BENJAMIN DOYLE (Mentor: Kurk Dorsey)
The goal of this research was to compile and analyze all available information about Coakley Landfill, a toxic waste dump and EPA Superfund site on the border of Greenland and North Hampton, New Hampshire. The structure of the January Research Opportunity Program (JROP) provided flexibility and ownership of my work, and the opportunity to do this during J-Term allowed me to focus on my research in a way that I otherwise could not as a full-time student.
Coakley Landfill is a fascinating example of how environmental policy has not adequately protected Americans from dangerous pollution 鈥 or rather, how weak policy allows pollution to happen in the first place. The country鈥檚 environmental protection apparatus, stretching from the local to the federal level, remains unable to force true remediation in many areas. The Coakley site is a case study in this widespread lack of accountability. A series of missteps by NHDES, EPA, and the Coakley Landfill Group means that a groundwater pump-and-treat system (as ordered by the Superfund decision of 1990) was never installed, although the group pocketed $5 million of EPA money earmarked for that specific purpose. EPA policy allowed this to happen without proper accountability measures in place. More recently, EPA action on Coakley鈥檚 鈥渇orever chemicals鈥 (known commonly as PFAS and PFOS) has been delayed because these 鈥渆merging contaminants鈥 were not identified in the original Superfund remediation plans, and a mechanism for including them in cleanup efforts thusly did not exist.
As a policy enthusiast, my research made me wonder, how did law and policy allow for the creation of this toxic waste site, and how did it fail to address the problem once it existed? Perhaps more pressingly, how did law and policy make the problem worse after the site鈥檚 environmental hazards came to light?
During J-Term, I was able to establish a body of research necessary for the continuation of my work on the site鈥檚 history, with the eventual goal of publishing a nonfiction book chronicling the entire Coakley Landfill story. Working with Professor Kurk Dorsey allowed me to define the foundational questions that will guide the rest of my research. The discovery of site contaminant records from the 1980s, combined with information about the discovery and reporting of emerging contaminants (previously unidentified compounds such as PFAS and 1,4 dioxane) establishes two competing 鈥渃ontamination narratives鈥 which can be updated as more test results are collected. These narratives also reveal how policy can compel or discourage action at critical moments. For example, early in the Superfund process, the U.S. Air Force was able to 鈥渂uy out鈥 its share of contamination responsibility, shielding it from further involvement or accountability in the cleanup process. Further research could investigate how and why federal policy allowed this to happen.
More recent documentation shows that residential development in the area surrounding Coakley Landfill continues. As more people move into the vicinity of the landfill, more research questions are raised: What is a 鈥渟afe鈥 distance from the site? Is contamination limited strictly to groundwater, or have soil and vegetation also absorbed and released toxic materials from the site? Will buyers of new homes in the area be notified of contamination, or compensated for water testing and treatment? Who is responsible for extending city water lines across town boundaries?
The JROP timeframe allowed me to compile an exhaustive site chronology, which I have continued updating as I uncover new information. This chronology will form the basis of future work on the subject, including an attempt to establish a tally of affected residents and landowners in the area. My long-term goal is to publish a nonfiction book telling the full story of the site and its impacts on the local environment. It is intended to be a cautionary tale for thousands of other communities where pollution and environmental concerns have not been adequately addressed by existing public policy.
Benjamin Doyle is a political science major enrolled in the accelerated Master鈥檚 in Public Policy program at the Carsey School.
