Health Board Drops Trash Bag Mandate
West Boylston's Board of Health voted to eliminate its pay-as-you-throw trash bag requirement and continued a contentious hearing on new farm animal rules to April 15.
Board of Health · Meeting of March 25, 2026
West Boylston's Board of Health voted to eliminate its pay-as-you-throw trash bag requirement and continued a contentious hearing on new farm animal rules to April 15. Chair Robert Barrell said the goal of the draft regulation was "enforceable rules which provide a balance for the neighbors and the farm animal owners," but more than a dozen residents pushed back, arguing the $10 annual permit and new setback and square-footage requirements go too far for a town under 8,000 people. Resident Dan Mercurio said the board "already has that authority" under state nuisance law and doesn't need new rules, while Annette Garcia of the regional public health alliance defended the draft's grandfather clause for existing animal owners.
The trash change takes effect July 1, 2026, with new 32-gallon bins rolling out to senior households.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 791 words
Source: the Board of Health meeting of March 25, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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