Brookhaven Landfill

Dozens of Suffolk County residents spoke Wednesday night at a public forum in Wyandanch on the environmental threats affecting their communities.

After reports of the disposal of hazardous ash waste, the Town of Brookhaven will try to end its part in a whistleblower lawsuit against a company that burns much of Long Island’s household trash into ash.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation has approved the Town of Brookhaven’s plan to explore how to clean up an underground plume of toxic chemicals emanating from the Brookhaven Landfill.

Skye Dodge, 19, of East Patchogue, blames her thyroid cancer on toxic conditions at the Brookhaven Landfill, which is behind Frank P. Long Intermediate School in North Bellport.

In letters to Suffolk’s 10 town supervisors, the New York State NAACP questions County Executive Ed Romaine’s record in supporting industry leaders’ efforts to manage solid waste. The discussions between the county, towns and businesses were set for Wednesday in a closed-door meeting.

Local environmental and justice groups are challenging the Town of Brookhaven’s decision to allow a developer to construct a pair of warehouses. They worry Winter Brothers will use the property to build a planned waste transfer station. The town has said that’s unlikely.

Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine spoke at an environmental symposium on Wednesday, March 13 at Stony Brook University where lawmakers, industry groups and environmental advocates sought answers for Long Island’s plans for waste disposal as the Brookhaven Landfill slowly transitions to be shut down.

More than 75 residents in attendance called for immediate closure of the Brookhaven Landfill to prevent further environmental damage.

A state Supreme Court Judge has dismissed a lawsuit to block construction of a solid waste transfer station in Yaphank to haul trash off Long Island.

Officials said Brookhaven plans to keep the Yaphank-based landfill open until 2027 or early 2028 to accept waste burned into ash at incinerators owned by waste-to-energy company Covanta. That would also require the town to seek an extension of its state-issued permit when it expires in 2026.