Quebecers worried Vermont landfill project could pollute their drinking water

Some people in the Eastern Townships are furious about the plan to increase the capacity of the only landfill in Vermont.

The Casella landfill site in Coventry, Vt., is located just across the U.S. border — about 20 kilometres south of Standstead, Que.

The company is planning to expand the site to increase its capacity.

But residents in the Eastern Townships are worried that could pollute Lake Memphrémagog, which is an important source of drinking water for many municipalities in the region.

"We've now decided to shout loudly and we're getting all types of help telling the Vermont government to be careful," said Robert Benoit, president of Memphrémagog Conservation, a non-profit group that fights for the protection of the lake.

Benoit said some local municipalities are preparing for a fight and have already sought legal advice. Also, Liberal MP for Brome – Missisquoi, Denis Paradis, sent a letter to U.S. officials asking them to halt the expansion project and conduct impact studies.

Even some Americans, like Henry Coe, think several smaller dump sites would be better than one bigger landfill.

"My gut has always been that we should deal with our own garbage," Coe said.

But company officials say there's no cause for concern and that everything is being done by the book.

"Some of this new concern is a little surprising, to be honest," said John Gay, an engineer at Casella.

"This landfill is here to protect the environment, not to damage it."

Gay said the company plans to use the latest technologies to make the dump site ecologically responsible. He also said the company plans to transport more waste water to other sites, away from the lake.