The Rapp Road landfill has created an economic dilemma for the city of Albany, according to Times Union columnist Fred LeBrun. The landfill, which once created a public outcry over its stench and overflowing waste, is now causing stress as officials try to save it from being shut.

The Rapp Road landfill generates between $13 million and $15 million a year in tipping fees.Albany officials are seeking state approval to expand the landfill and give the city up to seven years to figure out what to do with the dump. The landfill is a significant source of revenue for the cash-strapped local government.

But a letter from the state Department of Environmental Conservation was delivered to Mayor Jerry Jennings in May that declared the city deficient at meeting goals for recycling and waste stream reduction and hinted at denying the extension, which would force the dump to close down in 18 months.

The next few months will be crucial to lawmakers and Albany taxpayers. If the expansion is not allowed, taxes will almost certainly rise -- but an expansion also raises significant environmental and quality of life concerns.