Juniper Ridge Landfill will likely be allowed to apply for an expansion, despite concerns about the health of people living nearby.
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection released a draft of its public benefit determination Sept. 13 that says an expansion will help meet the capacity needs of the state, meets the requirements to divert recyclables from the landfill and is not inconsistent with ensuring there is environmental justice.
The draft is open to public comments until 5 p.m. Friday. The Maine DEP must decide if the expansion will have a substantial public benefit before it can accept an application to expand a waste facility.
A final decision on the public benefit determination will be released Monday, according to the Maine DEP.
This draft approval brings the state-owned Juniper Ridge landfill one step closer to an 11.9 million-cubic-yard expansion. The landfill has a capacity of 10 million cubic yards and will run out of room in 2028 if it continues accepting trash at the current rate, Casella Waste System said previously. It accepts trash from dozens of Maine municipalities, as well as 25,000 tons of waste from out-of-state.
This proposed expansion is the first test of a 2021 state law that says all people have the right to be protected from “environmental pollution and to live in and enjoy a clean and healthful environment.” Contamination of forever chemicals and noxious odors are among the issues neighbors said they’ve experienced.
Expanding the landfill is not inconsistent with environmental justice for the community as long as Casella takes certain actions, according to the draft of the determination. Water leaching out of the landfill must go through a Maine DEP approved treatment for PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
The public must be informed quickly about issues at the landfill, either through a website or other form the DEP approves. Public commenters pointed out they knew little about the May 2023 landfill fire as it happened.
Casella must do two extra surface scans a year to monitor methane gas emissions, according to the draft. Studies must also be done to show the landfill will not exceed certain odor thresholds.
Public comments can be submitted in writing to Solid Waste Project Manager Karen Knuuti at [email protected].
