The goals of the Dewey Loeffel Community Advisory Group (Dewey Loeffel CAG or CAG) are: 1) to provide community input in all aspects of actions taken to address the contamination related to the Dewey Loeffel Landfill Site (the Site), including all impacted areas; 2) to work to ensure that the cleanup is fully protective of human health, wildlife, fish and the environment, and that it is performed in a timely manner; and 3) to make certain that the natural resources in the area will be restored without use restrictions and that all potential future risks related to the Site are eliminated.
With the support of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Dewey Loeffel CAG was established in 2019. An organized group of community members interested in the Site, it is the focal point for information exchange among community members, the state and EPA about the Site cleanup. The Dewey Loeffel CAG will assist EPA in making better decisions about the Site cleanup. It will provide to EPA, for serious consideration, the community preferences for Site cleanup.
The CAG holds regular meetings open to the public, reviews technical information about Site cleanup, connects with the community, works with EPA and state officials to determine information needs, and relays information and comments on Site issues to state and EPA officials. CAG meetings are generally held quarterly, on the 1st Tuesday of the months of March, June, September, and December. Every member of the community is welcome to become involved and express an opinion about the Site study and cleanup efforts at any time and does not have to rely on the CAG to do so. However, if interested in becoming a member of the CAG, please contact the CAG Chairperson (see About Us).
The Dewey Loeffel Landfill Site has a long history, stemming back to the New York State – ordered shutdown of the hazardous waste landfill in 1968. That action was premised upon years of citizen complaints, documented downstream fish and animal kills, and uncontrolled fires at the Site. In addition to ceasing operations, the State ordered the landfill operator to clean up the Site. From 1980 until the Site was added to EPA's National Priorities List in 2011, various cleanup activities and studies were performed at the Site under the New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation (NYDEC) Superfund program. Over the years, some hazardous substances, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), have migrated from the landfill to underlying aquifers and downstream surface water bodies, resulting in contamination of groundwater, surface water, sediments and several species of fish. There is currently a fish consumption advisory for Nassau Lake and several connected water bodies. Site investigations are underway to determine the nature and extent of the contamination and inform the development of permanent cleanup options for the site.
| Name | Representing |
|---|---|
| Michelle Baxter | Resident |
| Michelle Becker | Resident |
| Richard Elder | Rensselaer County Department of Health |
| Steve Everett | Kinderhook Lake Corporation |
| David Fleming | Supervisor, Town of Nassau |
| Erica Gundrum | Resident |
| Hans Hallman | Resident |
| David Harris | Supervisor, Town of Schodack |
| Bruce Herron | Resident |
| Ron Jensis | Resident |
| Andy Kahnle | UNCAGED |
| Amanda Keenan | Resident |
| Dawne Kelly | Town of Schodack |
| Dan Langer | Kinderhook Lake Corporation |
| Patsy Leader | Supervisor, Town of Kinderhook |
| Deborah Prime | Resident |
| Jim Prime | Nassau Lake Park Improvement Association |
| Anne Rabe | UNCAGED |
| Lani Richards | Town of Nassau |
| Dan Schaummann | Resident |
| Ann Shaughnessy | Rensselaer County Environmental Management Council |
| Dan Spilman | UNCAGED |
| Kelly Travers-Main | UNCAGED |
| Brian Wilson | Nassau Lake Park Improvement Association |
| Interest Group | Representative |
|---|---|
| CAG Facilitator | Elizabeth Murphy 203-482-0314 |
| US EPA | Joseph Battipaglia, Remedial Project Manager 518-407-0400 Larisa Romanowski, Community Involvement Coordinator 518-407-0400 |
| NYSDEC | Kyle Forster, Project Manager 518-402-8644 |
| NYSDOH | Eamonn O'Neil, Public Health Specialist 2 518-402-7860 |
| Rensselaer County Legislature | Scott Bendett 518-270-2880 Robert Loveridge 518-270-2880 Charles Peter 518-270-2880 |
Dewey Loeffel CAG
Dewey Loeffel CAG Facilitator
Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
New York State Department of Health