Historical Timeline

1830 – Mining operations begin East of Greenbush & Bath
1991 – John J. Dunn vs. City of Rensselaer. Supreme Court orders the city to support annexation of Dunn property to the City of Rensselaer to allow truck traffic to expand.
2007 – City of Rensselaer passes resolution to allow Mayor Dwyer to secure documents to annex landfill property to the City of Rensselaer.
2008 – City of Rensselaer vs. North Greenbush. Rensselaer becomes lead agency to approve or reject permits for Dunn Landfill.
2009 – Site zoned historic-commercial.
2012– DEC approves permits for Dunn to operate a Construction & Demolition Debris Landfill after great outrage at public hearings.
2014 – Landfill operation sold to Waste Connections, The Woodlands, Texas for aggregate cash consideration of $27,020,000 and contingent consideration of $2,923,000.
2015 – Dunn landfill begins operations
2017 – DEC renews permit for Dunn Landfill, wide public disapproval. Public hearings were not held during the renewal process. REC completes annual truck census
2018 – Hydrogen Sulfide odors began affecting nearby neighborhoods and school campus.REC completes annual truck censuses.
2019 – Biohazard waste bag found at adjacent cemetery. Dust blows across school campus. The REC completes annual truck censuses and meets with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). REC submits a FOIL of RCSD that discovers a financial arrangement between dump and school, whereby the dump gives school $125,000 a year. REC establishes ItStinks.org online odor complaint system for the residents of Rensselaer. REC receives a grant from the Center of Health, Environment, and Justice (CHEJ). REC discovered that local Rensselaer Democrats as well as assemblyman McDonald, received campaign contributions from Waste Connections.
Landfill opponent Mike Stammel elected Rensselaer Mayor.
2020 – East Greenbush passes resolution to close dump in March
2022 – The current permit for Dunn landfill expires.