The House Environment and Agriculture Committee this week will hear testimony on several bills related to landfills, perhaps one of the more hot-button topics in the state over recent years. Despite many attempts, the state Legislature ended last year with no meaningful action on landfills, specifically the siting process that’s used for newly permitted ones. Much of the proposed legislation in Concord has been inspired by Casella Waste Systems’ proposal to construct a new landfill in Dalton near Forest Lake State Park – a project that has caused division in the small North Country town and prompted a statewide policy debate over solid waste.
The Department of Environmental Services is in the throes of its mandatory rulemaking process associated with its Waste Management Division. In October, the department released a draft proposal of changes to its landfill requirements, a notable one being a required 500-foot setback from bodies of water that would be more than double the current setback – a point of contention the state Legislature was unable to reach a consensus on last session.
The proposed rules also take “time” into account, meaning DES would have to be able to detect and remediate a discharge, spill, or leachate release “prior to contamination reaching any perennial water body.” Meanwhile, state lawmakers are looking at several changes to New Hampshire’s waste management regulations.