Halifax Board of Health Delays Vote on Marilyn's Landing Landfill Corrective-Action Plan

HALIFAX -- May 6, 2026, Halifax Board of Health postpones vote on Marilyn's Landing landfill corrective-action plan after independent review arrives just one day before the meeting. The board had been expected to consider a letter of acceptance for the soil reuse management plan at the landfill, but voted unanimously to delay action after the TyenBond review, authored by consultant David Murphy, was dated May 5 and received only hours before Wednesday's meeting. Murphy, joining by Zoom, said the proposed less-than-RCS2 soils "do not pose a threat to human health and the environment," but acknowledged his review did not assess whether the scale of soil importation, which residents said could push the landfill to nearly 180 feet in elevation, was the minimum necessary to fix the failing cap. Board member Candice Green asked directly whether alternatives existed on a smaller scale; Murphy confirmed the plan as reviewed was not the only possible approach. Residents also raised concerns about the adequacy of a 2023 dust monitoring study and called for town-selected independent soil testing. In other business, the board unanimously approved 2026 beach permits for five Halifax beaches, with water testing to begin May 19, approved Kayla Smith of the Middleborough Board of Health as an approved Halifax plan reviewer, and approved 20 operating permits covering food trucks, outdoor events, septic installers, and a body art practitioner.