State lawmakers have approved a bill that allows landfills to continue to accept out-of-state bulky waste through 2027 — and the Conservation Law Foundation is urging Governor Janet Mills to veto it.
Nora Bosworth with the Conservation Law Foundation, called the bill a huge setback.
"And when you're talking about a landfill that, based on law and policy, is meant for waste created in Maine, that's just very disheartening, because this is a landfill that has been poisoning communities for years," she said.
Much of the debate over the bill has centered on Juniper Ridge Landfill in Old Town, the state-owned landfill operated by Casella Waste Systems. The company has said it needs to take out of state waste to mix with sewage sludge for stability in the landfill.
But Bosworth said she doesn't believe that Casella needs this much waste from out of state. And the landfill continues to impact nearby communities.
Sarah Woodbury, with the nonprofit Defend Our Health, said the company is holding the legislature and Maine towns hostage.
"So we're just moving forward with allowing all of this out of state, bulky waste, without any real proof that it's necessary other than, you know, Casella saying so," she said.
In response to Woodbury, a spokesperson for Casella cites two studies, from 2023 and 2025, that support the importance of bulky waste in sludge storage.
Woodbury said Casella had two years to find an alternative to using out of state waste. But instead the company waited to ask for this extension and will likely do so again.
