The debate of the proposed expansion of the landfill in West Old Town boils down to two issues: environmental concerns and worry over increased truck traffic on small roads. On both fronts, the state could do more to quell disapproval from area residents about this project.

This project came about because of the convergence of the state’s desire to save jobs at the paper mill in Old Town and the state’s need for a new landfill. To help keep the Georgia-Pacific mill operating, the state agreed to purchase the company’s landfill for $25 million, a deal that was approved by the Legislature. This alleviated a major cost for the company, which had planned to stop tissue production at the Old Town mill at a cost of 300 local jobs, while allowing it to focus on making paper and not running a landfill. As part of this agreement, the company pledged to invest the $25 million from the state in building a biomass boiler to produce electricity for the mill. The high cost of electricity was cited as a major competitive disadvantage of the Old Town facility, which had previously been unable to raise the money needed for the biomass endeavor.

Before the threatened mill closure, the state was proceeding with plans to build a new landfill in Lincoln because the region’s trash-disposal facility in Hampden is nearing capacity and will probably shut down within five to 10 years. Now, rather than start from scratch in Lincoln, the state wants to expand the West Old Town facility to handle municipal waste.

Since the state cannot, by law, operate a landfill, it has chosen Casella Waste Systems of Vermont, which also operates the Hampden landfill, to run the facility for 30 years. The company, the only bidder, was chosen, according to the governor’s office, because in addition to paying $25 million for the contract, the company agreed to incur the costs of improving and expanding the landfill and to assume its liability. The company will also make payments to Old Town and Alton as the dump’s host communities.

Attention has now turned to the Department of Environmental Protection, which is considering an application to amend the facility’s operating permit. A major concern is that the public has not had enough chances to get information about and raise objections to the project. Were the state to attempt to site a landfill in Lincoln, there would likely be numerous public hearing before both the DEP and its citizen Board of Environmental Protection. Because the current application seeks to amend an existing operating license, the process is different. The concerns, however, are not, and the state needs to ensure that local residents and those who live and work along the proposed truck routes have plenty of time to have their questions answered satisfactorily.

DEP Commissioner Dawn Gallagher was legally correct to deny a request from a citizens’ group for a formal public hearing. As she points out, such a process would have involved formal testimony and cross-examinations, which would have been intimidating and, perhaps, less successful in answering questions. Instead, Commissioner Gallagher has scheduled two public forums, the first of which two weeks ago did little to quell public concern, quickly turning into anger, about this project.

Wisely, Ms. Gallagher has expanded the scope of a second forum, to be held late this month. While the DEP is only responsible for the environmental aspects of the proposed expansion, those who attend the forum can ask also questions about the bidding process, the truck route and other issues. Representatives of Casella, Georgia-Pacific, the State Planning Office, Department of Transportation, local communities and other entities are slated to be on hand.

For the DEP, the major issue is the potential of an existing leak at the landfill. Three test wells have recently shown high levels of manganese and dirt in the water. These readings were likely caused by dirt entering the water through a manhole, not a leak, said the commissioner. Additional testing is now being done. Although the test results will soon be forthcoming, so will the commissioner’s recommended decision on whether to allow the expansion. This hurry-up attitude from the DEP has caused unneeded public discomfort.

Local residents are also frustrated about the increased truck traffic that may soon pass by their doors. Because trucks exceeding 80,000 pounds are barred from I-95, which passes within a half-mile of the landfill entrance, the 100,000-pound trucks used to haul incinerated trash and construction waste will be forced onto back roads. The DOT first said that the trucks would be directed through Hampden and Brewer. After outcry from local officials, the DOT presented five alternative routes on both sides of the Penobscot River.

State officials are right to work to raise the truck weight limits on the interstate, something that is supported by all members of the state’s congressional delegation. Due to outcry from national safety advocates, this battle will be hard fought in Congress, which is currently reauthorizing the federal transportation act. In the meantime, the public discussion of the truck problems should be tempered with realism. If the state’s landfill were in Lincoln, the same transportation problems would remain, just on different routes. It is also worth noting that empty trucks would make return trips on the interstate and that heavy trucks carrying other goods must also use the back roads.

Turning the West Old Town landfill into a municipal dump could be good or it could be a disaster depending on how well the state answers the environmental and traffic problems in the next few weeks. Listening to and acting on citizen concerns could turn this good project into a better, if not a universally accepted, one.