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More than 100 residents crowded into the Brant Town Board meeting room Tuesday night to state their opposition to a proposed landfill.
The residents presented a 750 signature petition to the Town Board, which also has stated its opposition to the project.
"The Town of Brant has a law that prohibits landfills," Town Supervisor Sam Chiavetta said at the beginning of the meeting. "My feeling, and the Town Board's feeling, is we're not changing that law."
The board in September passed a resolution prohibiting landfills, after considering a request or a variance request from Robert A. Gerhard III of Derby.
Chiavetta said the current board has no plans to change its position.
"The feeling of this board is that the community is against it," he said.
Betty O'Donnell, who with her husband, John, spearheaded a door to door petition drive and a letter writting campaign, said a landfill would have "detrimental" impact on the community.
O'Donnell said the Town Board was "under attack" for not considering the proposal, and the Friends and Neighbors Against the Brant Garbage Landfill, a local citizens group, brought the petition to the board to show its support.
"'Landfill' is a nice name for garbage," she said.
The site of the proposed landfill is on the south side of Cain Road, west of Route 20.
Though no one spoke publicly on the issue, many expressed their feelings after the meeting.
Jeanette Mirusco of Brant said she attended the meeting to show her support and "to see it didn't go through."
Phyllis Muscato said she was there to "make sure they didn't put the landfill in."
"I've been here for 49 years," the Brant resident said, "and my kids are going to live here."
Susan McCaulley said she has two children to worry about, and that's what prompted her involvement in the issue.
"This would he basically in our backyard," she said. "I have two small children. The last thing we need is a landfill bringing in more rats."
Other residents raised concerns about air pollution, noise pollution and the impact of a landfill on property values.
"What would it do to the property values in the town?" Louis Small asked.