State orders permanent closure of Bucksport landfill

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 15, 2023

The state has ordered the permanent closure of a Bucksport landfill that it says has been relatively dormant in recent years and has not been properly maintained. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection notified AIM, the mill’s owner, that the landfill is in violation of its operating permit. The state agency also said that AIM must develop a plan to permanently close the landfill and provide to the state a schedule for completing the work. The landfill was owned by a series of companies that operated the former local paper mill, which ceased operations in 2014. American Iron and Metal bought the property to demolish the mill and sell off the scrap, and at the same time acquired the landfill.