Ulster County Legislature Urges State to Regulate Landfill Leachate Treatment

In a unanimous April vote, the Ulster County Legislature passed a resolution urging the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to initiate a rulemaking process to establish new regulations under 6 NYCRR Parts 360 & 363 for the onsite treatment and disposal of landfill leachate.

The resolution was sent to key state officials, including Acting DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton, legislative environmental chairs, and all Ulster County state representatives. The letter cited the 2024/2025 report by the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers Leachate Collaborative, which highlights serious regulatory gaps that allow untreated landfill leachate to be processed at municipal sewage treatment plants, facilities that discharge directly into the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers, drinking water sources for roughly 368,000 people, including 10,000 in Ulster County.

Ulster County joins County Executive Jen Metzger, the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers Leachate Collaborative, and others in calling for immediate action and a 90-day public comment period to ensure robust public engagement in shaping these critical environmental protections.