MECHANIC FALLS – Residents may be noticing some recent changes in what they’re allowed to dump at the Pigeon Hill Transfer Station at the end of Austin Road near the Oxford town line.

Town officials reluctantly agreed this month to discontinue some of the town’s landfill practices to satisfy the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. Ongoing water test results from the state-licensed landfill show rising levels of salt, organic compounds and the capacity to conduct electricity.

“By the state’s own admission, we’re being held to a DEP standard that’s unachievable,” said Town Manager Dana Lee during October’s regular Town Council meeting. “I’m running out of options.”

Local residents and contractors can no longer get rid of stumps at the landfill. A stump is defined as a tree base 12 inches or greater. DEP officials identified stumps as one of the causes for increasing conductivity levels because of their tannic acid, said Lee.

The town has stopped burning wood at the landfill site to prevent wood ash from leaching into the ground water.

“DEP has basically outlawed burning,” said Lee. “We’re one of the few places still allowed to do it.”

The town also is discontinuing leaf composting at the landfill, as well as using a compost and sand mixture for landfill cover.

However, Council Chairman William Diehl said he wanted residents to still be able to bring lawn wastes such as leaves and brush even though the burn area has been suspended. The council directed Lee to find alternatives for disposal such as contracting with private businesses to accept the material for mulch or compost.

Decaying Sheetrock, which is allowed to be dumped in the construction and demolition debris area, has been found to turn into organic compounds, said Lee. Town officials, however, made no changes for allowing Sheetrock.

For the past couple of years, the town already halted using winter sand and salt for the road to the landfill to stop the rising salt content, said Lee. But there have been no changes as a result.

Mechanic Falls has operated the unlined landfill according to DEP guidelines for the past 11 years, according to a letter from James Moody, geologist for Woodard & Curran Inc. Every year since, the town complies with groundwater testing requirements three times a year, and water quality concerns surfaced about five years ago, said Lee.

The nearest well from the landfill is more than the 1,000-foot minimum required by the DEP. That well is owned by the local snowmobile club but is not used for drinking water, said Lee.

“It just looks like they want to shut us down,” said Councilman Marchian Crane. “How much time do we have before they force us out?”

The recent changes will be submitted to DEP for approval instead of the state requested Corrective Action Plan.

Lee estimated a cost of $50,000 to cap the landfill if state officials order its closure.