Rick Karlin reports in the Albany Times Union that some Rensselaer residents are asking state Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia to end an agreement between operators of the S.A. Dunn landfill who gave the school district there $125,000 to “not oppose, object to or otherwise interfere” with the landfill next door to schools. “We believe this is a hush fund agreement and we believe it is inappropriate,” said Dave Ellis of the Rensselaer Environmental Coalition. The Times Union July 1 revealed the agreement for the school district to keep quiet in exchange for the donation. Last week, it was revealed that the S.A. Dunn landfill is also paying the state Department of Environmental Conservation a $35,000 fine, and forcing them to reduce dust, including building a berm to shield the nearby Rensselaer Junior/Senior High School. Under state education law, citizens can file “appeals” to the state Education Commissioner on any action that a local school official or school board made. Rensselaer schools Superintendent Joseph Kardash only partly defended the agreement July 2, saying, “We thought it was our duty to get what we could for our kids.” He also said he has called the DEC to complain about dust and odors from the landfill after the agreement was finalized. Read more about this story in the Albany Times Union.