Environmental Issue in Maine

Orrington Mercury Problem Lingers

--Aimee Dodge
5/2/10

The mercury problem in the town of Orrington has remained a major topic of discussion for the past few decades. Recently, the people of Orrington have been putting up a bigger fight to get something done about the toxic situation that has remained, for the most part, unchanged. Although most of the contaminated buildings, tanks and piping that were used for chlorine, pesticides and papermaking have now been removed, the people of Orrington are still working on the five landfills that still remain on the site.
In 1986 the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection ordered Mallinckrodt to develop a “corrective action” plan under the guidance of the EPA after received repeated reports of pollution problems. In 2000 HoltraChem, the last resident of the property, went into bankruptcy leaving Mallinckrodt responsible for the pollution issue. They signed an agreement in 2001 to have the contaminated buildings and mercury removed from the site. The company originally planned to dig up all of the landfills and encapsulate the waste on-site with constant monitoring. Two years later the Maine Department of Environment Protection officials took over the cleanup project from the federal government and decided to see all five landfills and any hazardous soils gone. DEP issued an order in 2008 that required the removal of 360,000 tons of contaminated soil. Mallinckrodt hired an engineering firm to carry out the DEP order but only 73,200 tons of contaminated soil were removed. Landfill 2 was recapped and the remaining landfills were left untouched.
The plans and orders brought forth by the DEP for the resolution of the pollution problem would cost around $200 million dollars. The plan would ensure the removal of all five landfills which would in turn would remove the need to maintain the groundwater in that area. On the other hand, Mallinckrodt’s plan would save around a $100 million but would also require the area to be continuously monitored. The plan would leave 40 tons of mercury in four landfills, it would not reduce the long-term pollution risks to local groundwater and it would hinder redevelopment options. . The mercury-contaminated sludge lagoon along the Penobscot river continues to leak about half a pound of mercury in the river each year.
As of late April the citizens of Orrington were getting ready to vote on a clean-up plan for the Mallinckrodt site. While most of the residents favor the proposed clean-up plan that is backed by DEP, the selectmen are supporting a plan proposed by Mallinckrodt and it’s consultant. Orrington resident, Laura Bouzan said, “ I look at the DEP and the state of Maine as protecting my interest as a citizen and the interest of all of us. Why are we deciding that the DEP knows less than the company?”

Check out some additional information:
Mercury Pollution and It's Effects
http://www.mpbn.net/Home/tabid/36/ctl/ViewItem/mid/3478/ItemId/11535/Default.aspx
http://www.mpbn.net/Home/tabid/36/ctl/ViewItem/mid/3478/ItemId/11866/Default.aspx 
http://www.maine.gov/dep/rwm/holtrachem/index.htm
http://www.bangordailynews.com/browse.html?content_source=&category_id=&
http://www.maineville.com/detail/141808.html
 Mercury Poisoning Effects