On July 1, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) officially opened the public comment period for its proposed landfill leachate treatment regulations.

At New York River Watch, we are carefully reviewing the proposed rule while preparing to release our new statewide report, The Leachate Loophole in New York State. The report maps more than half a billion gallons of landfill leachate transported each year from New York landfills to municipal sewage treatment plants, with a significant portion ultimately discharged into rivers and lakes that serve as drinking water sources for more than 2 million New Yorkers.

Please join our mailing list to receive updates on our upcoming educational webinars, findings, and opportunities to participate during this important public comment period. To learn more about the proposed regulations and our request for an extension of the comment period, read our recent blog post, NYS Begins Rulemaking on Landfill Leachate Treatment Regulations: Public Comment Period, Request for Extension, and More.

The decisions made during this rulemaking process will shape how New York addresses one of its most complex and overlooked sources of water pollution for years to come. We hope you’ll stay engaged throughout this process.

We are a small but mighty team, but we cannot do this alone. New York River Watch is uniquely focused on this issue. If you believe in this work, please consider supporting it with a donation of any size.