Newport residents worried black dust from defunct railroad is harmful

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 2, 2022

Camp owners and residents are concerned that a dark dust stirred up by recreational vehicles on a nearby multiuse trail and settling on their properties and Sebasticook Lake could be harmful to their health. Newport residents, including those living along the 29-mile-long converted railbed of the Four Seasons Adventure Trail from Newport to Dover-Foxcroft, have complained about the dark dust for several years, and the town recently sent a sample for testing, Town Manager Jim Ricker said. The black dust is the latest environmental concern for a lake that has had contamination problems over the years, and for the health of those who live around it.