League of Women Voters to hold landfill panel

Staff Report

October 11, 2008 04:00 am

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COOPERSTOWN _ The League of Women Voters of the Cooperstown Area will sponsor a panel discussion next week on the pros and cons of siting a landfill in Otsego County.

The issue will be one of many in the next few years facing the Otsego County Board of Representatives when it considers options for solid-waste management as its contract with MOSA winds down.

Ellen Tillapaugh, president of the Cooperstown LWV, said the group ``lobbied against the initial formation of MOSA,'' and is now ``eager to look at future options."

She said residents of the county are encouraged to attend at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Village Meeting Room in Cooperstown, below the Village Library at 22 Main St.

The panel includes Susan McIntyre, solid-waste manager for Delaware County; and Bob Griffin, employed by Browning Ferris Industries and transfer station operator in Schenectady.

Terry Bliss, Otsego County planning director, will provide background on past county waste-management efforts.

The county board recently contracted with Gerhardt LLC of New Hartwick to provide short- and long-term options for solid-waste management. The plan is expected to be complete and delivered to the board in about a year.

League members have positions on solid-waste management in place at the local, state and national levels of the LWV.

Martha Clarvoe, MOSA board member and league member, said local ``members were in the forefront of recycling before MOSA was a glimmer in Otsego County's eye," adding that they ``volunteered to crush glass at the railroad station and held the first magazine and junk mail collection, as well as a tire collection."

Tillapaugh said the local group's ``position focuses on our support for reduction of the solid-waste stream by recycling and reuse, and would enable us to address other local solid-waste issues once the Montgomery, Otsego and Schoharie collaboration ends in 2014.''