Planning Unit History

Since 1981, the Capital Region Solid Waste Management Partnership (the “Partnership”), formerly known as ANSWERS, has operated a regional solid waste system serving communities in the Wasteshed.

The system also provides capacity for commercial, institutional and governmentally-generated waste from a multi-county area.

Approximately 360,000 tons of solid waste is managed by the Partnership for the Wasteshed on an annual basis. The Partnership's landfill is the only solid waste disposal facility remaining within the Wasteshed. The Rapp Road Landfill is the only facility available to service the Partnership.

The City of Albany has committed to act as the lead municipality to ensure continued solid waste disposal capacity for the members of the Wasteshed. The City of Albany has functioned as the host community for the Wasteshed for the past 20 years.The Capital Region Solid Waste Management Partnership undertook, with other members of the Wasteshed, the preparation of a Solid Waste Management Plan (“SWMP”), in the early 1990's

The Planning Unit’s original SWMP was accepted by the NYSDEC in 1992 and called for the development of a new landfill facility in additional to the reduction, reuse and recycling of materials. Citing difficulties related to this proposed new landfill facility resulted in expansion of the existing Rapp Road Landfill. As part of the expansion of the Rapp Road Landfill that will provide capacity until the end of 2016, the City of Albany, on behalf of the Planning Unit, prepared a SWMP modification that was approved by the NYSDEC in September of 2008. The SWMP modification set forth additional waste reduction and recycling goals for the Planning Unit and acknowledges the use of the existing landfill until 2016. It also reinforced the Planning Unit member municipalities’ commitment to education and enforcement of waste reduction and recycling laws.

Finally, to determine the best method for managing the solid waste generated in the Planning Unit beyond 2016, the City of Albany, on behalf of the Planning Unit, is preparing a new SWMP. It is anticipated that the new SWMP will be completed by the end of 2010.