SEATTLE (Recycling Monster): After a delay of nearly five years, Putnam County has published a draft revision of its Solid Waste Management Plan and opened a public comment period that runs through Wednesday.
New York State mandates that all 62 counties refresh their waste management strategies once every decade. Putnam officials acknowledged missing the deadline, citing insufficient and unreliable data on the volume and composition of waste produced across the county’s six towns and three villages. The shortfall was attributed largely to inconsistent reporting by private hauling companies during permit filings and renewals, as well as uneven recordkeeping practices at the municipal level.
The updated draft proposes stronger standards, clearer reporting requirements, and tighter county oversight to address those gaps. According to the document, Putnam generated 78,822 tons of municipal solid waste in 2024, up from 71,641 tons in 2010. Recycling and composting volumes also increased, reaching 11,083 tons last year compared with 4,839 tons in 2010.
Putnam currently has no active landfill. Significant portions of its waste are transported to facilities in western New York and Ohio, while incinerators in Peekskill and Poughkeepsie processed 56,500 tons combined.
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