his fiancée to their home in Cayuga County.

 “We’ve lived here just over two years,” Magill said.

That’s why he wasn’t happy when he heard who wanted to be his next-door neighbor.

“We all produce garbage even though we don’t want to talk about it,” Steve Morgan, the owner and operator of Morgan Rubbish Removal, said.

Morgan wants to build a waste transfer center on Route 31 in the town of Mentz, about half a mile east of the village of Port Byron.

“There needs to be a place that can handle that and get rid of it economically and responsibly,” Morgan said.

A transfer station basically acts as a consolidation point. Smaller trucks come in and empty their trash and recycling. Then, it’s re-loaded onto bigger trailers that take the garbage to landfills or recycling centers.

“Rather than making ten trips to the landfill every day we can consolidate that into two trips,” Morgan said.

Morgan says the trash typically sits on the floor for a couple of hours. And DEC regulations say it cannot​ sit overnight.

“The DEC requires a facility like this has to be broom-cleaned every night,” Morgan said.

Still, that doesn’t ease Brandon Magill’s concerns.

“I’ve been to a handful of transfer stations, and they do have an odor. No matter what plan is put in place to mitigate the odors; it also has to be followed by all employees and it’s just not something that ever really takes place,” Magill said. 

Morgan said he and his team have developed a plan to mitigate these concerns, including installing indoor building filtration.

“We’re committed to a first-class facility,” Morgan added.

Magill is not the only one who doesn’t want the transfer station setting up shop in his neighborhood. NewsChannel 9 spotted several opposition signs staked into front yards along Route 31.

There’s also a Facebook group with 220 members opposing the facility. 

“It is a necessity and we know it’s something the world needs but not in a populated area with the school and children,” Magill added.

What happens next? Morgan is still waiting for the DEC to approve or deny his application.

The Town of Mentz planning board also needs to issue a special permit before construction can get underway.

The next planning board meeting is scheduled for June 19, 2024.

Powered by News Channel 9.