Summary of the matter addressed in the submission:

The Submitter asserts that both the United States and Canada are not effectively enforcing the International Boundary Waters Treaty with respect to water pollution in Lake Memphremagog, a cross-border lake in both Quebec and Vermont. The Submitter contends that a proposed landfill expansion in Coventry County, Vermont will cause water pollution to cross the US/Canadian border via the lake, which is used for drinking water by Quebec residents in the province’s Eastern Townships. The Submitter also asserts that under applicable Vermont law, the state must insure that a landfill expansion project will not unduly increase water pollution or the discharge of toxic waste into groundwater. The Submitter is specifically concerned with landfill leachate which often includes per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and requests that meaningful studies be carried out before the landfill expansion is approved.

Names and citations of the environmental laws in question:

International Boundary Waters Treaty
Vermont Land Use and Development Act (Act 250)

Submitter(s):

Memphrémagog Conservation Inc.