Environmental groups file lawsuit against Casella Waste Systems

The Toxics Action Center and Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of New Hampshire May 14 against Rutland, Vermont-based Casella Waste Systems Inc. and North Country Environmental Services Inc., Bethlehem, New Hampshire, for allegedly illegally discharging pollutants from the Bethlehem Landfill into the nearby Ammonoosuc River.

The Bethlehem Landfill is operated by Casella, one of the largest waste collection firms in the Northeast, and its subsidiary North Country Environmental Services. The lawsuit comes after residents of Bethlehem rejected Casella’s bid to expand the size of the landfill in March. 

The suit alleges that a drainage channel owned and operated by the defendants collects leachate and contaminated groundwater from the landfill and discharges it into the river, in violation of the federal Clean Water Act. These discharges contain elevated levels of iron, manganese, and 1,4-dioxane, according to the environmental groups.

“Casella has a track record of releasing harmful contaminants into the environment, and this is not the first time the company has failed to protect New England waterways,” Woody Little, the Vermont and New Hampshire community organizer of Toxics Action Center, says. “Residents are rightfully concerned about the health of the river, which is part of why they voted in March against the expansion of the landfill. That’s the twelfth time Bethlehem has voted against expansion in 31 years. We’re proud to stand with them today.”

As alleged in the suit, the Clean Water Act prohibits the discharge of pollutants from sources like the landfill’s drainage channel unless the discharger has gone through the process of obtaining a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit. Neither Casella nor North Country Environmental Services has applied for, or received, such a permit, the environmental organizations contend.

“Casella must finally be held responsible for its illegal discharges of pollutants into the Ammonoosuc River,” Tom Irwin, director of the CLF New Hampshire, says. “Unfortunately, this pollution is another sign that landfills are dangerous and not a sustainable solution to our waste problems. It’s time to stop expanding toxic landfills and start protecting communities by reducing waste at its source through recycling and other efforts.”

“We rejected the landfill expansion because we believe in a better future for our families and our town,” Kristina Zontini, member of the Toxics Action Center and cofounder of the community group Growing Without Garbage, says. “Now that we know the landfill is leaking, we’re fighting to protect that future.”