We all generate trash, and we all need safe, affordable places to put it. But because of legitimate concerns about leachate, PFAS, methane, and other landfill gases, New Hampshire needs stronger and more effective oversight of how landfills are managed today.

NH DES has been clear — and correct — that burying trash is the least preferable option, after reduction, recycling, incineration, and other waste management strategies. DES has also shown that existing landfills, both in and outside the North Country, have ample capacity until at least 2034, and likely until 2045 or beyond as they expand.

Given that reality, I do not want to see Dalton — or any town in Coös County — become a dumping ground for everyone else’s trash. And we certainly do not need a landfill next to Forest Lake, especially one designed to solve problems originating outside our region.

I’ve spent years researching landfill science and policy. There is no perfect solution, and we have not yet developed a fully safe, secure way to manage landfills during operation or after closure. In Dalton, where most homes rely on private wells, contamination from leachate or PFAS would be devastating. Wastewater treatment plants also cannot fully remove PFAS; these chemicals resist biological treatment and can end up in effluent or sewage sludge.

We all understand the need to deal with our trash. New landfills will eventually be needed. But they must be comprehensively managed — from conception, through operation, to closure. New Hampshire needs clear, enforceable criteria in law for when and how a new landfill can be approved, and strong standards for how all landfills are operated and monitored.

This issue is too complex, and the consequences too long lasting, to ignore. I will work with fellow legislators and environmental professionals to establish the right criteria for all existing and potential landfills in New Hampshire. This is a bipartisan problem that requires a bipartisan solution.
And I encourage residents to review recent reporting on the Bethlehem landfill — a reminder of what happens when oversight falls short and why proper management is not optional