This bill introduces new requirements for the siting of landfills, which will be overseen by the Department of Environmental Services. It amends RSA 149-M:9 by adding a new paragraph that requires the department to create a "preliminary application phase" for landfill permit applications. During this phase, applicants must provide sufficient information for the department to determine if the proposed location meets certain prohibitive locational criteria. If a proposed site fails this preliminary assessment, the application will be returned without prejudice, allowing the applicant to select an alternative location and submit a new preliminary application.

The department is also given the discretion to adopt prohibitive locational criteria after a public hearing and written comments. These criteria may include considerations such as soil permeability, bedrock fractures, distance from waste generation sources, impact on greenhouse gas emissions and traffic, and the environmental sensitivity of the proposed site, including whether it is over significant aquifers, coastal sand dune systems, prime wetlands, or undisturbed natural areas. The bill will take effect 60 days after its passage. Fiscal notes indicate that there will be no direct increase in state revenue or appropriations, but there may be an indeterminable increase in expenditures due to the reallocation of resources within the Department of Environmental Services to manage the new application process. State, county, and local governments may also face indeterminable increases in expenditures for landfill siting and waste disposal costs.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 149-M:9
As Amended by the House: 149-M:9