A recent decision by Commissioner of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection Melanie Loyzim has opened a door that could allow a controversial landfill expansion to come to fruition.
What's happening?
According to Maine Morning Star, the Juniper Ridge Landfill in Maine is set to hit its current capacity limits in 2028. Due to the Maine DEP's decision, the subsidiary that runs the landfill, Casella, is now able to submit an application for a license to expand.
Local residents and environmentalists have been very vocal in their concerns regarding air and water quality in surrounding areas if the expansion were to take place.
Juniper Ridge Landfill, last expanded in 2017, currently takes on over half of the landfill waste in Maine. It's managed by the Bureau of General Services, which has proposed expanding the landfill by 61 acres, allowing for approximately 11 more years of use.
From 2018 to 2022, landfill waste in Maine increased by 24% and continues to rise by about 5.6% per year.
Why is the landfill expansion important?
According to a state law passed in 2021, the expansion proposal cannot conflict with environmental justice. The Maine DEP determined it did not, as long as Casella meets a few conditions.
The Penobscot Nation, local residents, and environmentalists all raised concerns publicly about environmental justice regarding the landfill expansion. They argued that landfill leachate — water that collects chemicals as it passes through the garbage — was not being treated appropriately.
The groups were specifically concerned about PFAS, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, present in the leachate that runs into the Penobscot River. The Penobscot Nation's reservation at Indian Island is only five miles from the landfill and includes the river.
What's being done about the air and water quality?
One of the conditions that Casella must meet prior to expansion is a department-approved system for treating landfill leachate.
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Local residents also raised concerns about air quality. Casella must pay for a contractor to perform an odor analysis before they can get expansion approval.
Per the Conservation Law Foundation's director of communities and toxics, Alexandra St. Pierre, the environmental advocacy organization plans to challenge Loyzim's decision.
"This decision recklessly gambles with public health and the environment," St. Pierre said in a statement, per Maine Morning Star. "It dismisses the serious concerns raised by the Penobscot Nation and other nearby residents about the harmful effects this expansion will have on their health and community. We refuse to allow this dangerous expansion to proceed unchecked."
Issues regarding landfills are popping up all over the country, as waste management is an ongoing battle. But new technology, recycling programs, and efforts by major companies are all helping to make a positive impact.
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