Supporting a Healthy

Dutchess County by Reducing Waste

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Mothers Out Front Campaign

2024-2025

• We succeeded in obtaining $75,000 in the 2025 County budget to hire a Waste Reduction and Diversion Consultant who will:
• Identify opportunities and strategies for waste reduction and diversion.
• Explore alternative technologies for disposal, opportunities for jobs and economic growth.

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2025-2026

• Petitioning for County wide curbside composting

pickup. 25% of what we burn is organic material.

• Visiting CAC’s, schools and community groups.
• Reviewing Dutchess County Resource Recovery Agency

(DCRRA) minutes, attending DCRRA meetings to give

public comment.

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Campaign Update: Contractor Chosen

The Company: Resource Recycling Systems.

What they say:

“Providing complete solutions: optimizing recycling processes, reducing waste, and minimizing environmental impact at all points in the supply chain, from policy to production to disposal.”

The reality:

Based on their track record, they are not likely to directly oppose incineration. However, we look forward to participating as citizens in their fact finding, and to hearing their waste reduction recommendations.

The DCRRA remains committed to incineration

5/1/2023 - SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES, Dutchess County Resource Recovery Agency

• Next steps to be addressed were stated, including:
• Discuss the needs and desires to expand the Facility to include a third boiler
• Initiate discussions with Win Waste about the Facility. Their contract expires in 2027

2/22/2024 Minutes, DCRRA

• Discussion: Creating a Board committee

to assist with a 5-year plan.

• Engage with the waste-to-energy coalition,

formed to recognize the valuable role of

waste-to-energy.

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Our Waste Management Practices are Unhealthy

• We burn our garbage.
• The Incinerator is the 2ND Largest industrial polluter in the county (Cricket Valley #1)
• Poughkeepsie is an “Asthma Capital”

– consistently ranked in the US top 20

• Expensive to run (35 yo), breaks down often as documented in DCRRA minutes. Waste then diverted.
• One third of what is burned is landfilled as toxic ash.
• Contract with operator expires 2027. Time to find alternatives.

Incinerator Facts

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• Location: Town of Poughkeepsie

(96 Sand Dock Road, District 5, Ward 5).

• 450 MSW Tons burned daily
• 151,099 tons burned yearly
• 53,521 tons ash created (2020)
• Ash concentrates toxins
• Diffuses into air from smokestacks
• Transported to landfills
• Leaches into soil and groundwater.

What is in our Waste? (2020)

DC Incinerator 2020 Emissions (EPA)

DC Incinerator 2020 Emissions P. 2

Costs, Energy and More!

• Provides energy to about 2.3% (3800 units) of DC homes and businesses
• Costs 4 times more than solar power and onshore wind, twice as much as natural gas.
• Plant is 35 years old. Often off-line, and waste must be diverted (DCRRA minutes)
• $600 million+ to build a new facility (Fr County Executive

William F. X. O’Neil. Fall 2023 Close to Home podcast)

• Increasing percentage of burned material is plastic and

16,000 chemicals are used in the production of plastic.

• There are alternatives!

Incinerators: More Damaging Than Landfilling!

Life cycle analyses conducted found that incineration (+ landfilling ash) is 2-3 times worse for health and environment than going direct to the landfill, regardless of transportation distance.

• The climate warming impacts alone are about twice as bad when burning.
• Much of the carbon in waste is from plastics which don’t break down in landfills, but go directly into the atmosphere when incinerated.

https://energyjustice.net/incineration/incineration_vs_landfills.pdf

There is an alternative to Burning and Landfilling!

A Circular Economy is a model of production and consumption that involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing, and recycling existing materials and products for as long as possible. 85% recycling is a NYS Goal for 2050!

NYS Municipal Solid Waste Management Plan 12/2023, page 6

The Zero Waste Hierarchy:

Best Steps to Reducing Waste

Let’s Turn Our

Trash Into Treasure!

More than 90% of materials that are burned and landfilled can be reused, recycled or composted. (Institute for Self-Reliance, 2018 report)

Projected New Jobs For Dutchess County

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New Jobs In Community Spaces = Robust Economy

New products will be created that people love and value. New jobs mean new income, additional spending and more sales tax revenues that support a robust local circular economy.

Jobs For Dutchess County Youth

Lifelong careers: Entrepreneurs, Composting and Recycling Managers, Repair Specialists, Project Managers and Consultants

The Values Of Composting

• Feeds soil with precious nutrients
• Enriches County’s 170K acres of farmland
• Supports our farm-to-table culture
• Prevents soil erosion
• Reduces trash burned
• Lowers CO2 and methane emissions at landfills
• Creates Income for Dutchess County from new jobs and sales of compost
• Reduces Costs from incinerator maintenance and operation expenses
• Reduces hazardous ash landfilling

Let’s Support Waste Management Practices that Reflect Dutchess County Shared Values

• The health and safety of our residents.
• Clean air and water.
• More jobs for Dutchess residents.
• Promote community– jobs from waste diversion create physical spaces where people come together, make connections and strengthen their social bonds.

Citations

Slide 4

• DCRRA minutes

Slide 5

• ENERGY Justice Network: Waste Incineration
• Is burning trash a good way to dispose of it? | PBS NewsHour (2019 report)
• American Lung Association: Dutchess County 2023
• 2023 Solid Waste Management Plan
• The High Cost of Waste Incineration Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives
• Asthma and Allergy Foundation, aafa.org

Slide 6

• DUTCHESS CO RESOURCE RECOVERY FACILITY - NYSDEC

Slide 7

• Dutchess County 2023 Solid Waste Management Plan (p. 82, 2020 data)

Slides 8, 9

• 2020 Air Emissions Data | US EPA, DCRRA Facility Data

Citations continued

Slide 10

• Win Waste Website
• NYS Solid Waste Management Plan, page 6

Slide 11

• Landfills are bad, but incinerators (with ash landfilling) are worse

Slide 12

• New York State Solid Waste Management Plan: Building the Circular Economy

Slide 13

• Zero Waste Hierarchy, Energy Justice

Slide 14

• Institute for Self Reliance 2018 report on Waste Incineration

Slide 15

• Neil Seldman, PhD, Zero Waste USA, 2024

Slide 18

• The Benefits of Composting, United States Environmental Protection Agency

CONTACT US

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Sandi Stratton-Gonzalez

Mothers Out Front Dutchess County Team Leader

3474-451-8699

sandibklyn2@gmail.com

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Mothers Out Front National

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