BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 9, 2023
Bangor officials are calling out state lawmakers and demanding they take action to prevent an environmental catastrophe. The open letter comes a day after officials from Casella Waste Systems were questioned by Maine lawmakers about the company’s recent and abrupt decision to stop taking wastewater sludge from more than 30 treatment plants across the state. The pause in sludge collection and disposal has led to piles of the material — full of toxic forever chemicals — forced to sit inside treatment plants. Wastewater treatment plant operators like Bangor’s Amanda Smith — who wrote the city’s letter with Bangor City Manager Debbie Laurie — have said if something isn’t done to prevent this from happening in the future the toxic sludge may inadvertently be dumped into rivers throughout the state.