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Yahoo
05-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Without action, Old Town residents worry town will be ‘sacrifice zone' to Juniper Ridge
More than 50 residents, advocates and members of the Penobscot Nation gathered in Old Town on May 4, 2025 to protest the expansion of the Juniper Ridge Landfill. (Photo by AnnMarie Hilton/Maine Morning Star) Whenever Ed Spencer sees a forecast for northeasterly wind, he and his wife brace themselves. Often, the winds carry the smell of rotting waste from Juniper Ridge Landfill, which sits less than two miles from their home. The odor is a reminder of the fight Spencer, other environmental advocates, and members of the Penobscot Nation have found themselves in for the past two decades over the landfill that they say is polluting local waterways and causing other harms to environmental and public health without accountability. That's why Spencer joined more than 50 others for a rally Sunday afternoon in Old Town to not only voice their concerns about expanding the state's largest landfill, but also to ask the lawmakers who represent them in Augusta to back bills that could address the contamination and injustice they feel local communities have endured. Juniper Ridge, which straddles Old Town and Alton, is owned by the state through the Bureau of General Services, which has an operating contract with NEWSME Landfill Operations, a subsidiary of the waste management company Casella. For Penobscot Nation member Charlene Francis, it was only fitting that the demonstration, which included a traditional water ceremony along the banks of the Penobscot River, took place under relentless rain. Because water is so sacred to the tribe, Francis said Juniper Ridge is a sore spot for her. Locals have argued that there has been insufficient treatment of landfill leachate — water that collects chemicals after passing through the waste — which runs into the Penobscot River. They are specifically concerned about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, otherwise known as PFAS or forever chemicals, which are linked to a number of negative health effects like some cancers, high cholesterol, reproductive and fetal development issues, and more. The Penobscot Nations's reservation at Indian Island, which includes portions of the Penobscot River, is located five miles downstream from the landfill. While Francis said she tries to do her part to address the mounting trash problem by pledging to not buy anything new that isn't a necessity, others are calling on elected officials to do more. Just over half of Maine's landfill waste ends up in Juniper Ridge, which is expected to reach capacity in 2028. The state has signaled its support for expanding the facility despite objections from environmental advocates, the local community and the Penobscot Nation. Spencer, who is now part of the grassroots movement Don't Waste ME, which advocates for policies to protect the health of communities at risk of disposal operations, said he was almost 'forced' into the fight against Juniper Ridge when he attended a city council meeting in October 2003. Having lived in the area since 1977, at the time he shared his opposition to opening the landfill. Almost 20 years later, Spencer said the efforts of his group, the Penobscot Nation and others is 'reaching a critical mass,' in part because of what he sees as progress on the legislative front. Spencer attended a public hearing with the Legislature's Environment and Natural Resources Committee last week about a slate of bills related to the state's largest landfill. He also pointed to steps the Government Oversight Committee and the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability have taken to investigate concerns with the landfill. While Spencer and others at the event support some of the proposals on the table this session, including one that would require legislative approval for contracts to operate Juniper Ridge, there is concern about one related proposal that would allow more bulky solid waste to be imported to the state's landfills. With waste issues piling up, Maine Legislature weighs more oversight of Juniper Ridge As Spencer sees it, LD 297 would complicate the definition of what constitutes waste generated in Maine, opening the door for more out-of-state waste that would fill the landfill even faster. Proponents argue this is necessary to bring in more bulky waste to stabilize the sludge that is disposed of at the facility. Alternately, he's hoping lawmakers move forward with two proposals from Sen. Mike Tipping (D-Penobscot), whose district covers the area. One bill, LD 1604, seeks to address forever chemicals from landfill leachate entering groundwater and surface waters. A representative from the Department of Environmental Protection said the agency understands people's desire to address PFAS, but opposed that bill arguing it isn't the best approach. Since the bill would require 'technically complex and challenging rulemaking,' the department said a better alternative would be to wait for the federal Environmental Protection Agency to develop pretreatment guidelines for landfills that discharge leachate. Under Tipping's other bill, LD 1349, two-thirds of the Legislature would need to approve future operating contracts or contract renewals for Juniper Ridge, something currently handled by the executive branch. If passed, this would be critical to the discussion about expanding and extending the life of the landfill. The environment committee is scheduled to have a work session on the bill Wednesday during which it could vote to recommend the Legislature pass the measure. The Bureau of General Services has not submitted an application to expand the landfill, but Deputy Commissioner Anya Trundy told the Legislature last week that it intends to. Trundy said that building out the landfill to its maximum capacity should allow it to operate until 2040, which would also necessitate extending the contract with Casella so that both line up with the 2040 timeline. Though the Department of Administrative and Financial Services would normally advocate for contracts to go out to bid, Trundy said doing so could sever the indemnification clause in the existing contract. Rather than giving Casella a 'sweetheart deal,' Trundy said continuing the agreement holds them accountable to that clause that would leave them responsible for financial and environmental liability down the road. Spencer said that argument 'shows how irresponsible the state was in the first place.' He believes involving the Legislature would lead to more responsible decision making in any future contracts for Juniper Ridge. Otherwise, he said, 'Old Town becomes a sacrifice zone.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
With waste issues piling up, Maine Legislature weighs more oversight of Juniper Ridge
Just over half of Maine's landfill waste ends up in Juniper Ridge, which has an operating contract with a subsidiary of Casella. The landfill is expected to reach capacity in 2028. (Photo by Claire Sullivan/New Hampshire Bulletin) As the state's largest landfill nears capacity amid concerns about the environmental impact of possible expansion, two legislators that represent its neighboring communities are seeking greater legislative oversight for the state-owned Juniper Ridge Landfill. The Legislature's Environment and Natural Resources Committee held a public hearing Monday for a series of bills related to waste management, including two that seek to address and increase oversight of future use of the landfill, which straddles Old Town and Alton. The facility is owned by the state through the Bureau of General Services, which has an operating contract with NEWSME Landfill Operations, a subsidiary of the waste management company Casella. When Rep. Jim Dill (D-Old Town) knocked on doors before last November's election, one of the biggest complaints he heard from residents was the poor quality of the garbage bags they must purchase to dispose of their trash. That's why LD 1782 would require the operator of a state-owned landfill to provide free disposal of household waste for the local residents. However, Dill explained that his bill also seeks to address what he described as the 'crisis' of the landfill soon reaching capacity by imposing new fees on the operator and requiring state agencies to develop a solid waste management plan that addresses the issues associated with Juniper Ridge. The committee also heard bills seeking to increase recycling of construction materials, reduce the volume of solid waste and better manage waste from wastewater treatment plants. The Departments of Environmental Protection and Administrative and Financial Services opposed Dill's proposal. Since the DEP is already required to submit a waste generation and disposal capacity report in January, the department argued the additional reporting requirements in the bill would be burdensome. Just over half of Maine's landfill waste ends up in Juniper Ridge, which is expected to reach capacity in 2028. The state has signaled its support for expanding the facility despite objections from environmental advocates, the local community and the Penobscot Nation, whose reservation sits just five miles from the landfill. The Bureau of General Services has not submitted an application to expand the landfill, but Deputy Commissioner Anya Trundy said during the hearing it intends to. However, the site expansion is separate from an extension of the current 30-year operator agreement that expires in 2034. Trundy said that building out the landfill to its maximum capacity should allow it to operate until 2040. That is why the expanded capacity would also necessitate extending the contract with Casella so that both line up with the 2040 timeline. The committee also heard a bill from Sen. Mike Tipping (D-Penobscot) that, if passed, would shape the process of extending that contract. While the executive branch has so far handled the negotiations, LD 1349 would require approval from two-thirds of the Legislature for contract or contract renewal to operate Juniper Ridge. Maine opens door for landfill expansion despite community objections Though the Department of Administrative and Financial Services would normally advocate for contracts to go out to bid, Trundy said doing so could sever the indemnification clause in the existing contract. Rather than giving Casella a 'sweetheart deal,' Trundy said continuing the agreement holds them accountable to that clause that would leave them responsible for financial and environmental liability down the road. Committee members also voiced concern that requiring two-thirds support from the Legislature would be insurmountable; however, environmental organizations who testified in support of the bill were open to changing that to a simple majority because they have concerns over Casella's operation of the landfill and welcomed more opportunity for public input. Maulian Bryant, executive director for the Wabanaki Alliance, spoke in support of LD 1349 over similar dissatisfaction with the landfill's management. She said changes to air and water quality that can be affected by the landfill isn't communicated to neighbors who can often smell the facility from their front yards. However, the Maine State Chamber of Commerce opposed the bill, saying that it could politicize the contract process and deter companies from doing business with the state. Tipping put forward another proposal that was heard Monday seeking to address forever chemicals from landfill leachate entering groundwater and surface waters. The legislation would require entities discharging wastewater to annually report to the DEP the origin, volume and final disposition of solid waste leachate, sometimes referred to as 'trash juice.' It would also prohibit discharging any wastewater containing leachate from a solid waste landfill unless the discharge satisfies department limits to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, and require third-party testing of leachate for PFAS. Last session, the Legislature passed a bill that would have required Casella to treat PFAS in a way that ensures levels don't exceed established drinking water standards, but the measure was vetoed by Gov. Janet Mills. The DEP later mandated that Casella install a department-approved system for treating landfill leachate for PFAS before expanding operations. 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