Hobart and William Smith Colleges

The first-ever Finger Lakes Landfill Summit was held at Hobart and William Smith Colleges (HWS) on April 24, 2013. The Summit was co-sponsored by the City of Geneva and the Colleges and aims to foster regional dialogue and greater understanding of the role of solid waste management in the economy and communities of the northern Finger Lakes area.

Mr. David Vitale, Director of the Bureau of Permitting and Planning in the Division of Materials Management for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, began the event with a discussion of New York State’s “Beyond Waste: A Sustainable Material Management Strategy” document and the long-term vision it represents.

Mitch Rowe, the Seneca County Manager, and John Garvey, the Ontario County Administrator, discussed their respective Local Solid Waste Management Plans (LSWMPs) and their relation to the State’s strategy. The event was moderated by Mark Lichtenstein, Executive Director, SyracuseCoE Center for Sustainable Communities Solutions and the subject matter lead for the materials and waste management section of the Finger Lakes Region’s Cleaner, Greener Sustainability Plan currently in development.