Under current regulations, when a landfill wants to construct new deposit cells, the state Department of Environmental Conservation requires a 10-foot separation between the base of the liner and the bedrock underneath.
Casella Waste Systems is asking Ontario County for a variance that would reduce that gap to five feet.
At Wednesday’s Board of Supervisors environmental quality committee meeting, the company that runs the landfill for the county took the first step toward obtaining that approval.
After some sharp debate, the environmental quality committee voted 4-2 to OK Casella’s request. It’s now up to the full board to give Casella the go-ahead.