The state environmental court has granted Moretown Landfill an extension to stay in operation for three more months.
The Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) ordered the landfill to shut down by April 15 due to ongoing odor and groundwater pollution problems. The landfill appealed the decision with the environmental court and asked to continue operating while that appeal was being considered. The court issued an extension on April 12.
The environmental court’s decision states that “While we appreciate the harms alleged by Neighbors and the State attributable to the Applicant’s continued operation,” it doesn’t make sense for the landfill to begin closure activities before an appeal decision is issued. Closing the landfill requires installing several feet of earthen and plastic covers. If the environmental court then supported the appeal, the landfill would have to remove those covers.
Neighbors of the landfill say some of the environmental violations make it difficult to be in their homes. They complain of odors so strong they had to leave, damage to their homes from blasting, and concern about pollutants leaking into their well water. The ANR has accused the landfill of dozens of violations over the last 14 years.
Other residents of Moretown support the landfill, saying that the town would be much worse off without it. The landfill pays hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in fees and taxes, money that lowers the property tax for all town residents.
Moretown Landfill has changed hands several times over the years. Most recently, ownership shifted from Interstate Waste Services to Advanced Disposal in September of last year. Both companies are owned by the same investment firm, but Advanced Disposal representatives say they are operated separately. Advanced Disposal officials say they haven’t had time to fix all the problems created by Interstate Waste Services.
