Juniper Ridge expansion returns to court to face questions of environmental health

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 23, 2026

The state still hasn’t given adequate weight to how more than doubling the size of an Old Town landfill would hurt Penobscot Nation, a lawyer argued Thursday. The Conservation Law Foundation and Penobscot Nation sued the Maine Department of Environmental Protection in November 2024 over the proposed expansion of Juniper Ridge, citing environmental justice. Lawyers for both sides argued for about two hours Thursday regarding the proposal. The ongoing lawsuit is the first test of a 2021 state law that says all people have the right to be protected from pollution and “to live in and enjoy a clean and healthful environment.”