Maine has become a dumping ground for waste around the Northeast. As states like Massachusetts rightfully ban the disposal of harmful waste in their landfills, a loophole in Maine’s weaker waste laws allow their toxic materials in our state-owned landfills.
Out-of-state waste is being processed within Maine to be classified as Maine-generated trash, circumventing Maine’s rule that no trash from out of state can be disposed of in state-owned landfills. As a budding environmental chemist studying toxins and contamination in school, I cannot stress enough how much of a risk increased landfill waste poses to surrounding communities.
Luckily, proposed changes to Maine’s waste management rules would close the waste loophole and protect communities from environmental pollution. The Board of Environmental Protection will be holding a remote public hearing Sept. 17 regarding these proposed rule changes.
Please submit comments in support of these changes by emailing rulecomments.dep@maine.gov. Put “Comment on Chapter 400: Maine Solid Waste Management Rules” in the subject line. The deadline to submit comments is Sept. 28 at 5 p.m.
Divya Gudur
Portland
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