MAINE PUBLIC • July 14, 2023
The largest river that flows into Casco Bay is now protected from new sources of pollution. A new state law puts a four-year moratorium on new industrial or wastewater discharges into the Lower Presumpscot River. Historically, that section of the river from Saccarappa Falls in Westbrook to the tidewaters in Falmouth was heavily polluted by untreated industrial waste. Now, it is a thriving waterway due to years of restoration under the Clean Water Act that include the removal of two dams and installation fish passage for species to return to spawn. Michael Shaughnessy of Friends of the Prescumpscot River, said the 4-year moratorium is a win for the river and the communities that sit on its banks.