BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 23, 2023
Last year, the Maine Legislature passed two bills – LD 1911 and D 1639 – that disrupted the way municipal wastewater treatment facilities manage biosolids or “sludge” disposal. LD 1911 ended the practice of land-spreading composted biosolids, forcing most of it into the state-owned Juniper Ridge Landfill, while LD 1639 cut off the safest and most effective way to bulk up that wet material when it is disposed at the landfill. This is why we believe a 24 to 36 month pause in the enactment of LD 1639 is crucial to averting a deeper crisis. If not, we will continue to face the real possibility that our sludge cannot be disposed of safely. we have no interest in revisiting the policy to end the spreading of biosolids in Maine at this time. However, the Legislature needs to provide the necessary time to allow the development of new technologies that reduce biosolids amounts before they are landfilled, and it needs to incentivize the deployment of new infrastructure that generates oversized bulky waste from sources within Maine. ~ John W. Casella, CEO, Casella Waste Systems, Inc.