No.  There is a misconception that the Granite State Landfill will carry with it risks of contamination typically associated with unlined landfills.   While unlined landfills are a thing of the distant past, if you are hearing this, we understand why you could be concerned. .   The reason modern landfills cost millions of dollars to develop, build, operate, and close is because of the strict regulatory standards designed to prevent harm to human health and the environment.  The truth is, modern landfills like Granite State have double liner systems and are subject to extensive review by regulatory authorities, accordingly, Granite State will be designed, permitted and constructed in compliance with laws and regulations focused on protecting against impacts to nearby waters, including the Ammonoosuc River, Forest Lake, Alder Brook, Connecticut River, as well as to surrounding wetlands and drinking water supplies.
The siting of the Granite State landfill meets or exceeds stringent regulatory siting requirements and setbacks designed to protect water and water supplies.  As mentioned above, all waste will be deposited into an area that is double lined and backed up by a clay barrier (see below) to prevent contaminants from reaching soils and groundwater to protect the environment.  The regulations require that monitoring wells be placed within a few hundred feet of the landfill so that, in the very unlikely event of a release from the landfill, any contamination will be detected and remedied long before it can reach any lakes, rivers, or other surface waters.
Another reason the site is suitable for the landfill is because surface waters and drinking water wells are so distant from the landfill footprint.  While the federally mandated double-liner system and network of monitoring wells make a release nearly impossible and would promptly detect it if it were to happen, it provides yet another layer of reassurance that these waters cannot be impacted by the landfill.  The lined area will be over half a mile from Forest Lake to the east (in fact, Granite State will be situated in a separate watershed from Forest Lake so groundwater from the location of the landfill cannot possibly reach the lake), over a mile from the nearest community drinking water supply and the Ammonoosuc River, and over 1,000 feet from the Alder Brook. The nearest water body to the north of Granite State is Cushman Brook, which is located two miles from the landfill footprint.  Groundwater flow from the landfill site is east to west, towards Alder Brook – and not toward Forest Lake.
The double-liner system proposed by Granite State has been used successfully in New England for more than 30 years and will prevent contamination from reaching the environment.  Here is how it will work:
Landfill leachate is created when precipitation or snowmelt comes in contact with trash.  Granite State’s design will collect leachate  from across the uppermost landfill liner on a 60 mil (0.060 inches minimum thickness) high density polyethylene geomembrane also known as the primary liner. The geomembrane is made from virgin plastic resin, manufactured to high quality control standards. Installation will be done by certified installers, under the supervision of a third-party construction quality control officer and ultimately approved by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.  The primary liner serves as a primary barrier and overlays a complete back up system that includes a  secondary geomembrane barrier which is also 60 mil. high density polyethylene.  These two liners are backed up by third geosynthetic clay liner.  This clay liner provides an additional level of protection against leakage.  If hydrated by a leak, the clay material will expand and seal a leak.  As landfill operations occur, and trash is added to the landfill, leachate will drain down through the waste to the primary lined surface and quickly drain by gravity to the sump of the landfill where it is removed by a continuous pumping system.