Opinion: Out-of-state waste is fueling environmental injustice to Penobscot Nation

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 11, 2025

The Juniper Ridge Landfill sits just upriver from the Penobscot Nation. Every rainfall sends a cascade of chemicals and waste seeping down through the landfill — a poisonous brew. 16 million gallons of this leachate are pumped into the Penobscot River every year. Our people are caught between a landfill and a discharge pipe. This is environmental injustice in real time. And it’s being fueled by waste that shouldn’t be here in the first place. Maine bought the landfill in 2003 with the explicit intent of being able to prevent it from being filled with out-of-state waste. But the loophole was cracked open under pressure from Casella Waste Systems, the for-profit operator of Juniper Ridge. This is more than a waste management issue. It is a public health issue, an environmental justice issue, and yes, a racial justice issue. ~ Maulian Bryant, Penobscot Nation Tribal citizen and executive director of the Wabanaki Alliance