Article Photos

JOHNSTOWN - A ceremony at Fulton County's landfill Wednesday celebrated two occasions - the 20 years of operation of the facility and a ribbon-cutting for the new gas-to-electric building expected to be fired up early next year.

County Department of Solid Waste Director Jeff Bouchard led the mid-day proceedings at the Mud Road landfill, which opened June 8, 1989. The event, attended by 75 to 100 invited guests, also featured speeches, praises for Gloversville 4th Ward Supervisor Anthony C. Buanno, and tours of the landfill.

"Here we're generating a revenue that's not coming out of the taxpayers' pockets," county Environmental Resources Committee member Richard J. Ottalagano said of the gas-to-energy project.

With two giant CAT engines capable of producing up to 3.2 megawatts of electricity as a backdrop, Bouchard first touched on the history of the landfill. He cited many people who brought the landfill to fruition, such as Buanno, former county Planning Director Paul O'Connor and former Department of Solid Waste Director George Bevington.

"It's been 20 years in the making and there's several individuals who have been instrumental," Bouchard said. "The county knew back in the 1980s they had to do something."

"We congratulate Jeff and his staff and past supervisors who had a tough task to take on," Board of Supervisors Chairman Jack Callery said.

Since the landfill's inception, 1.7 million tons of refuse has been hauled to the site. Out-of-county waste has brought in $11.7 million in revenue. A new leachate line to the sewage treatment plant was built, a recycling program started, a demolition team launched and $1.7 million in grants received by the Department of Solid Waste.

Bouchard said the facility has 62 years of site life remaining. It is estimated the site is worth $150 million.

"We've added a lot of services over the years but maintained a low tipping fee," he told the crowd.

The new gas-to-electric building will generate enough energy to power the equivalent of 2,400 homes for a year, Bouchard said. Methane gas is a product of the decomposition of waste materials at the landfill. The electricity generated will power the landfill infrastructure, and any surplus power will be sold back to the grid for use elsewhere.

The $6.5 million project is a joint public-private partnership with Innovative Energy of Oakfield, Genesee County.

Buanno, the longtime chairman of the Board of Supervisors' Environmental Resources Committee, was honored for his service with a plaque.

The supervisor drew laughs with many of his comments but put a serious spin on the tough job of trying to find a landfill site, dealing with environmental concerns and a less-than enthusiastic New York state government.

"We thought we'd get some help from the state," Buanno said. "We got no help from the state whatsoever."

Other speakers included O'Connor, who said he was "truly honored and humbled" to be invited. He said each program added has enhanced the "sustainability" of the landfill.

"I don't think it's a 20-year anniversary," Bevington said. "I think it's more of a 30-year plus anniversary."

He said no one envisioned two decades ago a county solid waste program with a recycling operation, household hazardous waste cleanup and engines to generate electricity.

Representatives of local state leaders and U.S. Rep. Paul D. Tonko, D-Amsterdam, who couldn't attend, also relayed their best wishes.

Michael Anich covers Johnstown and Fulton County news. He can be reached at johnstown@leaderherald.com.