The Maine Department of Environmental Protection has ruled that an expansion to Juniper Ridge Landfill in Old Town would benefit the public.
The decision comes after significant opposition to the draft report from environmental organizations and the surrounding community.
Dana Colihan, with the environmental nonprofit Slingshot, said the department and Juniper Ridge operator Casella Waste Management have not made a convincing argument that the expansion is in the interest of Mainers.
“The Department of Environmental Protection is giving a green light for Casella to squander even more of our state resources, at the expense of the Penobscot Nation, surrounding communities, and residents across the state who are impacted by the standard this sets,” she said.
Casella Waste Management can now apply for a license to expand.
Colihan said the department is rubber stamping Casella’s plans instead of using the environmental justice criteria to be more responsible about waste management in the state.
“The State’s reliance on Casella to be the hub of waste management in Maine makes our policies and systems vulnerable to manipulation and capture,” she said. “The determination does not do enough to protect the health of our environment, our health, and most importantly our communities.”
If the license to expand is approved, the public benefit determination requires that the company install a treatment system for the PFAS in landfill leachate, hire a consultant to conduct an odor analysis and create a system to alert the public about significant landfill events.
This article appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.
