With the legislative session well under way, New Hampshire lawmakers haven’t tired of putting forward new proposals for how landfills should be sited and regulated — but finding one a majority can accept has proven difficult. Tension over the state’s waste has come to a head in recent years, with private waste disposal companies pushing for expanded landfill capacity. Communities living alongside disposal sites have pushed back, often citing instances of pollution and mismanagement that have raised health and environmental concerns.
In February 2025, Gov. Kelly Ayotte requested a new site evaluation committee to consider the siting and impact of new landfills or expansions and a one-year moratorium on new landfill construction. More than a year later, neither measure has materialized, though proposals for those and other new regulations have generated hours of discussion in hearings and debates.
The following bills, all related to the location and approval process for new landfills or expansions, are being workshopped in committees. This session’s new bills, if they advance, will cross over to the other chamber at the end of the month. Here’s a look at where things stand.