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Hubbardston Board of Health reviews landfill monitoring, eyes request to scale back testing
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Summary
Board reviewed an August 2025 post-closure landfill test showing no public-health risks and discussed asking state agencies to reduce testing frequency and/or fund future monitoring after 30 years of compliance.
The Town of Hubbardston Board of Health reviewed its most recent post-closure monitoring results for the town landfill and discussed a plan to ask state authorities to reduce or assume future testing costs.
Chair Guy Lamancour summarized the August 18, 2025 test results and told the board the data show “no issues persisting” and “no risk to public health or the environment,” though some aesthetic benchmark values are outside preferred ranges. Lamancour said the town has been monitoring the site for three decades and has amassed sufficient data to support a request to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) to reduce sampling frequency.
Board members acknowledged past attempts to transfer testing responsibility to the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) or DEP and said previous requests had been denied. At the meeting members noted that DCR maintains a fund that, in some cases, could cover testing costs and discussed coordinating with the select board and town counsel on a formal petition or letter to state agencies.
The board discussed the likely steps: have a technical consultant compile a data packet and justification, submit the packet to MassDEP, and hold a public hearing if the agency requires one before approving reduced monitoring. Members emphasized that any reduction would require agency approval and that the town would need to request budget authorization at the next town meeting if the testing cost remains a municipal responsibility.
Lamancour noted the recent testing expense to the town was about $7,120 and said the board will work with the select board and town counsel to draft appropriate language and a request to the DCR/DEP.
Next steps: staff will collect the full technical packet from the consulting firm, coordinate a draft letter with the select board and town counsel, and bring a recommended approach back to the Board of Health for final review before submission to state agencies.
