Utica City Dump Cleanup Starts on Leland Avenue: $43M, About Two Years

Construction has started on the long-planned cleanup of the former Utica City Dump at Incinerator Road and Leland Avenue, WKTV reported Nov. 5. The state Department of Environmental Conservation expects the $43 million job, paid for by the state Superfund program, to take about two years. Kubricky-Jointa Lime, LLC is the contractor.

What the work includes:

Step	Details
Waste	Pushed together on site and capped with a soil-and-plant cover that keeps rain from soaking through
Fill	Dredged material from the state Canal Corporation reused in the cover
Demolition	The old incinerator stack and pump house come down
Wetlands	About 12 acres created along the Mohawk River, planted with native species
After	A deed restriction limits the site to commercial or industrial use

The DEC lists the site as Class 2, meaning a significant threat that requires action. Tree clearing to prep the site began in spring 2025, when Mayor Michael Galime said the city and the New York Power Authority planned a solar project there, the Rome Sentinel reported.