Dive Brief:
- Board of Health members oppose Casella Waste Systems' proposal to expand the Southbridge landfill into Charlton, MA, on 5.2 acres it already owns. The move would require local and state approval. Casella aims to add years of life to the landfill, which is set to reach capacity in 2017.
- Landfill site manager Tracy Markham told the board that Casella first needs a zoning bylaw change, which requires town meeting approval. The soonest it could go before voters is next year.
- Casella is testing 45 residential wells within a half-mile of the landfill, as ordered by the state Department of Environmental Protection. Markham said the last sampling detected 1,4-dioxane, classified by the U.S. EPA as a probable human carcinogen, at a house. Casella plans to put in a new well. Other contaminants have also been found, but all are below limits for drinking water standards, she said.
Dive Insight:
Unpopular landfill expansion plans have drawn mixed reactions in many areas, including Lancaster County, PA, Lower Saucon Township, PA, Chesterfield County, VA, and Will County, IL.
In Charlton, the concern is over the safety of the drinking water. "It’s not healthy today and it’s not going to be healthy down the road. We don’t want it," health board member Willard Stevens said.
But Casella's Markham told the Telegram that the dioxane found at a residence is a byproduct of cosmetics, detergent and shampoo, a residue mix typical of septic systems. "We do not feel this is a landfill issue. The landfill is downgrade from the residence," Markham said, noting that more tests will be conducted after the new well is installed.
Robert Checkosky, chairman of the Southbridge Board of Health, said the town has had no problems with Casella's landfill. He said Casella would be responsible if the Southbridge landfill contaminates Charlton wells.
“I think we have a proven track record," Markham said at the meeting. "Casella has been a responsible environmental partner." The Telegram noted that Southbridge and Charlton officials nodded in agreement.
The expansion proposal is in its beginning stages, and voters and local and state authorities have time to ask questions and get answers.