The latest news on the Town of Tonawanda landfill is getting mixed reviews from residents on Hackett Drive, whose homes border the area, but the consensus seems to be that the issue needs to be resolved soon.
Leo PeQueen, who has lived on Hackett more than 30 years, said he’s more concerned with the dust that gets blown toward the city from town industrial facilities such as Tonawanda Coke and the Huntley coal plant.
“You go out every morning and your car is covered in dust,” he said, adding that his wife contracted a respiratory illness that he attributes to the dust. “With me, that’s a bigger concern (than the landfill).”
Debora Brosig has lived on Hackett for nine years and says the issue has dragged on too long. “Since I’ve been here, it seems like it’s taken forever,” she said.
Neighbors frequently complain about the heavy machinery that’s been over at the landfill site as part of the town’s efforts to cap it. At times, it has been a nuisance, Brosig said, adding that she’s heard some of her neighbors complain that their home foundations are cracking because of the constant pounding.
The issue is certainly a pressing one for folks who live on Hackett Drive and Wadsworth Court, the two city streets nearest the town-owned landfill.
Last fall, residents flagged down a contingent of city officials who were going door-to-door asking for signatures on a letter being sent to the Army Corps — all to make sure that they got their name on the letter and had the chance to let the federal government know exactly how they felt about the issue.
From time to time, residents speak out about the latest landfill happenings at Common Council meetings.
Even for someone like PeQueen, who doesn’t think the issue is as bad as it’s being portrayed to be, it’s still been going on too long. “I just wish they’d get it done and get it over with,” he said.
Contact reporter David J. Hill at 693-1000, ext. 115.
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