A multiagency presentation before lawmakers warns of the difficulty the state will face trying to meet the needs of residents adversely affected by the spreading of sewage sludge containing forever chemicals.
environment
Mills proposes $2M for preventative spruce budworm spraying
The early intervention program, modeled after one in New Brunswick, would fund the spring spraying of pesticides on 300,000 acres of commercial spruce-fir forests in northern Maine where state inspectors have found evidence of overwintering budworm larvae.
A PFAS-free fire suppressant made with Maine wood could fight wildfires
The chemical-free extinguisher could move to the market — and onto firefighting airplanes — quickly. But getting it certified will take time and money.
PFAS contamination found on more than 100 Maine farms
The state’s ambitious multiyear investigation into PFAS contamination from sludge-based fertilizer is not yet halfway done, but costs are mounting as new federal protections arise from mounting scientific evidence of potential human health risks.
Forever chemicals in sludge fertilizer pose cancer risk, EPA says
Draft findings published Tuesday echo what Maine has been saying since 2022, when it became the first state to ban the use of sludge as fertilizer because of high concentrations of harmful PFAS.
PFAS in Maine can travel from stream to ski trail through snowmaking
Harmful and persistent forever chemicals that accumulate in some water bodies can be sprayed onto slopes by machine, but the extent of the risk is unknown.
Group calls for removal or redesign of Brunswick, Topsham dam
The newly formed coalition “Free the Andro” aims to open water flows between the Androscoggin River and the ocean.
How climate change is shortening Maine’s ice season, and why it matters
As Maine winters warm, the amount of time Maine’s ponds, rivers and lakes are covered by ice is shrinking, posing a threat to lake health and the winter sports economy.
Maine’s toxic firefighting foam shipped out of state to poor areas
Newly released records show more than 22,000 gallons of PFAS-laden foam and rinse water recovered after the recent Brunswick spill were trucked to waste incinerators in low-income communities far from Maine’s borders.
Cleanup of toxic foam spill has cost Brunswick’s airport $774,000 so far
The airport authority on the hook for a disastrous firefighting foam spill responded to the Environmental Protection Agency request for information, revealing previously unknown details about the hangar and the hefty cost of environmental cleanup.