Does a new landfill siting proposal require an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)?
An Environmental Impact Statement is not automatically required for a new landfill proposal. DNR staff prepare a detailed environmental analysis for each landfill proposal above 500,000 cubic yards in capacity to determine if a full-scale EIS is needed. Because modern landfills are relatively well-understood engineering structures and are tightly regulated to limit adverse environmental impacts, only rarely does the department determine that an EIS is needed for a landfill project.
