Reject the Coventry Landfill Expansion

Send a letter to stop the landfill expansion. The Coventry Landfill in Vermont is seeking approval for a 51 acre expansion, and we need you to speak out.

Landfills threaten our water and climate. All landfills do two dangerous things: leak toxins from waste into water, and release the potent greenhouse gas methane. In turn, our health and environment are at risk.

Vermont doesn’t need more landfilling. Our state has made impressive progress to recycle and compost, meaning we should be reducing our reliance on bad waste management practices instead of expanding them.

Send a letter to the Department of Environmental Conservation and urge them to reject the landfill expansion. Our state has worked hard to make progress on waste. Let the DEC know you want to keep us moving forward.

Subject:

Your Letter:

I am writing to ask you to deny the proposed 51 acre expansion for the Coventry Landfill. 
 
All landfills eventually leak. The Coventry landfill contains waste laden with contaminants commonly found in household waste, including toxic chemicals and heavy metals, along with sewage sludge, asbestos and contaminated soil. Even the two-liner system required for the expansion would over time develop holes that allow leachate, formed by rainwater mixing with the toxins in waste, to leak into groundwater. Communities home to landfills owned by Casella, like Southbridge, MA, have had their drinking water contaminated with lead and other toxins due to leachate reaching drinking water. Adding space to the Coventry Landfill increases the possibility of contamination for communities downstream and those who depend on Lake Memphremagog. 
 
Landfills also release methane, a greenhouse gas 86 times more potent than carbon dioxide when monitored over a 20 year period. Even while the Coventry Landfill tries to catch the gas escaping the landfill, it’s impossible to contain all the methane leaking into the air. It is estimated that as little as 20% of released methane, which is flammable and contains some toxic gases, will be captured by even the best systems. 
 
Finally, Vermont does not need this landfill expansion. In recent years, Vermont has passed progressive recycling and composting laws, and these programs are working. Each year, our state produces less and less waste. We don’t need to permit another 22 years of landfilling at current rates given our ongoing progress. However, if this permit is granted, it’s likely that Casella will attempt to use its full capacity allowance however necessary -- even if that means taking in more waste from out of state. 
 
Landfilling is an unsustainable solution to a problem our state is already making important progress on solving. Please deny the Coventry Landfill expansion proposal so we can keep moving forward.

First Name*

Last Name*

Email*

Phone*

Street*

Street 2

City*

State/Province*

Zip/Postal Code*

	Full Name	Email
1
2

Reject the Coventry Landfill Expansion

Please use these fields to add a guest or two.