Key facts
- Waste Connections proposed adding 47 acres of lined disposal cells and 70 feet of height to Seneca Meadows.
- Seneca Meadows spans 350 acres and stands about 300 feet tall, roughly the height of the Statue of Liberty.
- The landfill receives about 6,000 tons of trash a day, including 1,500 tons from New York City.
- A study using aircraft measurements found Seneca Meadows is New York state's largest source of methane.
- New York City residents generate about 12,000 tons of trash a day, and the city does not send residential trash to Seneca Meadows.
- New York City's sanitation department said it will likely export trash to further locations as regional capacity shrinks.
New York state authorities are weighing whether to allow Waste Connections to expand the Seneca Meadows landfill in the Finger Lakes region, the largest active landfill in the state. The Texas-based operator has proposed adding 47 acres of newly lined disposal cells and another 70 feet of height to extend the site's life by several decades, according to a Guardian report published on November 13, 2026. The landfill, which has grown since the 1980s, now spans 350 acres and stands about 300 feet tall, roughly the height of the Statue of Liberty.
Local residents in the nearby towns of Waterloo and Seneca Falls had hoped the landfill would close when its permit expired in 2025. Emily Gallagher, a Democratic member of the New York state assembly, toured the site and convened a hearing on the state's waste storage policies. "We are at the precipice of a crisis," Gallagher said, adding that the landfill is "contaminating the Finger Lakes, contaminating the groundwater." She estimated that 80% of the landfill's contents could be recycled.
A study last year based on aircraft measurements found Seneca Meadows is the largest source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, in New York state. Waste Connections did not respond to questions from the Guardian; on its website, the company says it is "dedicated to the preservation and advancement of the environment" and has an "exemplary compliance record." It says its environmental protections include a double composite liner, a collection system for rainwater that has contacted waste, and equipment to capture odors.
Seneca Meadows receives about 6,000 tons of trash each day from across New York, with 1,500 tons originating from New York City. The city does not send residential trash to Seneca Meadows, though some private contractors do. New York City residents generate about 12,000 tons of trash a day, and a spokesman for the city's sanitation department said that as regional capacity shrinks, the city will likely export trash to further locations. "Our commitment to rail export makes this much easier than trucking," the spokesman said.
Yvonne Taylor, co-founder of the Seneca Lake Guardian environmental group, said residents have reported removing children from a nearby school because of the smell and ruined outdoor gatherings. Mark Pitifer of Waterloo Containers said the company installed filtration equipment to help employees deal with the stench. The New York state department of environmental conservation and Waste Connections were both contacted for comment and did not respond.