Landfill to Expand Over Aquifer Recharge Zone?

The Glendale Road landfill in Northampton, Massachusetts is almost full. Operators estimate that the facility will reach capacity in 2011. Residents must now decide whether or not to allow the landfill to expand into a 50-acre area. The issue, however, is not just about public comfort with increased landfill operations but about the proposed expansion area being over a recharge zone for an aquifer. The state’s Department of Environmental Protection has determined that a double-liner system will provide adequate protection.