SUN JOURNAL • June 26, 2025
Shredded tires serve as an accessible source of energy for ND Paper’s Rumford mill, but they also help fuel its ranking as one of the nation’s dirtiest industrial polluters, according to a new analysis of air emissions data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. A report by the Environmental Integrity Project citing EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory data identified ND Paper and Sappi’s Somerset mill in Skowheganas among the top 100 highest-polluting industrial facilities in the country. Both were flagged for their use of shredded tires as fuel for producing on-site energy. While environmental advocates lament the use of tire-derived fuel for energy sourcing, the EPA and Maine Department of Environmental Protection allow the practice as it is considered less harmful than burning coal, another common source for industrial energy.