Casella suggests expanding Southbridge landfill into Charlton

Casella suggests expanding Southbridge landfill into Charlton
By Debbie LaPlaca CORRESPONDENT

CHARLTON — Casella is thinking of expanding the footprint of the company's Southbridge landfill beyond town limits and onto five acres in Charlton.

"It is an area that conceptually could be used for landfill space in the future. To include that in our MEPA filing without a discussion with the town is not something we wanted to do," landfill site manager Tracy Markham told selectmen Tuesday.

Casella Waste Systems operates the landfill at 165 Barefoot Road in Southbridge. Ms. Markham said the site is at a phase where a report that discloses plans must be filed under the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act.

Members of the Board of Health and the Water-Sewer Commission joined selectmen Tuesday for what they called the start of a very long process involving multi-jurisdictional permitting and oversight.

Casella owns land on both sides of the town line. The plan calls for the installation of a landfill liner on 5.7 acres in Southbridge and 5.2 acres in Charlton.

"The Southbridge portion cannot be realized without the Charlton portion," Ms. Markham said, explaining that the combined acreage is needed to achieve the proper grading.

The inclusion of a conceptual plan in the MEPA filing, Ms. Markham said, does not guarantee the waste management company will bring it to fruition.

"Logistically speaking, they can include it in their (MEPA) plan; they've notified us and we're not being blindsided," Selectman John P. McGrath said.

If Casella elected to develop the site, the first obstacle in Charlton would be zoning.

"We actually can't site a landfill at this point," Town Administrator Robin L. Craver said.

Zoning Enforcement Officer Curtis J. Meskus reviewed the plan and in a report to selectmen said, "At this time it does not seem that the landfill could expand into Charlton as I currently interpret the bylaw."

Ms. Craver said it would take an act of town meeting to amend the bylaw. If voters approved the landfill, she said, it would go before the Board of Health for the beginning of talks.

Nelson Burlingame, health board chairman, said if an application was filed, and town meeting voters approved the zoning change, many conditions would be met before his board would approve the site assignment.