Casella Waste Systems, Inc.
                               25 Greens Hill Lane
                             Rutland, Vermont 05701



                                 August 3, 1998


VIA EDGAR
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Securities and Exchange Commission
450 Fifth Street, N.W.
Judiciary Plaza
Washington, D.C. 20549-1004

     RE:   CASELLA WASTE SYSTEMS, INC. REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM S-1
           (FILE NO. 333-55879)
           --------------------------------------------------------------

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     Pursuant to Rule 477 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Casella
Waste Systems, Inc. (the "Company"), requests the withdrawal of the Company's
Registration Statement on Form S-1, file number 333-55879 (the "S-1 Registration
Statement"), filed June 3, 1998. The S-1 Registration Statement related to the
possible resale of shares of the Company held by certain stockholders of the
Company in transactions which may have been engaged in from time to time by
those stockholders or their pledgees. No offers or sales of the Company's Common
Stock were made pursuant to the S-1 Registration Statement. The Company
subsequently filed a registration statement on Form S- 1 relating to an
underwritten public offering, and the shares covered by the S-1 Registration
Statement were sold as part of the underwritten public offering pursuant to such
subsequent registration statement and related prospectus.

     If you have any questions, please call Jeffrey A. Stein of Hale and Dorr
LLP at (617) 526-6624.



                               Very truly yours,

                              /s/ John W. Casella
                              ------------------------------
                              John W. Casella
                              Chief Executive Officer