CARMEL – Following a five-year delay, Putnam County has released a draft of its updated Solid Waste Management Plan with county officials seeking public comments through Wednesday.
The state requires that each of its 62 counties update its plan every 10 years.
Putnam was tardy due to a lack of data that determined how much and the type of waste generated by its six towns and three villages, blamed on “inconsistent reporting by private haulers” during the permit application and renewal process.
County officials also criticized its municipalities for “variations in recordkeeping.”
The plan calls for clearer guidelines and increased oversight.
It notes that 78,822 tons of municipal solid waste was generated in Putnam in 2024, compared to 71,641 tons in 2010 while 11,083 tons of waste were recycled and composted, compared to 4,839 tons in 2010.
The plan also reported that Putnam does not contain any active landfills with some of the county’s waste hauled to western New York and Ohio.
Two area incinerators burn up some of the county’s waste materials with 54,000 tons burned in Peekskill and 2,500 tons in Poughkeepsie.
The plan stated that a Putnam landfill was not feasible due to cost and watersheds. It also indicated the amount of local waste sent to landfills was unknown since much of the materials are deposited at transfer stations outside the county and is mixed with waste from other municipalities.
When related to composting, the plan recommends a feasibility study to determine if, and where, one could be built since Putnam does not have its own composting facility.
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