The town of Thurston in Steuben County renewed its one-year moratorium on solid waste management facilities in the area during its board meeting last week. There were no public comments made during the meeting about its renewal.
The moratorium prohibits any solid waste management facilities—including landfills, transfer stations and waste processing plants—from building new operations or modifying existing ones in the town.
It was implemented last year in response to Casella Organics, a waste management company that wants to build a composting facility at its Bonny Hill location in Thurston.
Last summer, a lawyer for Casella Organics said the company is moving forward with a permit modification from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) to begin construction on the facility.
At the time, Casella said it would halt landspreading sewage sludge operations in the town if the town supported the permit modifications for the composting facility.
However, in 2023, Thurston banned the practice of landspreading in the town, which affected much of Casella’s operations at the Bonny Hill location.
Landspreading uses sewage sludge as a type of fertilizer. Sewage sludge has been shown to have PFAS ”forever chemicals” in it, which can cause adverse health issues with reproductive health, developmental delays in children and some cancers.
Casella Organics wants construction on its new composting facility to begin this spring with operations starting in the fall.
It is not clear if the company will continue to pursue the new build with the town’s extended moratorium in place.
Both the state DEC and Casella said there has been no change in the status of the current facility since WSKG last reported on the possible composting operation in September 2024.