Landfill Leachate Pollutes Mohawk And Hudson Rivers

A new report found that gaps in environmental regulations enabled 89 million gallons of landfill leachate, chemically-laced water runoff, to be dumped into the Mohawk and Hudson rivers annually from 2019 to 2023. Many communities obtain their drinking water from these rivers. Leachate is created as water such as rain or snow melt percolates through landfills, becoming toxic after picking up chemicals from consumer, construction and industrial waste. Mark Dunlea of the Hudson Mohawk Magazine talks with Rebecca Martin and Jen Epstein of the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers Leachate Collaborative. (photo by Judith German-Heins)