BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 26, 2022
A day after the Penobscot McCrum potato processing factory in Belfast caught fire, firefighters were still pouring water on the charred ruins of the massive industrial structure. All that water, plus chemicals and other substances from the building, didn’t have far to travel before becoming runoff in the Passagassawakeag River and Belfast Bay. Chemicals from the factory also dissipated into the air. David Madore, the deputy commissioner of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, said Friday that department staff placed booms, or temporary containment barriers, around the edge of the parking lot to absorb and contain oil from the fire site. They also used a boat to monitor the runoff from the facility while firefighters put the largest volume of water on the fire.