Sen. Carney introduces bill to stop out-of-state waste from filling Maine’s landfills

AUGUSTA – On Monday, Sen. Anne Carney, D-Cape Elizabeth, introduced a bill that would close a loophole that allows private waste processing facilities to circumvent the ban on disposing of out-of-state waste in state-owned landfills. LD 1639, “An Act To Protect the Health and Welfare of Maine Communities and Reduce Harmful Solid Waste,” was the subject of a public hearing before the Legislature’s Environment and Natural Resources Committee.

“This bill is critical to preserving the capacity of our state-owned Juniper Ridge Landfill (in Alton, just north of Old Town) and protecting the communities that live in the surrounding area from the harms of toxic out-of-state waste,” said Sen. Carney. “Now is the time to take control over the waste being imported and buried here in Maine. Our state is doing tremendous work to limit the amount of waste we create and keep toxins like lead, mercury and arsenic out of our landfills and our water. The loophole currently in law undermines that work. It also undermines the policies other states in our region have implemented to support recycling and reduce use of landfills. We should all work together, regionally, to implement laws that increase recycling and protect our environment.”

A 1989 law meant to prevent Maine from becoming New England’s dumping ground for out-of-state waste created a loophole that allowed private waste processing facilities to circumvent the ban on disposing of out-of-state waste in state-owned landfills. Today, thousands of tons of out-of-state waste ends up in state-owned Juniper Ridge landfill every year. This practice is both fueling the need for landfill expansions and threatening nearby communities. LD 1639 would put an end to this system and protect Mainers from the harm posed by out-of-state waste, by amending Maine’s waste management law and provide communities most impacted by landfills a greater say in the licensing and expansion of these facilities.

Environmental advocates in Maine, including the Conservation Law Foundation, Sunlight Media Collective, and Don’t Waste Maine testified in support of this bill.

LD 1645 faces further action in committee.

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