PFAS

Published
March 19, 2023

From Maine to California, the solution to sludge disposal is not settled

In fact, the approach in Maine – banning the spread on farmland because of PFAS risks – directly opposes the tack by eco-conscious California. Here's how the science is evolving.
Published
March 14, 2023

EPA proposal would tighten limits on PFAS in Maine water

While Maine's drinking water standards are already forcing many water providers to install treatment systems, the proposed national limits are even stricter and would force more suppliers to filter drinking water or find new sources.
Published
March 9, 2023

Commentary: Maine should demand accountability from its solid waste monopolist

Communities served by the company find themselves in a take-it-or-leave-it situation. That’s not good enough.
Published
March 8, 2023

Landfill operator tells lawmakers it has temporary fix to Maine’s sludge disposal crisis

Casella, the operator of the state-owned landfill that had stopped accepting biosolids from wastewater treatment, says it has found a temporary home for Maine's sludge in New Brunswick, buying time to find a long-term solution.
Published
March 6, 2023

Lawmakers to hear about Maine sludge disposal crisis

The Maine DEP and the operator of the state's largest landfill will brief state lawmakers on Maine's sludge crisis on Wednesday.

Published
March 5, 2023

Environmental group alleges Casella Waste Systems manufactured sludge crisis

Defend Our Health officials say Casella, which contracts with 30 wastewater treatment plants for sludge removal, says company data shows the situation for Casella is not as dire as portrayed, but Casella characterizes the allegation as insulting and dishonest.
Published
March 2, 2023

Communities await first U.S. limits on ‘forever chemicals’

The EPA is expected to propose restrictions on harmful 'forever chemicals' in drinking water after finding they are dangerous in amounts so small as to be undetectable.
Published
March 1, 2023

No immediate solution to Maine’s sludge problem

At the Scarborough sewer plant, one of roughly 3 dozen in the state that can no longer send all of their sludge to a state-owned landfill, a truck picks up 30 tons just in time to avert a potential public health emergency.
Published
February 28, 2023

Landfill stops accepting sludge, putting Maine sewer plants in bind

The only site in the state that takes wastewater sludge can no longer accept it because it doesn't have enough dry waste like construction debris and household waste to mix with the wet material to create a stable landfill.
Published
February 28, 2023

Crisis building at Kennebec County wastewater treatment plants

Wastewater treatment plant operators across Maine face paying higher fees to truck sludge to New Brunswick after two state laws curtailed how biosolid disposal is handled.