URGENT: The Dangerous Leachate Loophole
The Hudson and Mohawk Leachate Collaborative has released a major report revealing that toxic landfill leachate, consisting of liquids percolating down through landfills across the state, is being collected, sent to municipal water treatment facilities, and then discharged directly into the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers.
If this leachate were discharged at the landfills, it would have to be treated to render it non-toxic. But, and here’s the loophole, since it is instead discharged through a municipal treatment plant, it is not regulated.
Why is this a problem? Isn’t the leachate treated at the municipal wastewater plant? NO! These plants are designed to treat municipal wastewater, residential sewage and greywater only. Landfill leachate is composed of the worst sort of chemicals and toxins, manufacturing waste products, carcinogens and chemical combinations that have never been studied or approved, including more than 15,000 PFAS chemicals. What this toxic stew is doing to our water resources, aquatic life and our drinking water is frightening. There is technology available to address this loophole. What can be done?
* Learn more by watching the Hudson and Mohawk Leachate Collaborative’s excellent January 6, 2025 WEBINAR, "The Threat of Landfill Leachate to DrinkingWater in the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers"
* Check out the Coalition’s Report
* Take action. Use the Coalition’s link to comment to the DEC on their proposed loophole-closing regulations
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UPDATE ON THE 34 dENISON RD/Ridgewood 75 lot SUBDIVISION PLAN
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COLONIE has a final opportunity to create a bike path connector,
linking the mohawk-hudson bike-hike trail with the existing
county-wide system
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Our Mission and Vision
Our Mission
SAVE Colonie is a good government advocacy group of residents, organized to protect and preserve the Town of Colonie’s natural environment and quality of life. We advocate for a balanced approach to development using current best practices in urban planning, putting neighbors and neighborhoods first. We show up and stand up for responsive, transparent, and professional government. Our members provide community input into the town’s planning and development activities, both underway and proposed, that shape the future of our town.
Our Vision
Development in the Town of Colonie is professionally planned and implemented in a way that ensures the conservation of environmental and historic assets, and preserves community character and quality of life.
view planning board documents
Ever want to look back at documents related to projects that came before the Planning Board in the past? It can be hard to do without filing a Freedom of Information Act request with the town and sometimes going to town offices to pay for and pick up materials.
In 2018 we started to archive all of the materials posted by the Planning Board for meetings, so residents can easily look back at project details without the hassle.
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