Massive landfill expansion plan to be heard by Rochester Planning Board Monday, Nov. 6

ROCHESTER — The public will get a chance to weigh in on a proposed 63-acre landfill expansion for the disposal of up to 1.55 million more tons of garbage per year by Waste Management when the Planning Board meets on Monday, Nov. 6.

A Title V air quality permit was issued Oct. 25 by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, a major approval needed for the Turnkey Landfill expansion at 176 Rochester Neck Road.

Now, Waste Management will go before the Planning Board for final site plan approval for the project.

The meeting comes as residents have been expressed concerns over the noxious odors emanating from the Rochester Turnkey operation. The Rochester City Council brought up the issue during a public hearing on Oct. 17 with Steve Poggi, director of disposal operations for Waste Management.

"What is it we are smelling, and why is it so bad?" City Councilor Tim Fontneau asked at an October City Council meeting. "Is this a safety issue? People say they go outside, and it smells so bad they run back inside and close their windows."

"We have been hearing from our residents, who are telling us there are very bad odors," Mayor Paul Callaghan said.

Poggi acknowledged the worsening odor, saying the heavy rain this summer and fall overwhelmed the plant's ability to treat for odors. He told councilors Waste Management is taking action to remediate the odor problem and indicated the company believes it is not a safety concern for area residents.

Previous story: NH approves 60-acre expansion of Turnkey landfill in Rochester

Turnkey Landfill expansion will extend the lifespan of the facility

According to the permit application, the Turnkey Landfill operation, which is run by a private subsidiary of Waste Management, has proposed a plan to increase its disposal capacity and extend the lifespan of its 218-acre active landfill by adding another 60 acres. The site has three landfills, of which two are closed and capped.

The facility is permitted by the City of Rochester and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) to pretreat and discharge landfill wastewater from the facility. Waste Management is proposing the project to expand the treatment capabilities and capacity of the existing Leachate Treatment Plant. Permitting of the treatment technology and discharge capacity will be completed separately with the City of Rochester Department of Public Works and the NHDES as part of revising the facility's industrial discharge permit.

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Plans for the proposed expansion of the Turnkey Landfill

On Monday, Waste Management will bring to the Rochester Planning Board the final site plan to expand the existing Leachate Treatment Plant, which calls for adding ultra-filtration and de-nitrification equipment. This will prepare the site for the additional material that Waste Management plans to bring to the Turnkey Landfill.

The facility currently includes five above-ground storage tanks and three supporting buildings. The plans call for building additions to house the additional water filtration equipment.

"It is simply a 1908 square-foot building addition on one side of the existing facility and a 1000 square-foot addition on the other side of the existing facility, plus a couple of outside tanks," said Shanna Saunders, director of planning for Rochester.

According to the application submitted to the city, the proposed project also will include:

• Construction of two glass-lined, steel storage tanks along with associated secondary containment liner system and piping.

• Construction of a bulk 10,000-gallon methanol storage tank.

• Construction of a bulk 5,000-gallon ferric chloride storage tank.

• The removal of approximately 2,370 square feet of existing pavement.

• Construction of approximately 7,000 square feet of new paved area.

• Construction of an engineered retaining wall.

• Relocating the existing private water line and fire hydrant to allow for the construction of an engineered retaining wall.

The expansion project still requires approval from the federal Environmental Protection Agency. The permit has been submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region I for review. The federal agency has 45 days, beginning Oct. 25, in which to object to the issuance of the permit. If no objection is made, NHDES will issue a final permit.

Any person aggrieved by the landfill approval decision can, within 30 days of the date of the decision, file a petition for appeal with the state's Air Resources Council. For more information, visit https://www.nhec.nh.gov/air-resources-council.

A spokesperson for Waste Management could not be immediately reached to comment on this story.

This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Massive Rochester NH landfill expansion to get hearing Monday