For years, residents in the city of Rensselaer have raised concerns about their health and their children’s health because of the proximity of the Dunn Landfill to nearby neighborhoods and schools. Now, a grassroots coalition is taking those concerns directly to New York’s top health official, urging the state to take a closer look at potential impacts.
The Rensselaer Environmental Coalition wrote a letter to New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James MacDonald, asking him to apply the 2024 New York health equity policy to the situation at the Dunn Landfill. “We want the commissioner to put some action behind his policy,” said Bob Welton, treasurer and steering committee director for the Rensselaer Environmental Coalition Incorporated.
Welton said the coalition believes the state’s health equity policy is relevant because of how close the landfill is to the city and its schools. “What health equity means, according to the health department, is no person should fail to receive their optimal health because of where they live or where they work or where they go to school,” Welton said…