NH senate kills landfill buffer zone around state parks

By Holly Ramer
Associated Press
CONCORD — The New Hampshire Senate on Thursday killed legislation that would have prohibited the construction of landfills near state parks.

The bill, which had passed the House last month, would have created a 2-mile buffer zone around parks in which landfills couldn’t be located. It was driven by opponents of a proposed landfill in Dalton near Forest Lake State Park, and senators who voted against it said the issue was a matter for local zoning officials and environmental regulators, not the Legislature.

“While recognizing the concerns of the local residents, this bill would have significant repercussions on land owners’ rights and the use of the state legislative process to address what is basically a zoning issue, a local zoning issue,” said Sen. Kevin Avard, R-Nashua.

Supporters of the bill argued that state parks are a critical part of the state’s tourism infrastructure and should be protected. Sen. Erin Hennessey fondly described her family’s annual camping trips in northern New Hampshire and argued that citing a landfill next to a state park would result in noise and odor issues, disruption of wildlife and declines in both property values and park visitors. Nearly a dozen other state have enacted buffer zones, she said.

“They recognize the negative environmental and economic impacts landfills can and have historically caused,” said Hennessey, R-Littleton. “Our visitors come to New Hampshire for its fresh air and unique beauty, a beauty that our state parks help us to preserve. Citing a landfill next to a state park does not preserve this beauty.”

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Edith Tucker, said she was disappointed in the outcome.

“We’ve all learned during this horrific coronavirus pandemic that access to safe and pristine natural settings is extremely important to maintain our collective mental and physical well-being,” Tucker, D-Randolph, said in a statement.

Despite the 14-8 vote to kill the bill, Sen. David Watters, D-Dover, said there is broad agreement that the state is facing a crisis in solid waste management. Senators have addressed the problem in several other bills, including one that would create a solid waste working group and another that would establish a statewide solid waste disposal reduction goal.

“I suspect issue is not going to go away,” he said. “Despite the fact that we were split on the vote, there really is a bipartisan recognition that we really need to take this issue on in the future.”