Frequently Asked Questions

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Closed for lunch 11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Tuesday - Friday

8:00 am - 12:00 pm
Saturday

Closed
Sunday & Monday

View the Residential Drop-Off Facility guide.

Only residents of the towns of Perinton and Macedon are eligible for a disposal permit. Permit stickers must be obtained at the Town Clerk’s office.

View the Residential Drop-Off Facility guide.

Anyone can use the Residential Drop-off Facility but only residents of the town of Perinton and the town of Macedon are eligible for the discounted rate.

We continue to work closely with the towns of Perinton and Macedon, as well as NYSDEC and are committed to operating High Acres in a manner that minimizes off-site odors. Based on our regular communications with the Towns and NYSDEC, our ongoing review of surface scan data, well monitoring data, off-site H2S monitoring data and NYSDEC Hotline response data, we are confident that area residents are not exposed to any potential health or safety hazards or interference with the comfortable enjoyment of life or property related to the site.

High Acres Landfill operating procedures go above and beyond regulatory requirements and common industry practices. The following criteria are a list of ongoing operational site enhancements:

• Use of water/vapor based perimeter and mobile odor control systems
• Installation of additional gas well dewatering stations
• Regular communications with DEC/Towns staff of all on-going construction and maintenance activities
• Early and redundant gas system collection installation
• Onsite DEC monitor & daily inspections
• Continuous H2S monitoring/data logging at Northside Dudley School and the facilities perimeters (High Acres recorded more than 500,000 H2S sampling events with no documents exceedances of DEC standards)
• LFG well monitoring 2x regulatory standard
• LFG quarterly surface emission scans with monitoring levels 2x greater detection levels required by NYSDEC and USEPA
• Use of Enviro Daily Cover System

In addition, to deter birds, and more specifically gulls from the landfill, High Acres retains Falcon Environmental Services, a wildlife management and consultation company to control the bird population safely and effectively on the landfill site and surrounding communities.

The hotline and verification system were developed in coordination of the NYSDEC, and the town of Perinton and the town of Macedon. All involved in the development of this system concluded that the dedicated NYSDEC Hotline provides an efficient, actionable, and verifiable way to address, investigate and respond to residents’ complaints. The Hotline alerts WM, the NYSDEC and the Towns of both Perinton and Macedon of a neighborhood concern and provides the opportunity to investigate and report on those concerns through a third party trained investigation service, Towpath. Towpath uses an approved scientific method for odor detection and characterization. The results of those investigations are then communicated via email to the NYSDEC and Towns immediately after the investigation. NYSDEC continues to encourage the use of the hotline as the preferred method of reporting complaints and as the most reliable method for proper identification.

NYSDEC’s observations in the field, particularly during its enhanced field presence earlier this year, included numerous instances where email reports of odor could not be corroborated, despite DEC staff presence at the reporting location within a short period of time. Other reports received via the App, while counted in the totals used in this evaluation, are unreliable, because either a location is not provided, the wind direction reported is inconsistent with the reported claim of impact, or a location is not consistent with other reports received at a similar time. Duration of an impact also cannot be ascertained from the App settings.

The NYSDEC Hotline program is available 24/7 and provides a convenient, rapid, and actionable method of investigating and corroborating/validating reported concerns. Towpath has been trained to use the 8-point butanol odor intensity scale (ASTM E544-10), which is utilized for each investigated Hotline call (Towpath Protocol and Training Certificates are included as an Attachment 2). According to Odor Science and Engineering, Inc. (OS&E) numerous field investigations, as well as laboratory evaluations, have established that odors generally become objectionable when their intensity reaches 3 on the n-butanol scale.

N-Butanol Scale

Very Faint (0.5-1.0)
An odor that would ordinarily not be noticed by the average person but could be detected by the experienced inspector or a hypersensitive individual.

Faint (1.0-2.0)
An odor so weak that the average person might detect if their attentions are called to it, but that would not otherwise attract their attention.

Distinct, Easily Noticeable (3.0)
An odor of moderate intensity that would be readily detected and might be regarded with disfavor. (A possible nuisance in inhabited areas.)

Strong (4.0 or higher)
An odor that would force itself upon the attention and that might make the air very unpleasant (a probable nuisance, if found in inhabited areas.)

To reach the NYSDEC Hotline, dial 585.453.2416.

We're proud of our long history of community partnerships and environmental excellence since 1972. Our modern operation is focused on sustainability through several community assets including organics composting, wildlife habitat management and other community services. In addition, year-after-year, High Acres financially supports over hundreds of local organizations and charities. Our community assets are highlighted in further details below:

High Acres Nature Area (HANA)
The High Acres Nature Area (HANA) is adjacent to and owned by WM’s High Acres Landfill and Recycling Center. The 250-acre nature area, with 4 miles of hiking trails that are connected to Perinton’s Crescent Trail Network, is being preserved as part of WM’s overall corporate commitment to sustainable environmental solutions and positive impact on avian diversity. The mission of HANA is to develop natural communities appropriate to the area as an educational and passive recreation resource for the community. HANA also provides an oasis for local bird watchers and nature enthusiasts.

Managed by WM for conservation, community trails, and outdoor education, High Acres has been Gold Certified, the highest level of achievement, through the Wildlife Habitat Council, a non-profit accreditor of programs that create wildlife habitats on corporate lands across the globe since 2006.

Over the years, HANA has earned several awards and recognition for their efforts through the Wildlife Habitat Council including multiple “Corporate Habitat of the Year” awards in honor of outstanding commitment to the enhancement of wildlife and biodiversity, and several “Corporate Lands For Learning of the Year” in honor of an outstanding certified environmental education program.

HANA would not be possible without our dedicated volunteer team with expertise in biology and avian studies, who have facilitated a truly remarkable education program. Since 2011, HANA has partnered with the Rochester Institute of Technology’s Environmental Science Department, supporting over 70 student internships on site at HANA and the program continues to grow and flourish. The continuous investigation and research by RIT students and faculty have proven that successful wetlands management has been determined as critical to maintaining ecosystem and avian health.

High Acres Sports Complex
High Acres owns the ball fields adjacent to the landfill where over 5,000 local families and children can enjoy a variety of youth sports! We look forward to a bright future with our new and dedicated partners, Fairport Football Alumni Association (FFAA). This service is provided by WM at no cost and fulfills a need for youth sports in our community.

Perinton Joint Training Facility
The facility, constructed in 2010, consists of collaboration with local fire departments including the Egypt and Fairport Fire Districts. The space provides a variety of training including fire, search and rescue, ladder operations and vehicle extraction. This service is provided by WM at no cost and fulfills a need for our emergency services in our community.

Fairport and Macedon Police Training Range Complex
The complex, constructed in 2016, provides a safe and convenient area for the Fairport and Macedon Police Departments to practice rifle shooting and other tactics. This service is provided by WM at no cost and fulfills a need for our emergency services in our community.

Yes, waste is accepted via rail from the five boroughs of NYC. In 2015, at the encouragement of the town of Macedon, in an effort to eliminate truck traffic in the town, High Acres tied into the existing CSX mainline and began receiving materials via rail as opposed to long haul truck. This improvement has removed thousands of truck trips per year from the roadways in the towns of Perinton and Macedon. It’s important to understand that with the rail implementation, there is no change to our permitted capacity, permitted height, service area, hours of operations and types of non-hazardous material managed. There are numerous benefits to accepting waste via rail including:

• Moving freight by train instead of truck reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 75%
• Each 40-car train removes about 150 long-haul trucks from the road
• Freight trains are 4x more fuel-efficient than long-haul trucks
• Rail transportation reduces congestion on streets making the roads a safer place and less traffic
• Consistent and reliable deliveries allow for operational efficiency

Therefore, rail operations are simply a cleaner, greener method of waste transportation.