The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation cleared Casella Waste Systems to add 5.8 million cubic yards of disposal capacity at the Hakes C&D Landfill in Campbell, N.Y., under a permit issued Sept. 22. The expansion covers 43.3 acres and would extend site life by roughly 20 years at current throughput.

Hakes operates at a permitted ceiling of 466,000 tons per year of construction and demolition material. Casella said the added airspace helps absorb volumes tied to the planned end-of-2028 closure of the Ontario County Landfill, which the company runs under contract.

"Reliable C&D disposal capacity is a critical component of New York State's solid waste infrastructure, and we take pride in providing service that we believe supports the opportunity for broader regional economic growth," CEO Ned Coletta said in a statement.

The permit also authorizes a new leachate transfer and storage area, additional gas collection and treatment systems, and 21.7 added acres to the site's soil borrow footprint. Casella is separately pursuing a permit to expand its Hyland Landfill, with executives targeting an early 2027 decision following a May earnings call update.

How did L.A. County fall short on Chiquita Canyon?

A California State Auditor report published Tuesday found the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health showed "shortcomings" in its handling of resident health and air-quality complaints near the Chiquita Canyon Landfill, operated by Waste Connections before it closed in 2025.

Auditors said the agency did not promptly collect or review air-quality data, did not always disclose specific chemical levels to the public, and failed to maintain current information on resident symptoms. "As a result, LADPH does not have a complete or current understanding of residents' symptoms," the report states.

The audit flagged a two-year lag before LADPH ordered Chiquita's operators in May 2025 to offer relocation assistance to affected residents. LADPH has disagreed with many of the findings. Auditors said the agency agreed to implement the report's recommendations, including formalized health-hazard procedures and routine public air-quality reporting.

The Chiquita site experienced elevated subsurface temperatures starting in 2022, drawing federal and state intervention before operations ended last year.

Why is Casella pulling the Bethlehem closure forward by a year?

Casella will close its North Country Environmental Services Landfill in Bethlehem, N.H., by Dec. 31 — 12 months ahead of the previous schedule, according to SEC filings dated Oct. 1. The company cited an "evaluation of the remaining permitted airspace, current and projected fill rates, and other operational factors."

The accelerated shutdown tightens disposal options in the Northeast, a market already losing Ontario County capacity in New York by 2028.

What else is moving through landfill dockets?

• Avenal, Calif. lawsuit: Residents sued Waste Connections and subsidiary Madera Disposal Systems over alleged odor and toxic-gas releases from the 173-acre Avenal Regional Landfill, attributing headaches, nosebleeds, and respiratory issues to a subsurface reaction at the MSW site.
• Cleveland solar redevelopment: Two closed landfills in the Cleveland area will host a $20 million solar array project, partially funded by a U.S. EPA grant, with output earmarked for Cleveland Hopkins International Airport operations.
• Goshen Township emissions exceedance: Ohio EPA reported the closed County Land Development Landfill, a Republic Services subsidiary, released nitrogen and ammonia above legal limits in August. Operators told local station 21 News the site "follows rigorous environmental requirements" and is working with state agencies on corrective actions.

What milestones decide what happens next?

The next decision point sits in Albany, where NYSDEC review of Casella's Hyland Landfill expansion could land in early 2027. On the West Coast, L.A. County's implementation of the Chiquita Canyon audit recommendations — and the docket on the Avenal complaint — will set the regulatory pace for the rest of the fiscal year.