Brookhaven Air Quality Improvement Actions
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Brookhaven Landfill Odor Complaints
The Brookhaven Landfill is a DEC permitted facility located in the hamlet of Yaphank, town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County. The landfill began operating in 1974 and initially accepted household waste, or Municipal Solid Waste (MSW).
In January 2015, DEC started receiving an increasing number of odor complaints about the landfill. Residents of neighboring communities reported rotten egg, sulfur, and sewage-type odors.
DEC is publishing a regular factsheet series to share information with the community regarding actions taken by DEC and the town of Brookhaven to improve air quality in the areas surrounding the Brookhaven Landfill.
- March 2021 Brookhaven Landfill Community Update (PDF)
- October 2019 Availability Session Posters (PDF)
- February 2019 Brookhaven Landfill Fact Sheet (PDF)
- November 2018 Brookhaven Landfill Fact Sheet (PDF)
- July 2018 Brookhaven Landfill Fact Sheet (PDF)
- April 2018 Brookhaven Landfill Fact Sheet (PDF)
- August 2017 Brookhaven Landfill Fact Sheet (PDF)
2018 Report for the Brookhaven Village Association Community Air Screen Results
Four air samples were collected in the Brookhaven community, around the Brookhaven Landfill. The air samples were collected for 1-hour with a 6-liter sampling canister and analyzed using a laboratory method which evaluates the presence of 43 toxic air pollutants. The samples were collected downwind of the landfill and outside of periods of high traffic along nearby major roads such as State Highway 27.
Twenty-six toxic air pollutants were detected and all were below DEC's short-term health-based air concentration values. Therefore, the results would not be considered a potential health threat or an immediate health concern. The results also were below or within an order of magnitude of the long-term health-based air concentration values and similar to concentrations found in the DEC's ambient air monitoring network. Based on these comparisons, DEC staff concluded that follow-up sampling will not be considered.
In conclusion, this short-term screening assessment did not identify concentrations of toxic air pollutants that would be considered a public health concern. Additionally, the results do not indicate the need for follow-up sampling.
For additional information, download the complete report (PDF).
2013-14 Report for the Brookhaven Village Association and South Yaphank Civic Association Community Air Screen Results
During this air screening, four air samples were collected in the Brookhaven community for 1-hour with a 6-liter sampling canister and analyzed using a laboratory method which evaluates the presence of 43 toxic air pollutants.
One of the halogenated alkanes detected with highest estimated risk was 1,2-dibromoethane. This air toxic is difficult to measure reliably and the reported result is very close to the method detection limit. A review of DEC's air toxic monitoring network shows that this air toxic is rarely detected. It is unlikely that the short-term sample result reflects longer-term conditions given the sporadic detection of this air toxic.
The results for pollutants related to vehicular emissions for the sample along a highway were higher than other sampling results. All results from the sample at this location are below the short-term health-based air concentration values and therefore do not represent a short-term health concern. The result for benzene at this location did prompt further review since it was over a 10-in-a-million cancer risk. It is unlikely that the measured concentration from this short-term sampling event reflects long-term exposure conditions since the amount of traffic on the highway during a week day would be considerably different than the amount of traffic on other days or at night. Additionally, the result for benzene is only slightly higher than concentrations found in urban locations in the State and therefore would not be considered unusual.
In conclusion, this limited short-term screening assessment did not identify concentrations of toxic air pollutants that would be considered a public health concern. Although one of the one hour benzene readings was higher than the other results, it was consistent with monitored concentrations across the State and not unexpected given close proximity to a heavily-traveled road.
For additional information, you can download the complete report Brookhaven Village Association and South Yaphank Civic Association - 2013-14 Community Air Screen Program (PDF).
- November 21, 2016 Letter to Ms. Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director, Citizens Campaign for the Environment (PDF)
- August 10, 2017 Letter to Dr. Joseph Giani, Superintendent of Schools (PDF)
