Landfill Facing Asbestos Concerns During Storm Repairs in Madison County

LocalSyr.com

The ruins of a former antique store and a karate business have been piled in a heap in Oneida since early July. The biggest obstacle to getting it cleaned up appears to be money.

"They have to truck it all the way out to Seneca Falls. That's the nearest dump that allows it from our area," said Heath Waterman, who owns part of the property.

He has a contractor lined up to haul away his portion of the rubble, once he has the money saved to pay for the trip.

"The fact is that we do not accept friable asbestos in the Madison County landfill," explained Madison County Department of Solid Waste and Sanitation Director James Zecca.

Too small to handle that type of waste, the Madison County landfill is getting swamped with calls from homeowners wondering what to do with materials containing asbestos.

"With all of the storms that we've been having, unfortunately people's homes have been damaged and they are doing some major renovations, and in worse case scenarios it is complete demolition of their homes," Zecca said.

The landfill director is hoping to educate property owners about the rules. Zecca recommends a survey by state certified inspectors before any renovation work begins, identifying areas for removing friable or non-friable asbestos separately.

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