This bill allows Casella to bury up to 100,000 tons of bulky and crushed out-of-state waste each year through 2027. Photo: Shutterstock
June 17, 2025 (Portland, ME) – Maine lawmakers have approved a controversial bill that will open the door for out-of-state waste to be dumped at the Juniper Ridge Landfill. The bill creates a loophole that allows bulky items – such as washing machines, couches, and mattresses – to cross state lines and get buried in a landfill owned by Maine taxpayers. Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) urges Governor Mills to veto this harmful bill.
“Passing this law makes Maine, once again, serve as New England’s waste bin,” said Nora Bosworth, staff attorney at CLF. “It disrespects the health, safety, and dignity of local communities – especially the Penobscot Nation, who have long fought to protect their river and communities from dangerous pollution.”
This bill allows Casella to yet again fill the landfill with other states’ construction waste, creating toxic garbage juice that ultimately flows into waterways, like the Penobscot River, and puts people at risk.
“This bill is a product of bad faith,” Bosworth added. “It puts corporate profits over Maine’s public health and our environment.”
Juniper Ridge Landfill, located in Old Town, is operated by Casella Waste Systems under a state contract . This bill allows Casella to bury up to 100,000 tons of bulky and crushed out-of-state waste each year through 2027 – deepening concerns about landfill pollution and community health.
The Penobscot Nation and CLF have filed an appeal to stop the harmful expansion of the Juniper Ridge Landfill. Casella’s proposal to expand this waste site – to add space to handle the equivalent of 8.6 Empire State Buildings worth of trash – threatens to worsen current environmental hazards.
CLF experts are available for further comment.
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