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Commission raises environmental, traffic concerns over Resource Services waste‑handling expansion near Lamprey River
Summary
Commissioners reviewed a permit application by Resource Services Inc. proposing municipal‑waste handling near the Lamprey River and reported coordinated letters from nearby towns and groups; members cited unclear operational plans, potential noise, odor, traffic and river‑proximity risks and set regional outreach and DES‑comment follow‑ups ahead of an April 12 decision date.
A commission member briefed the Newfields Conservation Commission on a permit application from Resource Services Inc. to expand municipal and possibly municipal‑waste handling at a site near the Lamprey River. The presenter warned the site is "a stone's throw" from Newfields and others and said the river and shoreline setback are very close to the operation.
"The decision date is gonna be April 12," the committee member said, urging coordinated regional engagement. Commissioners reported letters already sent by the conservation commission and neighboring towns, and they discussed asking the Epping Planning Board and Rockingham County Planning Commission to treat the proposal as regional in scope.
Members raised specific concerns: potential groundwater or surface‑water contamination from expanded municipal waste handling, increased truck traffic and noise, smell, and the unclear nature of the operator's plan and how municipal waste would be handled on site. One commissioner noted that photographs of the site show it is currently a transfer station in poor condition and that chipping and on‑site processing increase potential airborne and runoff hazards.
Commission members discussed regulatory steps and next actions: attending nearby advisory‑committee meetings (Lamprey River advisory body), requesting a public presentation from Resource Services to clarify operations, and coordinating further letters to the state DES (Department of Environmental Services). No formal commission vote was taken on a position at the meeting, but members agreed to draft factual outreach for the town and to consider forming a volunteer group to help publicize comment opportunities while avoiding alarm.
The commission emphasized reliance on DES deadlines and on regional planning bodies to broaden oversight; members also noted the NH Association of Conservation Commissions and county planning entities have been engaged in analysis and advocacy around the application.
