21 Organizations Ask NYSDEC for More Time to Review Proposed Landfill Leachate Rule

Today, 21 environmental and community organizations sent a letter to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) asking the agency to provide a 90-day public comment period for its upcoming rule on how landfill leachate is treated and disposed of. The coalition submitted the request ahead of the rulemaking process beginning, asking the […]

Understanding the Risks of Using Leachate Residual as Landfill Cover

Takeaways As New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) develops rules requiring landfills to treat leachate prior to disposal at municipal Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), we must also address what will be done with the concentrated toxic contaminants  once they are removed.  The state has suggested that this concentrated material – sometimes called “residual” […]

New York’s PFAS Report: Ten Years of Progress?

At a Glance New York State is marking ten years of responding to PFAS with a progress report and public events The report lists many actions the state is taking and reflects an attempt at collaborative, comprehensive approach The milestone is a moment to ask: How did we get here in the first place? The […]

NY River Watch Calls on NYS to Protect Waters, Communities, and the Environment from Leachate Pollution in the 2026‑2027 Budget

  January 31, 2026 Last week, New York River Watch submitted formal comments to the New York State Legislature as part of the joint Senate Finance and Assembly Ways and Means 2026-2027 budget hearing. Our testimony focused on one of New York’s most urgent—and least understood—threats to drinking water: the ongoing practice of sending untreated […]

New York River Watch and Coalition of Partners Leads DEC to Expand Public Outreach Ahead of Landmark Landfill Leachate Rule

After sustained advocacy and coordination with our partners across New York State, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced two public, virtual presentations on its upcoming rule for On-site Treatment and Disposal of Landfill Leachate. This is an important step forward—and one we’ve been championing alongside our partners. These presentations will […]

13 Groups Demand DEC Pause Landfill Leachate Management Rulemaking: New Information Demands Transparency

  At a Glance A coalition of groups, led by New York River Watch (NYRW), is asking the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to pause its rulemaking on onsite leachate treatment and disposal. Until now, NYRW has been urging DEC to begin this rulemaking as soon as possible. However, new information shows that DEC […]

Ulster County Environmental Management Council urge the DEC to adopt new regulations for onsite treatment and disposal of landfill leachate

The Ulster County Environmental Management Council (EMC) has formally urged the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to take immediate action to protect public health and water quality by closing the “Leachate Loophole.” The EMC is an advisory body made up of representatives from municipalities across Ulster County. Members are appointed by the […]

As EPA abandons drinking water protections, New York must step in with a precautionary approach

In June 2017, six months into the first Trump administration, Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli issued a report on drinking water regulation in New York State. Contamination crises in the Village of Hoosick Falls and City of Newburgh had exposed “significant gaps in protections,” and in response, his office analyzed federal and state roles in drinking water […]