Sen. Dill introduces law to allow Old Town to share costs of landfill closing with state

AUGUSTA — Sen. Jim Dill, D-Old Town, has introduced a bill to provide state assistance with costs associated with closing the public construction and demolition debris landfill in Old Town.

The bill, LD 576, “An Act To Amend the Laws Governing Funding for Landfill Closure Costs,” would make the Old Town landfill eligible to have 75 percent of its closing costs covered by the state. The bill received a public hearing on today before the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources.

Maine law stipulates that landfills licensed on or before September 1, 1989 are eligible for state assistance with closing costs. Old Town’s facility was licensed after this date, even though the application was sent in well beforehand. Dill’s legislation would help cover the cost of capping the landfill to ensure that the contents of the landfill do not contaminate the groundwater.

“This is simply an issue of fairness,” said Sen. Dill. “If Old Town’s application for a license had been processed in a timely manner in 1989, then it would be covered under existing law. All this bill does is undo what I believe is a technicality and allow Old Town to be eligible for assistance from the Department of Environmental Protection.”

Old Town City Manager William J. Mayo also testified in favor of the bill, saying that the public landfill in Old Town is no longer necessary because the city’s needs can be met by the nearby Juniper Ridge Landfill

A work session for LD 576 has been scheduled for Wednesday, March 15.