Residents of Lewiston and surrounding communities should be concerned, because they are about to be dumped on, big time.

Presently, the city of Lewiston is considering a 30-year contract with Casella Waste Management to haul in out-of-state unprocessed construction debris. We are not talking about dirty diapers, but hazardous materials such as asbestos, lead and creosote – the materials that contaminated the air and water at the Casella site in Hampden.

Citizens of Hampden had no say in the matter; however, Lewiston residents will be asked to vote on the contract.

Supposedly, Lewiston will receive $1 million annually, but there is reason to doubt that it will ever come close to breaking even, considering the future life-threatening and environmentally damaging problems the city might have to deal with.

At the present rate of use, it is estimated that the Lewiston dump could serve the area for more than 600 years. Under the Casella contract, it would be filled in 30 years. Furthermore, concerned individuals can check the Web to find the countless contract violations Casella is being charged with by various municipalities that were unfortunate enough to believe the contract promises Casella made but failed to keep.

Those in authority lulled the people of Hampden into a false sense of security that their environment was safe. Citizens there are just now beginning to pay the price for their misguided trust.

Will Lewiston follow?

Helene Mekis, Lewiston