The Mayor, the Methane, and the Missing Landfill
May 14, 2025
Filed under: Local Government Transparency and Accountability
On April 17, 2025, Mayor Dean Mazzarella used a Facebook livestream to discuss the Battle of Lexington. But between the history lesson and awkward attempts at unity, he did something far more revealing: he exposed the truth — without realizing it.
In his typical ego-driven ramblings, the mayor admitted that the City of Leominster caused methane gas to migrate into surrounding neighborhoods during construction activity. Then he let something else slip: that a portion of the Mechanic Street landfill had been “dug up” — and that he was “in the middle of it.”
What he didn’t say is where that toxic waste they “dug up” was reburied. Well, we did our own “digging”, and it leads directly to a hidden second landfill, still unmarked, still unlined, and sitting uphill from dozens of homes.
The Mayor’s Misfire
What began as a civic lesson quickly turned political. Mayor Mazzarella used his platform to chastise city councilors, suggesting they weren’t giving residents “all the information.” But in context, it was clear: he meant they weren’t supporting his agenda.
In trying to claim moral authority, he ended up undermining himself.
Gaslighting on Gas Leaks
Throughout the video, Mazzarella repeated that methane gas was never an issue at the Mechanic Street landfill. That’s simply false.
According to MassDEP records, the city received multiple notices of methane gas exceedances, including at least 12 gas collection wells testing above the explosive limit—with one reading 400% over the threshold. This isn’t speculation. It’s documented.
So why does the mayor continue to say otherwise? Either he’s ignorant, or he doesn’t want you to know.
Landfill Sleight of Hand
Perhaps the most astonishing moment came when Mazzarella boasted: “We dug up part of the landfill.”
It actually wasn’t his administration that did it (he just wanted to infer credit because without context it sounds actionable) – just more manipulation. He’s referencing a decades-old cleanup during the construction of the Nashua Connector in the 1970s. But the comment raises a critical question:
Where did the excavated landfill material go?
The answer was buried in state records: it was trucked a half mile away to Johnny Appleseed Lane, a site then functioning as an “exhausted gravel pit.” What began as a temporary solution became a dumping ground for everything from sludge to solid waste. Today, that area is known by its official state classification: the Leominster Landfill and still registered with the state as “open” yet “inactive”.
The JAL Dump — Hidden in Plain Sight
While the city quietly stopped using the Johnny Appleseed Lane site, it never formally closed it. It was simply abandoned.
In 1996, the state issued administrative consent orders to Mayor Mazzarella, demanding an environmental review. His response? Pass the blame back to the state, claiming the landfill wasn’t the city’s problem because it originated during a state infrastructure project.
To this day, no public signage identifies the area as a landfill. No outreach has ever been made to nearby homeowners. Yet new houses were built as recently as 2020—just 28 feet from the edge of this toxic hillside.
Those buyers were never informed. And many of the families who have lived on the street for decades had no idea what was in their backyard — they do now!
A Pattern of Concealment
This isn’t an isolated misstep—it’s a pattern:
- Methane denial despite clear state warnings.
- Lectures about transparency and justice as a smokescreen and distraction for his own inaction.
- A hidden secondary landfill kept off the books and out of public awareness.
And now, Mayor Mazzarella supports a private development that plans to rip up Mechanic Street again and manicure dump #1 for the low price of gambling profits and crime that will only siphon city resources and residents’ pockets! As the plot thickens with a new headache brewing for the city on a new separate but very much related front, residents should be more than outraged at the audacity of the mayor to lecture anyone on public service and justice.
Why It All Matters Now
The Fairgrounds project has done more than stir up public debate. It has cracked open a long-buried truth: Leominster has MULTIPLE landfill problems in the proposed project area, and city leaders have known for decades.
The mayor’s attempt to reframe opposition as disinformation has backfired. Because now the public has proof—in his own words.
And while the city scrambles to spin the narrative, the consequences are real: environmental risks, legal liabilities, and serious public health concerns. If Leominster can’t trust its leaders to fix problems they created, how can we trust them to prevent new ones?
Don’t Take Our Word for It.
Watch the mayor’s video. Review the state documents. Draw your own conclusions.
[DOWNLOAD THE DOCUMENTS ➜]
👀 COMING SOON:
“Toxic Hillside: The Hidden Landfill That Time—and City Hall—Forgot”
They built homes within 28 feet of a toxic dump. Residents were never told.
Our full exposé on the Johnny Appleseed Lane landfill is coming soon.
Stay tuned...