State regulators denied Casella Waste Systems’ proposed landfill in New Hampshire’s North Country its main permit at the site, complicating the company’s efforts to move forward with the lucrative project.

On Thursday, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services sent a letter to the Vermont-based waste management company, denying its solid waste permit for a new landfill in Dalton, near Forest Lake.

The decision comes after Casella Waste Systems failed to submit the necessary information required to complete the application within the designated timeline, despite earlier feedback from the department that its submission was incomplete.

Casella is one of the importers of trash into New Hampshire, which helped the company reach $7 billion in net worth.

Amy Manzelli, an attorney representing the North Country Alliance for Balanced Change, said the decision was a win for the environment.

“This was the wrong place for a brand new landfill,” said Manzelli. “This is a beautiful area of New Hampshire up north, where public outdoor recreation is a huge part of the economy.”

While Casella Waste Systems’ other permit applications for the landfill project are still active, it can’t move forward with construction without the solid waste permit.

With proposals in Governor Kelly Ayotte’s budget calling for a three-year landfill moratorium, even if Casella Waste Systems submits a new application, it will be difficult for the company to move forward with a new landfill in New Hampshire anytime soon.

Sruthi Gopalakrishnan can be reached at sgopalakrishnan@cmonitor.com. Subscribe to her Trash Talk newsletter for more reporting on the environment and solid waste.