Big changes are coming to OCRRA’s Ley Creek transfer station in the Town of Salina.
The massive facility was built in the 1970s, with an addition in the 1990s. Now, using highly specialized equipment, it’s coming down.
"There's large pieces of steel, and a lot of concrete, and the pieces of equipment are like huge, giant scissors that are cutting the steel into small pieces, and then there's going to be a concrete processing facility that will grind up the concrete and be able to use that as fill," said Cristina Albunio, OCRRA Director of Engineering.
Albunio said the building is being replaced by a new, much larger station that is wide open on the inside and can manage 1,200 tons of waste per day. OCRRA is hopeful that will be operating by 2028.
Eventually, OCRRA would like to create a comprehensive solid waste campus that would include a household hazardous waste drop-off point.
“When a resident of Onondaga County has, let's say, a battery, and a paint can, and an old TV, they don't have to go to three drive spots,” said Albunio. “They can just drive to the residential convenience center and drop off all of those items at one time."
Albunio said while the plans are exciting for the community, it’s also a good time to remember that space for waste is limited, and it’s always important to reduce, reuse, and recycle.
"Everybody makes waste, and we all need to be responsible for that reality. Because once you put it out on the curb, you say it goes away, but away is actually a place, and it's people who are doing those jobs every day," she said.
