New Hampshire Supreme Court Decision Upholds Stage VI Permit Issuance
30 December 2023 - 3:42AM
Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: CWST) (“Casella”), a regional
solid waste, recycling, and resource management services company,
announced today that the New Hampshire Supreme Court (the “Court”)
concluded that the New Hampshire Department of Environmental
Services (“NHDES”) acted lawfully in issuing a permit for the Stage
VI expansion at the North Country Environmental Services, Inc.
(“NCES”) Landfill in Bethlehem, New Hampshire.
The Court’s decision reversed a previous ruling by the New
Hampshire Waste Management Council (the “Council”), after the
Conservation Law Foundation (“CLF”) appealed the permit issuance.
The Court’s decision held that the Council erred in its
interpretation of New Hampshire’s public benefit statute and that
the determination that the Stage VI expansion did in fact satisfy a
capacity need was lawful and correct.
NCES, a wholly owned subsidiary of Casella, provides disposal
capacity for more than 60,000 business and residents in nearly 200
towns throughout the State of New Hampshire.
“We are pleased that the decision of the court removes the
uncertainty for our New Hampshire customers caused by the Council’s
decision,” said John W. Casella, Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer of Casella. “Ensuring that we will be able to provide the
continuity of service on which our customers rely has been our
focus throughout this process. This decision recognizes the ongoing
need for disposal capacity in the State, even as anti-landfill
activists such as CLF continue to make baseless claims that take
time and resources away from moving New Hampshire closer to the
goals outlined in its most recent Solid Waste Management Plan.”
In September 2022, NHDES published an updated Solid Waste
Management Plan, which outlined eight specific goals for improving
solid waste management in the state over the next decade, and to
assist the state in achieving its goal to reduce the disposal of
municipal solid waste (MWS) and construction and demolition debris
(C&D) by 25% by 2030 and by 45% by 2050.
According to Casella, continued availability of disposal
capacity at NCES and the proposed Granite State Landfill in Dalton,
New Hampshire, which is targeted to come online near the time when
NCES closes at the conclusion of Stage VI, is vital to helping the
State achieve these goals.
“The future of solid waste management is to view it as an
integrated set of solutions and critical infrastructure designed to
keep people and their natural environment safe,” said Mr. Casella.
“This approach considers the overall benefits of the entirety of
our resource management efforts, and not simply those of a single
facility. Disposal capacity is the foundation that allows for the
continuation of ongoing materials management efforts. By providing
customers with stable, reliable disposal capacity, we can
understand the materials and propose better methods to manage them
differently, which will ultimately benefit New Hampshire on its
road to a more sustainable future.”
About Casella Waste Systems, Inc. Casella Waste
Systems, Inc., headquartered in Rutland, Vermont, provides resource
management expertise and services to residential, commercial,
municipal, institutional, and industrial customers, primarily in
the areas of solid waste collection and disposal, transfer,
recycling, and organics services in the eastern United States. For
further information, investors contact Jason Mead, Senior Vice
President of Finance and Treasurer at (802) 772-2293; media contact
Jeff Weld, Director of Communications at (802) 772-2234; or visit
the Company’s website at http://www.casella.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
Certain matters discussed in this press release, including, but
not limited to, the statements regarding the availability of
capacity at NCES or the Granite State Landfill, are
“forward-looking statements” intended to qualify for the safe
harbors from liability established by the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can
generally be identified as such by the context of the statements,
including words such as “believe,” “target,” “expect,”
“anticipate,” “plan,” “may,” “would,” “intend,” “estimate,” "will,"
“guidance” and other similar expressions, whether in the negative
or affirmative. These forward-looking statements are based on
current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about
the industry and markets in which Casella operates and management’s
beliefs and assumptions. Casella cannot guarantee that it actually
will achieve the results, plans, intentions, expectations or
guidance disclosed in the forward-looking statements made. Such
forward-looking statements, and all phases of Casella’s operations,
involve a number of risks and uncertainties, any one or more of
which could cause actual results to differ materially from those
described in its forward-looking statements. Such risks and
uncertainties include or relate to, among other things, that
landfill operations and permit status may be affected by factors
outside Casella’s control.
Casella undertakes no obligation to update publicly any
forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
Investors: Jason Mead Senior Vice President of Finance &
Treasurer (802) 772-2293
Media: Jeff Weld Director of Communications (802) 772-2234
http://www.casella.com
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