This commentary is by Peggy Stevens of Charleston, a member of the advisory committe for DUMP — Don’t Undermine Memphremagog’s Purity.
In reading John Casella’s recent communications to the press, it appears that Mr. Casella is unfamiliar with the facts relating to the conditions and circumstances of his corporation’s private NEWSVT landfill in Coventry. Given the flawed information presented in this latest diatribe against DUMP, the citizens of Vermont deserve a factual response.
Every statement DUMP representatives have made in the past nearly five years, since they first opposed expansion of the Coventry landfill, is based on documentation, mostly from monthly reports to the Agency of Natural Resources from Casella Corp.’s NEWSVT landfill in Coventry, or in related communications between the agency and NEWSVT. Additional factual information has been gained from the EPA and evidence-based science journal articles. We have done our homework and stand by what we say. Anything you read from John Casella is nothing more than his opinion promoting his corporate interests.
Although Mr. Casella tries to paint DUMP as standing in the way of efforts to limit harm to the environment or to detoxify toxic landfill leachate, the reality is exactly the opposite.
What DUMP stands in opposition to is the NEWSVT Corp.’s ongoing efforts to put cost-effectiveness before technological effectiveness in scrubbing leachate of its toxic elements, especially PFAS chemicals. Its proposals put the Lake Memphremagog watershed at risk of further contamination.
Its proposed technologies are the cheapest and least effective; they may be minimally capable of capturing 50% of the long-chain PFAS chemicals, but few if any of the short-chain PFAS, which are as or more harmful to physical health, and more bio-accumulative in the environment, meaning they stick around longer and cause more harm to the health of the environment, people, fish and wildlife.
DUMP also stands in opposition to further expansion of the state’s only landfill, sited in one of the worst possible places geologically, in the most economically challenged and farthest corner of Vermont — out of sight and out of mind, ignoring environmental protection and justice.
The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources has been complicit in this effort. Instead of requiring the most stringent landfill siting requirements and leachate treatment technologies for the protection of the environment and public health, the agency has seemed to be a willing partner, basically handing over the decision-making responsibility for environmental protection to the corporate interest.
DUMP alone has made progress in limiting the contamination of Lake Memphremagog, in the moratorium the organization — not Casella — won as a concession in 2019 when DUMP tried and failed to stop the expansion of the landfill. Since then, literally millions of gallons of leachate, approximately 15,000 gallons a day, have been prevented from being disposed of, untreated for PFAS, into Newport’s wastewater treatment facility. That moratorium will expire in 2026.
DUMP’s fear is that by then Casella NEWSVT will have succeeded in building a minimally effective, privately owned treatment facility on site that will begin discharging millions of gallons of minimally treated leachate into the Black River and hence Lake Memphremagog. And likely also importing out-of-state leachate to be ”treated,” for a fee per gallon of course, and discharged into the lake as well.
Meanwhile, DUMP is appealing a decision made by the state Agency of Natural Resources to compel the state to require a discharge permit, according to Vermont law, for a discharge from UD3, a pipe that runs from the landfill straight into the wetlands immediately adjacent to the Black River. According to the May 2023 water quality report submitted to the Agency of Natural Resources, the flow rate from that discharge pipe is measured at 8,640 gallons per day.
Not only do levels of carcinogenic arsenic in that discharge exceed naturally occurring or safe levels exposure, but PFAS levels were alarming: May 9, 2023 — Sum of five PFAS = 139 ppt (nearly seven times the Vermont drinking water standard); Sum of all PFAS = 657ppt (nearly 33 times the drinking water standard) (May 2023 Water Quality Report).
These contaminants have been being deliberately discharged into the lake for years now with the state’s permission, instead of being collected as leachate and diverted from the watershed. Why? Because according to NEWSVT, it is more cost-effective. So much for Mr. Casella denying any responsibility for harm to the water quality of the lake. Harm to our air quality is another story for another day.
Rest assured that, as questions arise, DUMP will continue to stand ready with more evidence-based information, not “inaccuracies, confusion and hypocrisy” as Mr. Casella would have you believe. If only that were so, we would all sleep better at night.
It is the responsibility of our state government to protect our public health and our environment from harm by a for-profit, corporate solid-waste monopoly. It is time for the Legislature to erect statutory guardrails, including exploring a publicly owned option. But be aware, John Casella has 11 paid lobbyists in our Statehouse. No doubt they are ready to fight landfill, solid waste, and leachate treatment reform.
Finally, we address Mr. Casella’s continuing effort to paint recent fundraising efforts by DUMP as “a public relations opportunity … to push its agenda while others suffer” from effects of July’s devastating floods. This one fundraiser that really seems to bother him had been planned well in advance of the floods and in no way takes advantage of flood victims. Au contraire. DUMP is a grass-roots, volunteer, nonprofit organization. Every dollar we have raised has gone to education, outreach and legal proceedings to protect Vermont and Vermonters.
Let’s ask John exactly how many tons of toxic, flood-damaged solid waste from every affected community in Vermont has been deposited at his landfill, for which he has charged a hefty fee? What were his profits? Who exactly is taking advantage of traumatized Vermonters and their communities? Or perhaps he has donated all of those windfall profits to flood relief?
