Response from Congressman Arcuri:

November 20, 2009

 

 

 

Dear Mr. __________,

 

Thank you for contacting me to share your concerns with using federal funds to link the Seneca Meadows landfill to the existing Finger Lakes Railway network. I appreciate that you took the time to share your thoughts with me. 

 

The proposed project at Seneca Meadows will go a long way toward addressing the issue of heavy trucks using local roads in Central New York to avoid paying Thruway tolls between New York City and the western portion of the State.  Many of these roads and bridges are owned and maintained by counties or local governments and were never intended for this level of use.  Indeed, New York State itself has grappled over how to craft regulations that will keep these heavy trucks on the State Routes and Interstates that were designed to carry such a load. 

 

The proposed project would allow the equivalent load of 140 heavy trucks per day at Seneca Meadows to instead move by rail.  It also has environmental benefits, since trains can move a ton of freight an average of 436 miles on a single gallon of gas.  The project will create good-paying jobs in Seneca County, both in the near term for construction and later for operations at the rail yard.  It will also create additional jobs at the Finger Lakes Railway.  In addition to my support, this project also has the support of Seneca County Board of Supervisors Chairman Chuck Lafler, Seneca County Manager Suzanne Sinclair, Town of Seneca Falls Supervisor Peter Same, and Town of Fayette Supervisor Edward Barto.

 

Within New York State, municipal solid waste landfills are under the jurisdiction of the State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).  DEC regulations are designed to protect the environment from contaminants which may be present in the municipal solid waste. DEC also determines the capacity of each landfill, including waste quantities and annual permit limits, requires on-site environmental monitoring for any groundwater contamination, and regulates the release of landfill gas.  I encourage you to voice your concerns on these issues to the DEC, as well as your elected State representatives. 

 

Thank you again for contacting me. To receive updates on my work in New York and Washington, visit www.arcuri.house.gov to sign up for my monthly e-newsletter. Please do not hesitate to let me know if I can be of further assistance with this or any other matter. 

 

 

 

Sincerely,

Michael A. Arcuri

Member of Congress