High Acres Landfill & Recycling Center Construction & Operational Update

4th Quarter 2023

Site Information

The High Acres Landfill began in 1971 and joined WM in 1972. The facility provides environmentally responsible solid waste management to the region. Located on approximately 1,500 acres, the facility offers many amenities. The permitted landfill consists of around 320 acres.

The team at High Acres Landfill provides this Construction & Operational Update summarizing the key enhancements that have occurred on-site through the fourth quarter of 2023. Going forward, WM will provide similar updates on a quarterly basis to the community. Key aspects of the updates will include community benefits, site construction activities, environmental performance and compliance and site monitoring activities.

Landfill Facts

Total Property: 1,500+ acres
Design Capacity: 3,500 tons per day
Closed Landfill: 72 acres
Western Expansion: 68.1 acres
Parkway Expansion Phase I: 20.1 acres
Parkway Expansion Phase II: 58 acres
Parkway Expansion Phase III: ~150 acres
Site Life: 2051

Community Benefits

Scout Day at High Acres

On Columbus Day, local scouts toured the High Acres landfill and learned about local recycling rules and regulations and how modern landfills operate and protect the environment. 

Residential Drop-Off Price Increase

Site Construction Activities

Landfill construction and operation at High Acres are governed by the facility’s New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) 6NYCRR Part 360 Permit, dated July 9, 2013. The NYSDEC approved landfill footprint in both Perinton and Macedon is 320.4 acres, which 234.1 acres have been constructed with 86.3 remaining to be constructed. The facility’s estimated remaining permitted site life has been calculated through approximately 2051.

Photos and brief descriptions are provided below of Q4 2023 construction activities. Temporary odors may occur during trenching and construction activities that are necessary for project completion and future improvements. Currently awarding contracts for cell 15A for 2024 construction and excavating for the east landfill road.

East Landfill Road Excavation

Excavation has begun for the east landfill road in order to prep for future cell construction.

WM has invested over 2.3 million in 2023 into the HALRC gas collection and control system. Most notably a new flare adjacent to Perinton Parkway was commissioned in November. This new flare will allow WM the flexibility to apply greater amounts of influence on the waste mass and destroy higher volumes of landfill gas.

Technicians are working diligently to rebalance the field. Some instabilities are expected while this effort takes place. In addition, an upgrade to the LFG conveyance infrastructure has begun. This project will provide greater amounts of opportunity to expand the collection system in the future.

Temporary HDPE Cap

A temporary exposed HDPE cap is used for additional odor control and gas collection and is strategically placed throughout the landfill. 

New Flare Online

The North Candlestick Flare was relocated in August and officially went online in November.

Summary

WM employs state-of-the-art odor control measures for the industry at the landfill, including more recent measures implemented and described in this update. We remain vigilant in our evaluation and implementation of best management practices and technology to enhance operations. WM continues its commitment to the Department and the community by continuing to conduct continuous ambient monitoring for hydrogen sulfide (H2S) at the South and North Monitoring Station and the Dudley/Northside School. The gas collection/control systems also continue to operate at high levels of efficiency this quarter. The data supports that landfill gas is being collected and not migrating off-site and that there is no indication that emissions pose any health concerns. The site’s gas collection and control system, operating records, odor control programs, off-site H2S monitoring data, enhanced quarterly surface scans, DEC notification hotline and follow-up data from a trained odor detection investigator, and DEC inspection reports, all indicate the landfill is operating in a manner that minimizes off-site odors to the greatest extent practicable.