Don’t get me wrong — I’m incredibly excited that the tens of thousands of people that have been harmed by the landfill on Long Island and beyond will get the relief that they deserve. New Yorkers that live in the shadow of the Brookhaven landfill know better than anyone the huge toll a dump has on quality of life. The odor is pervasive, the truck traffic is unbearable, and the health and environmental impacts are extremely detrimental. Neighboring residents have filed a handful of lawsuits against the landfill, which accepts toxic waste, citing the town’s failure to protect residents against toxins from the landfill resulting in cancer and other illnesses.

Unfortunately, it’s a story I’m all too familiar with. In Seneca Falls, I’m leading a statewide fight to permanently close the Seneca Meadows landfill. After nearly 40 years of poisoning the region, Seneca Meadows will be reaching its capacity this year, but its for-profit, Texas-based operator applied for a permit to not only extend its operations for another 15 years but grow its massive footprint.

She said illegal dumping, heavy truck traffic and nearby industrial properties can create an environment where residents feel disconnected with their neighborhood. She also points to health concerns including, “low life expectancy rates due to high rates of cancer, asthma and other respiratory illnesses.”

Brookhaven Rail has dropped plans to build a waste transfer station next to the Town of Brookhaven landfill in Yaphank, citing opposition and the state legislature’s repeated inaction on legislation needed for the project.

A group of teachers and students claims the landfill has contaminated the community's air and water. They say the town's promise to finish capping the landfill is not enough.The Town of Brookhaven has said the landfill will be 75 percent capped by mid-February and that it will be closed for good by 2024.In December, area residents reported a strong odor event and Brookhaven officials agreed it was the result of the construction underway to cap a portion of the landfill. But the town says other nearby businesses also contribute to odor problems in the area.Nancy Dodge believes it is not just the air that is contaminated. She says her daughter Skye was also sick the entire time she attended Frank P. Long. Dodge and other residents tested the drinking water provided by the Suffolk County Water Authority. They say test results showed high levels of the radioactive gas radon, which causes lung cancer.