Town’s abandoned landfill could become site for renewable energy

A former solid-waste landfill in the town of Dryden could become a site for renewable energy development in the near future, according to a release.

The town recently reached an agreement with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), while also being under a memorandum of understanding (MOU), to explore the feasibility of developing renewable energy projects on underutilized lands.

The agreement is through NYSERDA’s build-ready program, part of the effort to work closely with Tompkins County officials.

The closed-off landfill, located at 557 Caswell Rd. in the town, is one of two areas under an MOU with NYSERDA for lands considered to be beneficial for solar-energy projects. The other area in agreement is another landfill located in Orange County.

“The potential to generate solar energy from the Caswell Road site is huge,” said Shawna Black, chairperson of the Tompkins County Legislature. “Tompkins County has aggressive goals of being a net-zero organization, generating electricity from solar on otherwise dormant land is a great opportunity.”

The 112-acre abandoned landfill on Caswell Road opened in 1970 and closed in 1985. The landfill averaged 29,400 tons of solid waste per year during its 15 years of operation.

“The town of Dryden is looking forward to participating in the review of this project,” said Dryden Town Supervisor Jason Leifer. “Transforming this brownfield to a beneficial use would be in the community’s interest. The town of Dryden is already host to renewable energy projects that collectively produce approximately 33 megawatts of power. Using brownfields for this purpose is preferable to using farmland.”

The former landfill’s sizable stretch of land as a potential host of a large-scale renewable solar energy project could bring economic growth and opportunity not only to the town, but to the county as a whole.

The project will be designed and constructed through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s post closure maintenance and monitoring requirements.

As stated in the release, the potential of this project would “advance progress towards [Tompkins] County’s goal of net-zero emissions and transitioning from grid-supplied electricity generated outside the county to local renewable generation. This project also complements efforts by Empire State Development’s Southern Tier Regional Economic Development Council to attract talent and investment for the development of high-tech industry clusters while ensuring healthy communities and protecting the natural beauty and resources of the region.”

“New York is ramping up its penetration of renewable energy by cultivating a portfolio of underutilized sites that offer municipalities and the private sector opportunities to partner with us on strategic project siting and development,” said Doreen M. Harris, president and CEO of NYSERDA. “These agreements with Tompkins County and Orange County will help us to better

 understand the viability of these landfills for potentially hosting a large-scale solar project, and we look forward to ongoing collaboration with municipalities across the state to realize clean energy projects that reflect the interests of local communities.”

Dryden Dispatch appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Send story ideas to

editorial@vizellamedia.com.

In brief:

Democrats sweep village of Dryden elections

The village of Dryden election results are now official.

Incumbent Mike Murphy (D) won the mayoral election with 183 votes, beating his opponent Tom Corey (R) by 61 (122).

In the Board of Trustees race, incumbent Jason “Lou” Dickinson (D) was re-elected with 177 votes. His running mate,

 Tom Sinclair (D), won the second seat with 185 votes. Republican candidates Tim Arnold and Fred Stock finished with 122 and 123 votes, respectively.

Dryden Senior Citizens to meet on April 10

The Dryden Senior Citizens (DSC) are scheduled to meet at 11:45 a.m. April 10 at the Veterans of Foreign Wars building on Route 13 in the town of Dryden.

Lunch will be served at 12:15 p.m. The menu includes spaghetti, meatballs, tossed salad, garlic bread and pudding. The meal costs $8 for members and $9 for nonmembers.

Howie Bartolo will play the flute and sing songs from the 1940s and 1970s.

DSC’s annual membership is $5. The club meets on the second and fourth Monday of each month.

Dryden Central School District seeks Board of Education candidates

The Dryden Central School District (DCSD) is seeking candidates for this year’s Board of Education (BOE) elections on May 16.

Three seats are available on the DCSD’s BOE. Elected individuals would run their term from July 1 of this year to June 30, 2026.

Candidates’ petitions with 27 signatures are due to the district clerk’s office by 5 p.m. April 17.

For more information, questions or to request a candidate packet, contact district clerk Carrie Merriman at 607-844-5361.

Presentation on ‘The American Chestnut: Then and now’ is April 27

A presentation called “The American Chestnut: Then and Now” is scheduled for 7 p.m. April 27 at the Dryden Village Hall on 16 South St.

Val Ross will conduct the presentation. She will talk about the history of the majestic chestnut tree, once prominent in the eastern part of the United States, and its “downfall from fungal blight.”

Ross, a member of the New York state chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation, will also talk about efforts to revive and re-establish as a foundational tree in our forests.

Ross hopes to encourage individuals to establish small chestnut orchards to care for the new transgenic tree.

Doors at the Village Hall on April 27 will open at 6:30 p.m. The presentation will include light refreshments.

For more information, contact the Dryden Town Historical Society at 607-844-9209.