New Hampshire would pause new landfill permit reviews until 2031

The state environmental department would stop reviewing applications to build new landfills. The pause would cover permits to build new landfills. It would not bar expansions or changes at a site where a landfill covered by federal Subtitle D waste rules was fully permitted as of December 1, 2022. The department could still accept applications. The site must be one parcel or neighboring parcels wholly owned by the landfill operator or related companies as of December 1, 2022. Utility easements would not disqualify it. Year-round water bodies crossing a landfill's footprint would still need monitoring that meets or exceeds federal rules and guidance. If passed, the pause would begin upon passage and last until July 1, 2031.

Four lawmakers would study whether burning trash is workable. The group would include one state senator and three state representatives. Members would review permit rules, current bans, possible effects on air, soil, and water, and how burning trash might affect landfill space. The study section would take effect upon passage, but its November 1, 2025, report deadline has already passed.