City officials and the owners of private landfills stated their opposition Thursday to changes the state wants to make to regulations governing inert landfills, saying the revisions will cost consumers, close businesses and lead to greater illegal dumping.

On the other hand, an environmental group and three professional engineers applauded the changes, one of which would require the hiring of engineers by every landfill. Their comments came during a public hearing on the proposed rule changes.

The Environmental Protection Division of the Department of Natural Resources proposed tougher rules because it has lost touch with the owners of about 1,000 landfills registered since 1989. Another 1,200 registered landfills are in subdivision lots where six, large homebuilders buried construction waste in yards and no longer have the documentation on them.

Many have polluted groundwater, generated methane and gone up in flames.  

“We have had a number of violations,” said Jeff Cown, program manager for EPD’s solid-waste management. “We have had numerous issues that have led us to these changes....