Long Island landfill stops accepting C&D debris

The Brookhaven Landfill in Yaphank, New York, will stop accepting thousands of tons of construction and demolition (C&D) debris by the end of 2024, WSHU reports.

C&D debris is the majority waste stream at the facility, which has left Long Island residents and businesses to find other disposal outlets for their bricks, concrete and other materials.

The landfill will continue to accept ash from incinerators, with Newsday reporting the city plans to keep the site open until 2027 or early 2028 to accept ash waste from a Covanta facility in Westbury.

The town also would seek an extension of its state-issued permit when it expires in July 2026, Town Supervisor Dan Panico tells Newsday, which will allow more time for town officials to find beneficial reuse for the 340,000 tons of ash disposed of at the landfill annually.

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In a February 2023 article, WSHU reports the facility has not accepted solid waste since 1989, accepting only incinerator ash and, previously, C&D debris, which has reduced the volume of waste coming to the landfill by almost 90 percent.

Residents in Brookhaven have long been calling for the landfill to close, citing prolonged exposure to air and water pollution from the site. Almost 30 lawsuits have been filed against the landfill for environmental and possible health impacts.

As of early last year, WSHU reports that nearly 140 acres of the landfill have been capped, with $2 million allocated to cap an additional 25 acres in 2023.

The facility brings in $60 million per year of gross revenue for the town, according to town officials. The town has created a post-closure reserve fund to offset financial losses, and a garbage tax has raised more than $22 million, reports WSHU.

The town plans to leverage transfer stations in Brentwood, Medford and across the street from the landfill following its closure.