You can help protect Vermont’s Waterways!
Review the recording of the meeting in Newport! October 26, 2021, from 5:30 – 7:30 PM Link to Newport Meeting Recording
Review the recording from the meeting in Montpelier! October 28, 2021, from 5:30 – 7:30 PM Link to Montpelier Meeting Recording
Join us in protecting Lake Memphremagog!
The Lake Memphremagog Community Meeting was held 8/24/2021
Secretary Julie Moore of the Department of Environmental Conservation hosted this meeting in Newport. It was a GREAT meeting, and DUMP members contributed many important comments and questions. Thanks to all who participated!! Here is a link to a video recording of the meeting. Thank you NEK-TV! Agenda for the meeting
DUMP launches a petition drive to designate Lake Memphremagog a “Lake in Crisis”. Read our petition.
The landfill is adversely affecting our beautiful Northeast Kingdom!! Sadly, both the Agency of Natural Resources, and the Act 250 District Commission approved the 51 acre expansion of the landfill to now cover 128 acres.
International Summit held by DUMP
In January of 2020 DUMP hosted a summit with legislators from the State of Vermont and from Quebec, Canada, to discuss concerns about the landfill in Coventry. View the data summary presentation Data Summary for Summit 20200113 View the NEK TV coverage!
DUMP appeals ANR permit
We worked hard in our attempt to appeal the ruling of the Agency of Natural Resources, and although we did not get the appeal, we did negotiate a settlement through Mediation with the management of the Landfill to protect the Memphremagog Watershed and Lake Memphremagog from toxic landfill leachate until January of 2024.
Read the result of our recent Mediation with the landfill representatives in this joint press release.
While we are comforted that the processed toxic leachate will no longer flow into Lake Memphremagog (for now), we are concerned about other bodies of water that are affected. Help us convince the State of Vermont to find a better way to handle trash.
DUMP participates in Act hearing to oppose the Act 250 landfill expansion permit
Our expressed opposition to the expansion was strong and fact based.
Click to read DUMP’s ACT250 Testimony
Click to read DUMP’s Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law
This is a Statewide Issue for Vermont.
Currently there is only one landfill in the state of Vermont to handle the trash of every resident, and the state has no long term plan to deal with their waste. The landfill is located in the beautiful Northeast Kingdom, situated between wetlands and abutting the Black River, which flows into Lake Memphremagog. Monster trash-carrying trucks drive over the lovely roadways every day to deposit their loads on the ever growing mountain of trash in Coventry. The offensive odors from this landfill spread with the wind. To make matters worse, a leak in an unlined area of the landfill was recently discovered and the water i
n a testing well contains toxic chemicals (PFAS) that are way above the “safe” levels. This is not just a Northeast Kingdom problem; the landfill impact is statewide. The leachate from this landfill, containing almost six times the safety standard of PFAS toxins, is going to Montpelier, North Burlington, Barre, Essex, Concord, NH and Plattsburgh, NY. After being delivered to wastewater treatment plants, which do NOT remove the PFAS, it is dumped into local waterways still containing the PFAS. Lake Champlain is being polluted by this landfill’s leachate.
It is inconceivable that the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources approved a permit to INCREASE the size of this landfill after releasing the data on PFAS toxins in the leachate, and knowing the issues that have developed in Bennington.
Our NH neighbors are fighting to oppose a landfill in Dalton. Read about their battle here:
Please join us in the fight to close the landfill and find a better solution!
(Header photo by Jeff Gerade, 2018)