BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 22, 2024
Left on its own, the Penobscot River could take 80 years or longer to diffuse the estimated 9 metric tons of mercury spilled into it from a chemical plant in Orrington between 1967 and the early 1970s, according to experts studying the river. But a 2022 Maine U.S. District Court consent decree could speed up the river’s return to safe water by decades. The decade-long cleanup will require some of the mercury to be covered and other contaminated sediments to be removed, but scientists must figure out the best areas to do that for the biggest impact. They are getting ready to carry out their plans starting with a pilot project later this year and are seeking input from the public.