House committee hears amendment to add Site Evaluation Committee and three-year pause on major landfill permitting

The Environment and Agriculture Committee on Monday held a public hearing on a non‑germane amendment to Senate Bill 302 that would create a five‑member Solid Waste Facility Site Evaluation Committee (SEC), require an explicit public‑benefit weighing for major solid‑waste facilities and impose a pause on issuing new major‑capacity permits until SEC rules are adopted or July 1, 2026, whichever is later.

Proponents said the SEC would ensure local and regional harms are weighed alongside private benefits. Dr. Adam Finkel, a New Hampshire resident and national environmental science expert, told the committee the SEC would “finally … consider the local impact on those most affected and the regional impact.” He said the committee and the moratorium would give regulators and communities time to gather missing technical data…