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Landfill Expansion Hits Setback

Wed, 6 Jan 2010 20:50:01 -0500

Article on state regulators issuing a denial to Casella's proposal to triple the size of the Juniper Ridge Landfill in Maine. The comments are also of interest In this article from the Bangor Daily News:
http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/134139.html

Landfill expansion efforts hit setback

Regulators deny initial proposal
By Kevin Miller
BDN Staff
BANGOR DAILY NEWS FILE PHOTO BY BRIDGET BROWN A truck makes its way up to an active cell to dump at Juniper Ridge Landfill in Old Town in April 2007. Buy Photo

Efforts to expand the state-owned Juniper Ridge Landfill in Old Town hit a potential setback Tuesday when state regulators issued an initial denial to Casella Waste Management's controversial proposal.
In a draft decision, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection said Casella and the State Planning Office did not demonstrate that current waste disposal trends justify tripling the size of the landfill at this time. Casella operates the landfill on behalf of the state.
Additionally, there are too many unanswered questions and potential changes in the way solid waste is managed in Maine to move forward with the request, the DEP wrote. As a result, the department has determined that the proposed expansion falls short of meeting strict public benefit requirements under the law.
"The Department finds that delaying the development of an expansion at the Juniper Ridge Landfill will not result in a gap in local, regional or state waste landfilling needs," states the text of the draft denial.
Casella and the State Planning Office sought the expansion as part of the company's contract with the state to run the landfill. The proposal would provide an additional 21.9 million cubic yards of capacity by adding more "cells" to the landfill.
But in the draft denial, DEP staff noted that the department is not bound by the commitments made in the contract regarding expanding the landfill.
David Littell, commissioner of the DEP, said there were simply too many substantial questions to move forward with a public hearing on the matter, which would have been the next step in the process. Maine has adequate landfill space for at least 10 years and likely longer, he said.
"Based on current projections, there is enough long-term and medium-term capacity," Littell said. "There is no immediate need to move forward with a substantial expansion."
But Don Meagher, manager of planning and development for Casella, said while the state has enough landfill capacity, it typically takes at least five years to get a proposal through the regulatory process and appeals.
"It doesn't take long for the clock to run down, and when it does, trying to find that new capacity can take a long time," Meagher said.
Parties have until Jan. 15 to respond to the DEP's draft decision. Littell did not say when a final decision might be issued.
Juniper Ridge, formerly known as the West Old Town Landfill, is licensed to receive construction and demolition debris, nonhazardous "special waste," miscellaneous nonspecial waste and municipal-household trash that is diverted from incinerators. The types of waste Juniper Ridge would accept would not change under the expansion proposal.
The landfill still had 7.7 million cubic yards of capacity as of Dec. 31, 2008, the latest available figures. But there are also numerous municipally owned landfills with substantial capacity as well as the sole other commercial landfill still operating in the state - Crossroads Landfill in Norridgewock - which is estimated to have 12 years of capacity left. Pine Tree Landfill in Hampden, which was owned by Casella, closed last month as scheduled.
The DEP's initial denial said uncertainty over the fate of Casella's Maine Energy incinerator in Biddeford as well as changes in rules governing construction and demolition debris could affect waste management in the state and, therefore, space needs at Juniper Ridge.
Rep. Bob Duchesne, a Hudson Democrat and co-chair of the legislative committee that handles waste issues, said he fully expects Casella and the State Planning Office to get approval for an expansion eventually. Siting a new landfill would be much more difficult, he said.
Duchesne was pleased but not surprised by the DEP's draft denial.
"It pretty much mirrors what me and a lot of other people have been saying," Duchesne said. "It is basically saying, 'Why are we rushing this?'"

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Residents for Alternative Trash Solutions
www.southbridgedump.org

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Turley Article - RATS

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:51:09 -0500

Dodging the trash bullet

RATS succeeds in opposing waste incinerator

by Jonathan Cook

Turley Publications Reporter

BOSTON - Sturbridge has been saved from a smokey neighbor. A trash burning power plant that might have been built on an expanded Southbridge landfill will not be allowed, after all.

While the town of Southbridge had agreed to cooperate with Casella Waste Systems in the establishment of a gasification plant which would burn trash to create electricity, Gov. Deval Patrick has put his foot down. According to an Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs press release earlier this week, a ban on any new waste incineration plants will not be lifted.

As part of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Solid Waste Master Plan process currently underway, lifting the ban that has been in effect since 1990 was being considered. However, after the local group Residents for Alternatives to Trashing Southbridge (RATS) joined forces with several other environmental organizations to form Don't Waste Massachusetts, Gov. Patrick was persuaded to step in.

"We are serious about managing the waste we generate in a way that saves money for cities and towns, curbs pollution and protects the environment for our children and grandchildren," said Patrick. "There are better ways than traditional incineration."

That statement spells relief to Kirstie Pecci, a Sturbidge resident and pro bono attorney for RATS. "This really is a huge local and statewide victory," she said.

"Over the last year and a half," Pecci explained, "members of RATS have met with the Commissioner of the DEP, the Secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, and state senators and representatives from all over the state. We have also attended state-wide and national conferences and DEP stakeholder meetings and workgroups, testified at state legislative hearings, collected over a thousand anti-incinerator petition signatures, letters to the DEP and Gov. Patrick."

That work has paid off by keeping Sturbridge from landing in the shadow of a waste burning plant.

"Casella was going to build that incinerator," Pecci said. She added that the giant waste company and operator of the Southbridge landfill - which sits on the Sturbridge town line - was working hard to get the ban lifted. "They were at every (DEP) workgroup and shareholder meeting," she said.

Instead, Gov. Patrick is "committed to an aggressive agenda of recycling and waste reduction that gives cities and towns assistance to expand and improve their recycling efforts and requires greater responsibility from manufacturers," states the release.

Accordingly, Patrick is calling for the passage of the E-Waste Bill currently in the Joint Rules Committee to be considered by the legislature for "expeditious action."

The bill would make electronics producers take back their products for recycling. Proponents say that would create an incentive for more durable, reusable and less toxic products.

Also, a measure that intends to increase recycling and expand the bottle bill with a focus on plastic water bottles has the governor's support.

"The whole state is moving toward zero waste," Pecci said. Zero waste, she explained, is a strategy to eliminate the demand for landfills by maximizing the reuse, reduction and recycling of products.

However, this is a victory that requires follow-through, Pecci added. "There is much work left to be done. If zero waste policies are not adopted and enforced," she went on to say, "Massachusetts and Southbridge will be facing this threat over and over again."

Update on the BOH Appeal

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:51:43 -0500

A message from Kirstie Pecci:

Update on the Board of Health Appeal

As most of you know, I am representing over 300 people who appealed
the BOH 2008 Site Assignment Decision. The Court has denied the
request to vacate or overturn the BOH's decision.

While this is disappointing it is not final by any stretch of the
imagination. This appeal is just another step in a process that we
knew was inevitable (even if the decision had been more favorable,
Casella would have appealed it).

The decision has provided some excellent grounds for appeal, and
Casella cannot obtain their permits to expand the Landfill until that
appeal is exhausted.

Furthermore, the state's announcement, which RATS sent out last week,
overshadows this ruling. The state is NOT going to lift the
incinerator moratorium. This means that the gasification incinerator
that Casella planned to build in Southbridge will not happen. The
traffic, pollution and ash in our landfill that would have lasted
indefinitely (incinerators do not fill up!) has been avoided.

The state also plans not only to adopt zero waste principles, but to
close "problem" landfillsl. The Southbridge Landfill is a "problem"
landfill because it is near hundreds of homes with private wells, it
is adjacent to an airport and it is in an Environmental Justice
community. If the state really wants to adopt zero waste principles,
an excellent place to start would be to stop the Southbridge Landfill
from becoming the largest MSW landfill in the state.

Finally, the state's adoption of zero waste principles and rejection
of burning and burying waste is due to the hard work of this
community's residents. RATS is a founding member of Don't Waste
Massachusetts, an alliance of environmental organizations that was
instrumental in stopping new incinerators and promote zero waste. The
majority of the thousands of signatures and hundreds of letters RATS
collected were from Southbridge residents. This is a great example of
state government hearing people from this community and giving them
the protection that they deserve.

The state has embarked on a new policy direction that supports RATS'
goals. If we keep this momentum up we will inevitably halt the
landfill expansion and help the state to better protect our health and
resources through zero waste programs.

I am heartened and enthusiastic to continue working on behalf of my
community. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns
about the above.

Kirstie Pecci

Residents for Alternative Trash Solutions

www.southbridgdump.org

Big Victory For RATS

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 20:52:24 -0500

BIG VICTORY FOR RATS AND THE TRI-TOWN COMMUNITY AREA!

The State is NOT lifting the Incinerator Moratorium as part of their 2010 Solid Waste Management Plan! This will STOP Casella from building an incinerator next to the Southbridge Landfill!

Earlier today, the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs announced that they will be retaining the incinerator moratorium. Instead of allowing new incinerators to to be built to burn our waste, they are supporting Zero Waste programs like the expanded Bottle Bill, the E-Waste bill, expanded recycling programs and the closing of problem landfills. (SEE ANNOUNCEMENT ATTACHED)

What does this mean for our region? Casella Waste Systems, along with Covanta and Waste Management have been lobbying hard for the DEP to support "waste-to-energy" - greenwashed incinerators that would burn construction & demolition and municipal solid waste streams. These facilities are proven to waste resources that should be reused or recycled, generate much less energy than recycling saves, are very polluting and very expensive to build. (SEE FACT SHEET ATTACHED)

Casella planned to build a waste-to-energy incinerator (which they called a "gasification facility") adjacent to the Southbridge Landfill. The Southbridge Town Council had already agreed to cooperate in this endeavor via the Town's 2007 Extension Contract with Casella. Now, state policy will prohibit Casella from building a gasification incinerator.

We are so excited and proud of the role RATS took in this endeavor. RATS is one of the founding members of DON"T WASTE MASSACHUSETTS. DWM is a coalition of more than thirty-five organizations in Massachusetts including Masspirg, Sierra Club Massachusetts, Toxics Actions Center, and Clean Water Action. DWM was formed in response to the threat of the incinerator moratorium being lifted. DWM's mission is to promote zero waste. (SEE PLATFORM ATTACHED)

Not only did RATS provide essential manpower and grassroots support to DWM, but we also were able to represent an environmental justice community threatened by the largest landfill in the state AND a new incinerator. This lent an important immediacy to many of the meetings attended by DWM.

Over the last year and a half, members of RATS have met with the Commissioner of the DEP, the Secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, and state senators and representatives from all over the state. We have also attended state-wide and national conferences and DEP stakeholder meetings and workgroups, testified at state legislative hearings, collected over a thousand anti-incinerator petition signatures, letters to the DEP and Governor Patrick.

RATS learned a lot from the other DWM supporters, without whom this effort would never have been successful. RATS will continue to work closely with DWM. There is much work left to be done. If zero waste policies are not adopted and enforced, Massachusetts, and Southbridge, will be facing this threat over and over again in the years to come.

Have a Happy Holiday!

Kirstie Pecci

Sturbridge Board of Health Meeting

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:54:25 -0500

Sturbridge Evaluating Solid Waste Options

The Sturbridge Board of Health is working to improve how Sturbridge
residents, schools and businesses handle waste. Municipal Assistance
Coordinator from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental
Protection (MassDEP), Irene Congdon, has been assigned to work with
the Town of Sturbridge for 80 hours on the project titled Evaluate
Solid Waste Options. Sturbridge Residents interested in getting
involved in the Sturbridge Recycling Program and helping to move
Sturbridge toward Zero Waste should attend the Board of Health meeting
Monday, November 16th at 7:20pm at the Board of Health office. Irene
Congdon and the Board of Health will be sharing ideas. Please
attend if you are interested in learning more and helping the Board of
Health move our town in a positive 'Green' direction.

If you are interested in helping their efforts but cannot attend Monday’s meeting please email Alyssa, the BOH Agent, at arusiecki@town.sturbridge.ma.us to tell her you would be interested in helping implement the new solid waste plan and/or ideas for positive change.

Residents for Alternative Trash Solutions
www.southbridgdump.org