The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced proposed rules that would make New York the first state in the nation to require treatment of environmental contaminants in leachate at landfills. The proposal would build on New York’s leadership in addressing PFAS and other harmful chemicals, strengthening protections for drinking water and reducing long-term risks to public health and the environment. As part of the at least $75 million available through the Consolidated Funding Application, DEC has expanded its Water Quality Improvement Project grant program to include funding for leachate treatment at municipally owned landfills to help communities meet the proposed standards.
“Under Governor Kathy Hochul’s direction, DEC is taking nation leading actions to protect water quality and the communities that depend on it,” DEC commissioner Amanda Lefton said. “This proposed rulemaking enhances the significant work DEC is undertaking to reduce PFAS in our environment to maximize new technologies now available that effectively remove landfill pollutants for proper disposal and further reduce potential impacts to the public and the environment.”
Hochul directed the development of the proposed regulations as part of her State of the State agenda. The proposal builds on New York’s broader leadership on emerging contaminants, including strict PFAS drinking water standards. The State Environmental Facilities Corporation has made $77.8 million in federal infrastructure grants available to municipal projects that address emerging contaminants in leachate, and $495 million in State grants to municipal drinking water projects that address the State’s standards for emerging contaminants.
Additionally, the State recently launched a private well testing and PFAS mitigation pilot program. DEC is also implementing additional programs to reduce contaminants in products and goods that will ultimately become part of the waste stream.
DEC is accepting public comments on the proposed regulations, which would require active landfills to treat leachate, a liquid that forms as water moves through waste at landfills before it is released to the environment. The requirements in part target PFAS and 1,4-dioxane, which are found in many consumer products. While landfills are designed to collect and manage this wastewater, treating pollution at the source is key to protecting water quality and reducing long-term public health and environmental risks.
DEC is hosting public hearings at 1 and 6 p.m. on September 2. Additional details are available on DEC’s website, where you can also find presentation materials from webinars and a stakeholder meeting that helped inform the proposal.
Published July 2026
