BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 17, 2021
With the introduction of LD 1639, “An Act To Protect the Health and Welfare of Maine Communities and Reduce Harmful Solid Waste,” the future of construction and demolition debris (CDD) recycling in Maine has been brought to the forefront, and that future is grim. In its efforts to eliminate some out-of-state waste, LD 1639 would remove any CDD recycling mandates, ensure that no in-state CDD gets recycled, would lead to the closure of a necessary recycling facility, and in doing so could cost over 75 people their jobs. A genuine environmental vision calls us to develop more infrastructure in Maine to process and recycle the 879,000 tons of in-state generated CDD waste that is currently being landfilled raw when beneficial uses are available for that material if it were processed and recycled. ~ Shelby D. Wright, Casella