Landfill permitting process discussion
September 11 ,2009
Northampton landfill expansion debated
by The Republican Newsroom
By FRED CONTRADA
by The Republican Newsroom
By FRED CONTRADA
NORTHAMPTON - The question of who will decide the
hot-button issue of the landfill expansion remains
unresolved after the Planning Board turned the
matter over to the Ordinance Committee on Thursday.
The political heat is up concerning the expansion, which some have called the most important issue the city has faced in years. With the Glendale Road regional landfill about to reach capacity in 2011, Northampton must decide whether to expand the facility at an adjacent 50-acre site. Opponents of the expansion, many of whom abut the landfill, are concerned about its potential health and environmental impacts. The site sits above a recharge zone for the Barnes Aquifer, which supplies drinking water to Easthampton and other communities to the south.
Despite those concerns, two health studies have found no evidence that the landfill has caused an increase in cancer or other ailments in the area. Engineers note that the expansion would be double-lined, making it less of a risk to the aquifer than the current landfill, which also overlays the recharge zone. Studies have also concluded that it will cost Northampton residents significantly more to dispose their trash if it has to be trucked to landfills outside the city.
As it now stands, the City Council has the responsibility of granting a special permit for the expansion. Because they would be acting in a quasi-judicial role, the councilors have been advised not to discuss the matter with constituents. Ward 4 Councilor David J. Narkewicz has proposed an ordinance change that would shift the special permit authority to the Planning Board, which already has the responsibility of site plan review.
The Planning Board rejected Narkewicz's proposal by a vote of 4-3 Thursday, instead endorsing its own plan, which would make the expansion a judicial matter to be decided by the council without the need for a special permit.
Narkewicz said Friday that his proposal is not an attempt to shift responsibility but to relieve the councilors of the gag order preventing them from discussing the matter with constituents. He noted that, even if the Planning Board decides the special permit, the project cannot go forward unless the council agrees to fund it.
The Ordinance Committee will take up both Narkewicz's and the Planning Board's proposals on Monday. The matter will ultimately be referred back to the City Council.
The political heat is up concerning the expansion, which some have called the most important issue the city has faced in years. With the Glendale Road regional landfill about to reach capacity in 2011, Northampton must decide whether to expand the facility at an adjacent 50-acre site. Opponents of the expansion, many of whom abut the landfill, are concerned about its potential health and environmental impacts. The site sits above a recharge zone for the Barnes Aquifer, which supplies drinking water to Easthampton and other communities to the south.
Despite those concerns, two health studies have found no evidence that the landfill has caused an increase in cancer or other ailments in the area. Engineers note that the expansion would be double-lined, making it less of a risk to the aquifer than the current landfill, which also overlays the recharge zone. Studies have also concluded that it will cost Northampton residents significantly more to dispose their trash if it has to be trucked to landfills outside the city.
As it now stands, the City Council has the responsibility of granting a special permit for the expansion. Because they would be acting in a quasi-judicial role, the councilors have been advised not to discuss the matter with constituents. Ward 4 Councilor David J. Narkewicz has proposed an ordinance change that would shift the special permit authority to the Planning Board, which already has the responsibility of site plan review.
The Planning Board rejected Narkewicz's proposal by a vote of 4-3 Thursday, instead endorsing its own plan, which would make the expansion a judicial matter to be decided by the council without the need for a special permit.
Narkewicz said Friday that his proposal is not an attempt to shift responsibility but to relieve the councilors of the gag order preventing them from discussing the matter with constituents. He noted that, even if the Planning Board decides the special permit, the project cannot go forward unless the council agrees to fund it.
The Ordinance Committee will take up both Narkewicz's and the Planning Board's proposals on Monday. The matter will ultimately be referred back to the City Council.