Landfills face a variety of permitting and operational considerations and challenges. This is Waste Dive’s latest roundup of landfill news from around the country.
Landfills that have operated for decades in the U.S. are nearing capacity, and their operators are looking for ways to expand. But those expansions are frequently contingent on local buy-in, which can be difficult to obtain when the facilities have struggled with odor issues.
That struggle is playing out in at least two states in recent weeks. Casella is pursuing added capacity in New Hampshire and has also agreed to pay a fine related to operations of its North Country Environmental Services landfill. GFL Environmental is also reviving an expansion plan for its Arbor Hills Landfill in Michigan, despite similar issues in the facility’s past.
Here’s a look at some notable landfill developments:
New Hampshire Senate moves to block local landfill input while Casella gets fined
The New Hampshire Senate passed an amended landfill siting bill that would give state-level officials decision-making power instead of local officials. HB 707 returns to the House for consideration, the latest twist in New Hampshire's ongoing debate over landfill capacity.
As currently written, the bill would create a seven-member landfill siting committee made up of a variety of stakeholders appointed by the governor. The board would have the power to permit or deny new major solid waste facilities.
The bill also notes a preference for landfill expansion adjacent to existing sites over greenfield development.
The proposed process comes amid longstanding tensions over existing and proposed landfills in the state. On Monday, the New Hampshire attorney general announced a subsidiary of Casella Waste Systems would pay $1.9 million in civil penalties related to operations of the company's Bethlehem landfill.
The consent decree addresses a variety of alleged violations, including the placement of waste beyond permitted landfill limits, facility damage reporting and several issues concerning leachate management.
In a statement provided to the New Hampshire Bulletin, Casella Waste Systems Vice President of Communications Jeff Weld said the company had taken a series of steps to address issues at the landfill, including improving control and monitoring systems and replacing the landfill’s management team.
Casella expanded the landfill after receiving a permit in 2020, but a lawsuit argued the expansion was unnecessary. In 2024, the New Hampshire Supreme Court ruled in favor of the state regulators that issued Casella’s permit. The company has also proposed a greenfield landfill in Dalton, which continues to be a matter of debate.
The Bethlehem Select Board has urged officials not to pass HB 707 as written, arguing “Local officials are best positioned to weigh competing interests,” the New Hampshire Bulletin first reported.
The New Hampshire Senate chose not to act on other landfill bills carried over from the previous session, two of which would have established moratoria on new landfills in the state.
GFL seeks expansion of Arbor Hills Landfill in Michigan
GFL Environmental is exploring a new landfill cell for the Arbor Hills Landfill in Salem Township, Michigan, the Detroit Free Press reported. The proposal would add about 90 acres of landfill capacity on a 730-acre parcel north of the existing facility.
The landfill site already includes multiple other operations, including a MRF, composting facility and RNG plant, the last of which came online in 2023. The site has had a history of odor violations, drawing oversight from state and federal officials. GFL Environmental agreed to pay $2.3 million in state penalties in 2022.
The Arbor Hills Landfill’s operators tried a similar expansion in 2016, but were ultimately rebuffed by local officials
In order to proceed with an expansion, the landfill must be included in Washtenaw County’s materials management plan. The county’s materials management planning committee is in the process of developing that plan, and is meeting Wednesday to review its draft plan goals.
The plan must include considerations beyond disposal capacity in accordance with amendments to the state’s solid waste statute passed in 2022.
Other landfill news
- Officials in Candler County, Georgia, voted down a proposal brought by Atlantic Waste Services to expand the Candler County Landfill. The future of the facility, which is near capacity, remains unclear. (Savannah Morning News)
- Amherst County, Virginia, completed a $4.2 million expansion of a municipal landfill cell. The Amherst County Landfill accepts about 30,000 tons of waste per year. (WDBJ 7)
- Republic Services reduced by 40% the waste it accepts at its Modern Landfill in York County, Pennsylvania, extending the life of the facility. Residents who expected the facility to close by the end of 2025 criticized the decision. (Fox 43)
- Residents have reported continued odor issues at Coastal Waste and Recycling's Barnwell Landfill in Lady's Island, South Carolina. The company was previously required to come up with a mitigation plan after state regulators detected hydrogen sulfide emissions. (WSAV)
