Saugus, Mass., Sets Landfill Height Limit

Saugus Town Meeting members have sent a clear message to companies with facilities that pose a danger to public health and­ the environment: there must be reasonable limits. Last week, Town Meeting voted to approve amendments to Saugus’s zoning by-laws that limit the height of all landfills within the town to 50 feet.

In addition to protecting against unrestricted landfill expansion more broadly, the amendments, which were drafted by citizens with the assistance of CLF staff, will also ensure that Wheelabrator Technologies, Inc., the company that owns and operates the municipal solid waste incinerator and adjacent ash landfill in Saugus, cannot expand beyond its current 50-foot height in the future.