Faced with more than a dozen bills related to solid waste during this year’s legislative session, lawmakers passed only two after six months of public hearings, debates and committee sessions. One bill introduces additional requirements for background investigations and criminal records checks for permit applicants of solid waste and hazardous waste facilities. The second bill establishes a committee tasked with studying the potential implications of future permits for landfills and the influx of out-of-state waste into New Hampshire.
Bills related to surface waste setbacks for landfills and permits for siting landfills failed this session. State Rep. Nicholas Germana, a member of the House Environment and Agriculture committee, said he and other legislators were disappointed by the involvement of industry interests in solid waste-related bills.
“I think the frustration that we all felt was that there are industry interests that are particularly important for the governor and his decisions about what kind of legislation he’s going to sign or can veto around solid waste,” said Germana, a Keene Democrat. “This year’s bills around solid waste were more influenced by the economic interests of industry than they were by public health concerns or concerns from the environment.”