Can the DNR stop a landfill from being built?
State law presumes that safe and orderly disposal of solid waste generated by Wisconsin citizens and businesses is a worthwhile public good. Therefore, ch. 289, Wis. Stats., does not authorize the DNR to stop landfills from being built, but rather requires it to ensure that proposed landfills are located, designed, constructed and operated in a manner that protects public health and the environment and in accordance with a process that respects the rights of the public to provide input. If the DNR’s review discloses that a landfill cannot be built in a certain location without causing problems such as groundwater contamination above the state’s groundwater quality standards, the DNR may not approve the landfill proposal.
