Casella Waste Systems has withdrawn its application to build a landfill near Forest Lake State Park in Dalton, New Hampshire, a project that had drawn years of opposition from local and state police.
Governor Kelly Ayotte praised the move. "The withdrawal of this permit application is an important step in ensuring this beautiful area of our state remains pristine for future generations to enjoy," Ayotte said.
The proposed landfill would have been located within half a mile of Forest Lake and in the Ammonoosuc River watershed, which flows through Littleton and Lisbon before joining the Connecticut River near Woodsville. Critics, including the North Country Alliance for Balanced Change, argued the location was inappropriate and that half the waste would have come from outside New Hampshire.
Casella, based in Rutland, Vermont, said it still needs to increase disposal capacity in northern New Hampshire. The company is awaiting the outcome of a court case related to a separate permit application. A nearby landfill in Bethlehem on Trudeau Road is expected to close in 2027, according to Casella's website.
A Casella spokesperson said the Dalton application "is driven by the demonstrated need for disposal capacity to serve customers and businesses in more than 200 New Hampshire communities" currently relying on the Bethlehem landfill, and that hauling waste farther would increase costs.
NEK will be looking into the status of the related court case Casella referenced.
Photo: Adamfinkel (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0). Photo is illustrative and not from the scene.
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