Maine DEP accuses Orrington plant owner of delaying environmental cleanup

MAINE PUBLIC • October 22, 2025

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection has filed another notice of violation against the owner of a former Orrington chemical company for allegedly failing to complete environmental cleanup at the site. Mallinckrodt US "continues to evade the clear requirement" that it remove remaining mercury-contaminated soil at the old HoltraChem factory, according to the Oct. 20 notice. The state said the company had failed to submit a revised cleanup plan to excavate tainted soil and had not filed a suitable proposal to remove an industrial sewer at the site. The company also had not established a trust fund to cover future operation of the plant's wastewater treatment plant, groundwater collection and monitoring, according to the notice. Three years ago, the company agreed to pay at least $187 million to address mercury pollution in the Penobscot river and settle a long-running lawsuit. Representatives for Mallinckrodt's parent company, medical device manufacturer Medtronic, did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday.