JAY — A Bangor company is acquiring the landfill and wastewater treatment plant at the former Androscoggin Paper Mill.

JayCo LLC has signed the documents to take over the site and is awaiting the transfer of permits, at which point the facility will become part of a statewide network of waste collection sites that feed a processing hub in Hampden operated by Municipal WasteHub, formerly known as the Municipal Review Committee. The nonprofit organization provides waste management services for about 115 Maine member municipalities.

“We’ll use this site (Jay) for grinding wood debris and other environmental services, always keeping everything in state, with no out-of-state waste to be accepted,” Michael Carroll, executive director of Municipal WasteHub, wrote in an email.

Carroll, who is also listed as manager for JayCo LLC, attended the Jay Select Board meeting Monday with Tony McDonald, a partner in JGT2 Redevelopment, to talk about the new plans for the site.

JGT2 Redevelopment purchased the mill property from Pixelle Specialty Solutions of Pennsylvania on Dec. 14, 2023, to redevelop it for other industrial uses. Pixelle shut down papermaking operations at the site in March 2023. The property is being divided and developed into several new industrial uses. The Pixelle environmental permits were transferred by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection to JGT2; now, JayCo has applied to have those permits transferred to it.

There is also an oriented strand board manufacturing facility planned for another section on the site by Godfrey Forest Products, owned by John Godfrey of Massachusetts. The permits related to his operation have already been transferred.

Initially, JayCo plans to accept debris from the demolition of the Androscoggin Mill as well as sludge generated from the wastewater treatment plant. The treatment plant will be used for treating leachate generated at the landfill and other wastewater streams generated at the mill site, including stormwater.

The closed dry dump landfill will also be included in the sale. A closed landfill known as the Cornelio Landfill at the site is not being transferred to JayCo and is not included in the DEP permit application.

The name of the new facility will be the Jay C & D Site and Wastewater Treatment Plant. The site is already permitted by the state DEP for construction and demolition debris and wastewater treatment.

“We’ll continue these operations under our partner, Innovative Resource Recovery, which will handle the day-to-day management,” Carroll said.

Municipal WasteHub was formed as the Municipal Review Committee to find trash disposal and recycling solutions for Maine cities and towns and lower the use of landfills. The group’s transfer station in Hampden recently opened.

The JayCo site will serve as one of its regional “spokes,” essentially a collection point that connects “our main processing hub in Hampden,” Carroll said.

“This means local communities will have better access to waste disposal services, including recyclables, construction debris, bulky items, and tires,” he wrote.

A wastewater treatment facility for the commercial development is happening at the Jay site and could be a valuable resource for the region to help communities with wastewater, he said.

The acquisition includes the funding needed to properly maintain the site and eventually close it responsibly when that time comes, both McDonald and Carroll told the Jay board.

“As a nonprofit representing 115 municipalities with over 30 years of experience, we’re committed to operating this site in an environmentally sound and economical way,” Carroll said.

“The goal is to provide municipalities with better transportation solutions, more accessible collection points, lower costs, and help Maine achieve its 50% recycling goal while serving the communities that have been part of our network for years,” Carroll wrote.