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Conservation committee urges regional review of planned Epping waste expansion
Summary
The Newfields Conservation Committee joined neighboring towns and conservation groups in raising concerns about a Resource Services Inc. application to add municipal waste handling at an Epping site abutting the Piscassic River; state DES will rule April 12 and local members seek regional review.
The Town of Newfields Conservation Committee on Feb. 17 reiterated concerns about a permit application by Resource Services Inc. to add municipal waste handling at a site in Epping that borders the Piscassic River, and said it is working with neighboring towns and advisory groups to press for regional oversight.
Member T. Rettburg told the committee he is pursuing coordination with Newmarket, Brentwood and Exeter and with the Lamprey River Advisory Committee to secure a fuller presentation from Resource Services and to encourage the Epping Planning Board to treat the application as regional in scope. “The scope of the expansion is mind blowing — 750 tons per day of waste being added,” Rettburg said.
The committee and several partners, including the Select Board, Exeter, Newmarket, the Southeast Land Trust (SELT) and the Lamprey River Advisory Committee, sent a joint letter in mid-January outlining concerns with the proposed expansion. The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES) has said it will issue a decision on the application on April 12.
Chair A. Watts asked what actions the commission should take immediately; members discussed options including requesting a formal regional review, petitioning the Epping Planning Board to refer the matter to a regional planning commission, encouraging public comments to DES, and convening a coordinated response with neighboring communities. Rettburg said he will continue outreach to regional officials and work to obtain a complete presentation from Resource Services so local officials and residents can better evaluate potential environmental and land-use impacts.
The committee emphasized the site’s proximity to the Piscassic River as a concern for water-quality impacts and said it wants to ensure the Epping application is reviewed with regional interests in mind rather than addressed solely at the local Planning Board level. The committee discussed options for public engagement, such as a coordinated petition or an informational session if Resource Services provides fuller project details.
Next steps: T. Rettburg will continue outreach to regional partners and to Resource Services; committee members plan to promote avenues for public comment to DES ahead of the April 12 decision.
