Gardner Mayor Michael Nicholson spoke to the Gardner City Council on February 17th, stating he has instructed the City to stop pursuing the landfill expansion. Complete text of his remarks is below. Gardner Magazine has completed a page of reports on this issue, CLICK HERE. Detailed reports including Case Studies from around the country and illustrated infographics.
Gardner Magazine Reports – The Gardner Sludge Landfill and Sewage Sludge
Updated 2-18-26 8:50 am: – Gardner Mayor Michael Nicholson spoke to the Gardner City Council on February 17th regarding the issue of the Gardner Sludge Landfill Expansion, Text of his remarks is below. The Mayor stated: “I have directed the City’s Department of Public Works and Engineering Department to discontinue pursuing any further expansion of the existing sludge landfill.” Gardner Magazine has completed a page of reports on this issue, CLICK HERE.
Watch this Video explaining the issue in Gardner MA: Press the red play button. You can also make it FULL SCREEN.
Just by chance, each of the following is exactly the same length. But they are different podcasts.
Listen to this “Debate” on the Sludge Landfill Expansion in Gardner MA on any device, CLICK PLAY
Listen to this “Deep Dive” explaining Sewage Sludge on any device, CLICK PLAY.
Jump to a particular section, CLICK LINK: The Escalating Crisis of PFAS Contamination in Agricultural Sewage Sludge —– From Toilet to Table: The Lifecycle of Waste and Gardner’s Path Forward —– Navigating the Sludge Dilemma: An Environmental Trade-off Summary —–The Biosolids Dilemma: A National Report on the Risks of Sewage Sludge Disposal —– The Dirty Secret in the Soil: Why Your Town’s ‘Daily Flush’ is Sparking a National Crisis —-
Gardner Mayor Michael Nicholson Remarks on the Sludge Landfill Expansion made to Gardner City Council: February 17, 2026
When dealing with projects related to the environment, it’s important we follow the processes that are in place at the state and federal level. The Sludge Landfill has been a topic of discussion in Gardner pretty consistently over the last decade. From the moment I launched my first campaign until now, I have consistently said that we need to let the process play itself out before any preconceived notions are made. Any decisions made before any final review was completed by the various state and federal agencies reviewing the project and its alternatives would be ill advised, uninformed, and amateurish at best. The processes are in place for a reason. We need to make sure every i is dotted and t crossed when dealing with a project of this size, cost, and impact. And that’s exactly what I’ve done.
After reviewing the reports from the Massachusetts Environmental Protection Act Office and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, I have directed the City’s Department of Public Works and Engineering Department to discontinue pursuing any further expansion of the existing sludge landfill. It is my opinion that any further expansion is not in the best interest of the City or our rate payers, either fiscally, or environmentally. I am holding true to the same promise that was made before on this project- to make an informed decision once all the facts, figures, and reviews were received and completed so that the best outcome could be reached.
It would have been easier for me to torpedo this when I came into office. This was the plan and proposal started by my predecessor. But, making a snap decision, relying on biased, and conflicted opinions to make a decision is not what people in a leadership position should do. It makes for good Facebook politics, but not good public policy.
Until just recently, we didn’t have every fact, there were still variables. I have shared many of the concerns raised by the opponents of this project, but it would have been irresponsible for me, as an elected official, to campaign against this, put a sign on my lawn, before all the facts came in, before all the variables were known to us. We were elected to represent all of the City’s residents, not just a small group of them. Everyone deserves every bit of information before a decision can be made.
In making my decision not to proceed with this project, I do so with every bit of information there is to make this a complete and sound judgement. So that the ratepayers can be assured that the best decision has been made.
I know some of you have strong opinions about this. Some of you expressed to me that you weren’t in favor or would vote against it. I appreciated when those legitimate opinions didn’t turn into political games and theatrics.
Now that I have made this decision, we will only review those alternative options outlined in the reports received from the review of the project. I want to be clear, there is no easy solution to this. Just as we are cautious about expanding our landfill, so are other communities who may be destinations. The concerns raised about what is in the sludge have only become more pronounced over time. So to anyone celebrating this decision, we’re nowhere close to being out of the woods on this issue.
I will update the Council as my administration continues to work towards a solution.