The public comment period for New York’s leachate management rulemaking ended on September 9, 2026. More than 100 organizations signed onto New York River Watch’s coalition comment letter and more than 700 individuals submitted their own letters urging New York State to strengthen proposed regulations governing the management and treatment of landfill leachate. Now, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has one year to consider the public comments it received, after which it will either issue a final rule or develop a new proposal.

Learn more about the rulemaking process here

In the meantime, there are many other ways that you can take action to protect New York’s waters from leachate pollution. We will be updating this list from time to time, so check back often.

• The New York State Legislature has passed two bills that would expand protections against PFAS. Both are awaiting Governor Hochul’s signature, and your support can help. You can take action on both through Riverkeeper:
  • EPA is rolling back federal drinking water protections for PFAS, leaving New Yorkers exposed to these chemicals. The New York State Legislature passed a bill to enact state regulations that will maintain strong limits on PFAS in drinking water. Tell Governor Hochul to sign the bill placing limits on PFAS in drinking water.
  • The PFAS Discharge Disclosure Act would require sewage treatment plants to test for PFAS and make the data publicly available. Landfill leachate contains extremely high concentrations of PFAS, and this monitoring data help understand the impact on rivers and lakes. Tell Governor Hochul you want her to sign the bill into law.
• When leachate passes through sewage treatment plants, some of the toxic chemicals end up in the solid byproduct produced by the sewage treatment plant, called sewage sludge. Even though sewage sludge contains hazardous toxins, EPA promotes its use as fertilizer.
  • On January 14, 2025, the Environmental Protection Agency released a draft report on the health risks of PFAS in sewage sludge disposed of on farmland. It found that PFAS in sewage sludge dumped on farmland causes kidney and liver cancers, decreased birth weight, increased cholesterol, and diminished immune system function. Now the agency is walking away from its own science. In July 2026, instead of moving toward enforceable limits, EPA instead drafted weak, voluntary guidance. The Organic Consumers Association has a sample letter that you can use to tell the EPA to ban toxic sludge from farmland.
  • Sewage sludge is used to produce potting soil, compost, and fertilizer. As a result, people may be spreading toxic chemicals on their lawns and gardens. Sign Just Zero’s petition calling on big box garden centers to stop selling products made with sewage sludge.
• Stronger treatment and regulation of PFAS-contaminated landfill leachate are critical to protecting New York’s waterways. Protecting New York’s water also requires reducing our dependence on the massive landfills that generate contaminated leachate in the first place. Seneca Meadows, New York State’s largest landfill, generates up to 200,000 gallons of leachate per day and is seeking a 47-acre, seven-story expansion that could allow it to continue operating through at least 2050. Rather than expanding mega-landfills, New York should follow through on its commitment to waste reduction, reuse, recycling, composting, and other zero-waste solutions that make landfills a last resort. Seneca Lake Guardian is leading the fight to shut down Seneca Meadows once and for all and move away from landfilling statewide. For email updates on the effort to close Seneca Meadows and how you can help, join Seneca Lake Guardian’s mailing list here. 
• The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is also considering new regulations for landfill gas emissions. People living near landfills are exposed dangerous air pollution everyday, and methane emissions from landfills are a major contributor to climate change. Visit Full Circle Future’s website to tell New York regulators that you care about strong landfill air regulations.