The old town landfill that operated in the 1970s until 1981, and was inactive by 1983, hardly resembles a trash heap these days. But some waste remains that could pose an environmental hazard to the surrounding wetlands.

The 22-acre area along Sears Road is privately owned by Paul LaFlamme and his wife, Michelle. The footprint of the former landfill spills over onto town-owned land. According to earlier reports from 2013, it was discovered that the dimensions of the former town landfill were wider than originally expected after test borings were made at 34 locations around the site.

At the time, the LaFlammes, who were paying close to $20,000 in property taxes on “unusable” land, sought to reach an agreement with the town to cap the landfill with "contaminated soils." It was last reported that the town was in the process of hiring its own consultants to review options and determine next steps in regard to capping the landfill and creating a barrier between underground remnants of waste and the environment.

Read more at heraldnews.com.