New Hampshire Lawmakers Settle for Multi-Year Landfill Moratorium, Hoping for Senate and Governor’s OK
Lawmakers in New Hampshire’s House Environment and Agriculture Committee are advancing plans for a three-year moratorium on new landfills, lowering the period to three years. The House’s proposed three-year moratorium aims to effectively negotiate with the state Senate and Gov. Kelly Ayotte.
Peterborough Democrat Rep. Jonah Wheeler, however, believes the House shouldn’t compromise on its original plan to institute a five-year moratorium on new landfills. He argued that he’s heard from dozens of residents across the state who expressed concerns over environmental protections and public health.
“For us to cave to the Senate or the Governor on our position falls into a tradition that I think is really sad for the House of Representatives as of late where we don’t respect our power as the legislative body closest to the people,” said Wheeler in comments published by the Concord Monitor.
On Tuesday, March 4, the House Environment and Agriculture Committee voted 13-1 in favor of an amended House Bill 171. According to the Concord Monitor report, this bill would block the Department of Environmental Services from distributing new landfill permits in New Hampshire until 2028. The original proposal established 2030 as the moratorium end date.
In the Senate, Senate Bill 226 proposed a six-year moratorium on landfills, and in January, Ayotte supported a one-year moratorium.
Republican State Rep. Kevin Scully, who voted against the House bill, recognizes the necessity of a moratorium but does not support a three-year hiatus.
“I honestly believe that there would be almost zero chance that a three-year moratorium would pass the Senate,” Scully said
Conversely, environmental advocates have decried the state’s newly updated solid waste rules, which took effect in December 2024. They argue that the changes aren’t enforceable and permit landfills in unsuitable locations like sandpits.
Meanwhile, Rochester Republican Kelley Potenza has argued that the state needs time to fix its solid waste systems problem, including addressing the landfill permitting process and creating improved waste reduction strategies.
“We have a policy problem. We have a process problem,” Potenza said in comments made to the Concord Monitor. “There’s a lot of work that needs to be done, and the only way to do that is a pause.”
