Yes, We Test Landfills!
Monitoring the groundwater and surface water near landfills is a critical part maintaining a clean environment. Even after landfills are closed, Maine towns are required to monitor landfills for escaping contaminants for many years.
Maine Environmental Laboratory is accredited to perform groundwater and surface water testing by RCRA/SW846 Methods as dictated in Maine Waste Management Rules Chapter 405. We have created some Chapter 405 resources at the right.
FYI: The Maine DEP Regulates Landfills in Maine.
Unregulated dumping where there is no environmental enforcement (former Soviet Union country, 2017).
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection is one of the most important administrative units in Maine. Clean air, clean water, and litter-free scenery doesn't just happen by itself. Take a look at any country with unenforced environmental regulations, and you will pine for the Pine Tree State.
In addition to enforcing Maine and the federal government's many environmental regulations, the DEP produces some really interesting data sets and maps. For instance, did you ever wonder if that old dump by you is on the DEP radar? Is the groundwater being monitored for leaching pollutants? Check out what the DEP has on file for closed municipal landfills (Google Earth files and text files available - see image below).
Map from DEP "Closed Landfills" Google Earth Dataset