MAINE PUBLIC • January 24, 2022
Representatives of the Penobscot Nation as well as environmental and health groups are pushing for tighter regulations on what happens to liquid waste from a state-owned landfill in Old Town as they seek to protect tribal members from potential dangers of so-called “forever chemicals.” The Juniper Ridge Landfill received more than 800,000 tons of waste in 2020, according to reports filed with the state. Yet the landfill, which is owned by the state but operated by Casella Waste Systems, also generated millions of gallons of polluted liquid runoff — known as leachate — that had to be hauled off site for treatment. Recent tests showed the leachate contained 20 times as much PFAS as the state allows for drinking water. The current treatment system fails to remove these harmful industrial chemicals before the leachate is discharged into the Penobscot River, which is a source of both sustenance and cultural identity for tribal members.