Materials Management - Closed Landfill Project

NEWMOA completed a Promoting Stewardship of Closed Landfills Project in 2023 to help improve the management of closed solid waste landfills in small rural, low-income communities in northern New Hampshire and Vermont. The project produced:

Best Management Compliance Guide (8 pages):

• Vermont Version
• New Hampshire Version
• “Generic” Version for Use Anywhere (insert state-specific information into the writeable boxes)

Landfill Inspection Checklist (4 pages):

• Vermont Version
• New Hampshire Version
• Generic Version for Use Anywhere (insert state-specific information into the writeable boxes)

Municipal Reminder Checklist (2 pages):

• Vermont Version
• New Hampshire Version
• Generic Version for Use Anywhere (insert state-specific information into the writeable box)

Training Workshops:

• Northeast Kingdom Waste Management District (VT) [PDF] – February 2023
• New Hampshire Municipal Association [PDF] – June 2023
• End of Project National Webinar [PDF] – September 2023

Background: Prior to the 1980s, in most small towns in rural New England, all of the garbage from residents and local businesses went into the local landfill. Most of those old landfills were simply large holes in the ground with no liner or any engineered safety features. Starting in the 1980s, states began to close these landfills and require all remaining landfills to comply with modern specifications. Today, there are over a thousand closed landfill sites throughout New England, many of which are owned by the municipality and now present ongoing liabilities and obligations.