Landfill

Algunos legisladores del North Country dicen que planean presentar nuevas regulaciones para vertederos otra vez en la próxima sesión.

Disagreement between the House and Senate this year sank a proposal that would have included a moratorium on new landfills and the creation of a site evaluation committee, a body that would oversee where landfills could be placed.

Granite State Landfill LLC is suing the state’s Department of Environmental Services over their decision to deny a permit. Regulators said the permit application was incomplete for more than a year.

New Hampshire House lawmakers hoping to enact a temporary moratorium on new landfills in NH, lowered their aim to a three-year pause in an attempt to strike the right balance to negotiate with their counterparts in the Senate and Gov. Kelly Ayotte.

The moratorium will be part of the policy section of the state budget. It will also introduce a new siting proposal that would allow the community to have a say when these projects come up.

The new rules cover where landfills in the state can be located, and how they are built and maintained.

Advocates and residents had raised concerns that the proposed regulations – which are being updated, as required, after 10 years – had been overly molded by industry, and that they were not adequately protective.

At a public hearing Monday, not one attendee voiced agreement with the environmental agency’s proposed rule changes.

The state’s Waste Management Council previously said regulators acted unlawfully in approving the expansion.

The point of contact for the assistance program, Pamela Kathan, is running for state office in a special election for former Rep. Troy Merner’s seat, following his resignation. This is the second year the company has offered assistance.