Old Closed Landfills – What Towns Need to Know

Closed landfills are a long-term liability for municipalities because they can create environmental and other problems that negatively impact residents and visitors. Landfill property owners, including municipalities, are responsible for the costs of cleanup up environmental contamination. Many New Hampshire towns have more than one closed landfill – one that long-time residents remember using (often located near the current transfer station) and one or more that was used before that. Municipal officials need to know about and maintain all of them.

Join Jennifer Griffith, Project Manager with the Northeast Waste Management Officials’ Association (NEWMOA), and Karl Karlsson, Compliance Specialist with the Engineering and Permitting Section of the Solid Waste Management Bureau at the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, who will help municipal officials better understand the potential problems old landfills can create and the actions they should take to reduce environmental contamination and other liabilities. The presentation will also outline New Hampshire’s regulatory and reporting requirements for closed landfills.

Here are the links to some checklists and other helpful resources referenced in this webinar:

– Best Management Practices & Requirements (8 page guide)
– Inspection Checklist (4 page on-site checklist)
– Municipal Reminder Checklist (2 page “to do” checklist)