Waste Management

The state Office of Environmental Justice will require the Town of Brookhaven to assess and remediate a toxic plume that has been emanating from its landfill in Yaphank for decades.

The state should expect to hear an earful from communities of color, industry leaders and advocates for environmental justice concerned about the direction of the next 10 years of waste policy.

Negotiations on the Connecticut state budget have been complicated by a late move by Governor Ned Lamont to include new municipal waste fees in the budget.

Communities around the U.S. have pioneered approaches to circular economies around waste management that could be brought to Long Island before the Brookhaven Landfill closes in a few years.

The Town of Riverhead hopes to become a model for partnering with nonprofits Long Island Organics Council and Green Inside and Out to launch more municipal drop-off sites for food scraps to be converted into compost.

Environmental justice advocates have questions about the priorities of the study that will determine the future of Long Island’s waste.

Over the weekend, an Earth Day celebration on Long Island urged the Town of Brookhaven to close the landfill in Yaphank. Residents of North Bellport encouraged their community of color to join them in the streets to talk about “environmental racism” in their neighborhood.

Under New York law, only certain businesses are required to donate food, and even fewer are required to recycle organic material. Environmental groups say a change in overall behavior could help remedy this issue.

How does an anaerobic digester work? Long Island will be home to among the largest for processing food scraps, yard trimmings and more organic waste.

New York is hearing feedback from communities that have been disproportionately impacted by waste disposal and transfer facilities. It’s part of the decennial solid waste management plan the state is working on.