I want to debunk the myth perpetuated by Martha Freeman of the Maine State Planning Office that Casella will not dump out-of-state waste in the West Old Town Landfill. Casella imports waste from Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and as far away as Texas to keep its commercial incinerators operating. The incineration process reduces the waste volume and with a semantic sleight of hand the highly toxic byproduct of incineration becomes “in-state” ash.

What hogwash. This carcinogenic dioxin-laced ash is then carted to Casella’s landfill in Hampden and will be carted to West Old Town as well. How much out-of-state garbage it imports Casella won’t say.

Casella’s claim that it must import waste to keep tipping fees low is yet another example of a large corporation bullying Maine into acting like a Third World country. In the meantime, Casella stands to make billions on a deal that requires Mainers to subsidize our garbage with out-of-state garbage to keep costs artificially low.

There is no guarantee that Georgia-Pacific’s 150 jobs will be preserved; these jobs could disappear in a year or two. What this deal can guarantee is that Maine will have forever another mountain of trash, hundreds of feet high – with its foul odor, swirling cloud of gulls and crows and inevitable environmental degradation – within 25 miles of Casella’s dump in Hampden.

Welcome to Garbageland.

Elizabeth Payne

Orono