Fairfield to update 1980 waste ordinance to address PFAS and Sappi landfill license

MAINE MONITOR • August 3, 2026

Fairfield Town Council members pledged during a public hearing last week to update the town’s sludge and solid waste disposal ordinance to address perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, which the Maine Department of Environmental Protection classifies as toxic. Enacted in 1980, the current ordinance bans the disposal of toxic materials at solid waste sites — a rule that directly conflicts with Sappi North America’s active disposal operations at its landfill off Route 201.