This story was originally produced by the Concord Monitor. NHPR is republishing it in partnership with the Granite State News Collaborative.
Casella Waste Systems will close its Bethlehem landfill at the end of the year, ending operations that drew years of criticism from environmental advocates.
In a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Vermont-based waste management company said it notified regulators, customers and the host community that Dec. 31 will be the last day its North Country Environmental Services (NCES) landfill in Bethlehem accepts municipal solid waste.
Initially, the landfill was expected to stop accepting waste by the end of 2027.
Casella said it changed the timeline after “an evaluation of the remaining permitted airspace, current and projected fill rates, and other operational factors.”
The city of Concord contracts with Casella only for collecting municipal waste and recycling. Previously, Casella would haul Concord’s trash to its NCES landfill in Bethlehem.
Under a new agreement signed in 2024, the company now hauls the city’s waste to the Wheelabrator incinerator in Penacook, a waste-to-energy facility owned by WIN Waste Innovations.
“The closure of the landfill shouldn’t affect the residents in any way,” said Adam Clark, a division manager with Concord’s General Services Department.
The announcement of the closure also comes after Casella agreed in January to pay $1.9 million in civil penalties for several violations in how the landfill was operated.
The state has said NCES dumped waste beyond permitted boundaries, improperly handled and stored leachate, a toxic liquid produced by landfills; failed to report facility damage, drilled gas wells through a protective landfill liner and did not apply required daily cover over waste, among other violations.
