Maine
A new threat emerges at Superfund sites in Maine
SACO, Maine — Duane Choquette hesitated when he discovered the property he wanted to buy to create a small homestead is a quarter mile from a Superfund site containing capped-over pits holding arsenic, chromium and other heavy metal waste dumped by a former tannery.
He researched how the site was cleaned up and found no contaminants when he tested the Saco property’s well water, which he would need for irrigation. Choquette bought the home on Hearn Road in 2014.
“Luckily, I happen to work as an ecologist for an environmental consulting company where a lot of other people do remediation work, so they deployed me to the right documents,” he said. “That helped, and the fact that we are uphill from the site.”
Now, 10 years later, a new potential threat is emerging at the location, known as the Saco Waste Pits Superfund Site. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notified Choquette and other neighbors by letter recently that it had discovered high levels of forever chemicals in some locations both on the site and in a few residential wells nearby. It will conduct additional testing over the next couple years to find the source of the PFAS and whether it might threaten nearby residences. That has renewed concern over the safety of that Superfund site and others across Maine and the country.
The federal agency has found forever chemicals at several Superfund sites in Maine and elsewhere in New England that could require new scrutiny, said spokesperson Vikram Lakshmanan. The EPA had not tested for the man-made forever chemicals, known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, until the past five years, and regulations at the time did not mandate that the toxic chemicals be cleaned up.
That changed last July when a new federal regulation designated two of the most studied and commonly used PFAS as hazardous substances, requiring them to be remediated if they exceed federal standards They are PFOA, or perfluorooctanoic acid, and PFOS, or perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, both used in tanneries to hydrate and degrease hides and for leather finishing. Exposure to the chemicals may increase the risk of some cancers.
“They’re going to have to start this testing at current Superfund sites across the board,” said Jared Hayes, senior policy analyst at the nonprofit Environmental Working Group in Washington D.C. “This is kind of a new undertaking by the EPA, to have regular testing for PFOA and PFOS. Previously they were only doing it in select locations where there were already chances for concern.”
The EPA has tested Choquette’s well, which did not have PFAS. He expects it to conduct more testing.
Monitoring an emerging chemical
The EPA first tested for and discovered PFAS at the Saco pits Superfund site in June 2019. The nine groundwater monitoring wells at the dump site all showed PFAS levels higher than what was then the drinking water standard, according to the agency’s most recent safety review of the site released in January.
After those results, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection tested 38 residential wells near the Saco pits for several PFAS from 2019 to 2023. Four residential wells topped the drinking water standard at the time.
Last April, the EPA cut by fivefold the allowable limits for PFOA, PFOS and other PFAS in drinking water to 4 parts per trillion. That means more wells both on the Saco pits site and at neighboring residences could now top the new limit, meaning the water is not safe for consumption.
The recent report said the EPA has two years to investigate the PFAS source and whether it may be migrating to private, offsite wells. This year it will conduct soil borings, and test ground and surface water, soil and some residential wells, Lakshmanan said. Depending on results, PFAS might be added to its current list of contaminants that the EPA regularly monitors at the site, which includes arsenic, chromium and lead.
“There could be potential that groundwater conditions have changed,” the report said. “The capped tannery waste may contain elevated concentrations of PFAS.”
Meantime, Choquette said he is watching for the results and will read them carefully. He said he will be satisfied “as long as the caps hold on the site.”
The EPA is requiring additional tests at several other Superfund sites where PFAS has been found, including Loring Air Force Base in Limestone and at Naval Air Station Brunswick. Some 1,400 gallons of toxic firefighting foam containing PFAS spilled at and around Brunswick Executive Airport last summer, worrying residents that their well water might be contaminated. PFAS also was found at the former Eastland Woolen Mill in Corinna, which is a Superfund site, during the last EPA review in 2020, but the levels were below the maximums allowed at the time. The EPA plans to review all three locations by the end of September.
Living near a Superfund site
The Saco Tannery, which operated from 1959 until 1981, dumped 23 million gallons of its process waste at the site in two large lagoons, about two acres in size each, and 57 smaller waste pits, according to federal estimates. Located on 212 acres, the pits site is surrounded by the Maine Turnpike, Flag Pond Road and Hearn Road.
After the Saco Tannery shuttered, the EPA found three acidic pits posed immediate and significant human health risks. The pits became a Superfund site in 1983. The EPA extracted the liquids, neutralized the sludge and capped the pits with clean soil and a nonpermeable membrane.
The site is now a wildlife refuge owned by the quasi-state Finance Authority of Maine and is not open to the public. FAME has been working cooperatively with the EPA and Maine DEP on testing and remediation at the site, said Bill Norbert, a FAME spokesperson. He said it is unclear and premature to say which entity might need to pay for any possible additional cleanup.
The area looks the same now as it did when the trucks were dumping tannery waste there, said Anatole Brown, education manager at the Saco Museum. It is heavily wooded and not possible to see the covered pits and lagoons from the road. Still, the area developed a reputation from the dumping operation.
“Flag Pond Road was always considered a toxic zone, and not until recently did you see houses starting to get built along that road,” Brown said.
In the past decade or so, homes and housing developments have sprung up around the Superfund site, with some neighbors barely aware it is there. So far, the city has not received any complaints about the discovery of the high levels of PFAS nor the two-year timetable for more tests, said Saco City Administrator John Bohenko. He said environmental regulators have been communicating about their review of the site and any necessary actions, and he will wait for their results.
But the PFAS news has some residents paying more attention. Kathleen Pierce, who lives on Hearn Road, said her family bought a house 11 years ago about a mile from the pits and didn’t hear too much about the Superfund site at the time.
“Now, hearing about the PFAS, it is an impetus for me, as a homeowner in the area, to take it seriously and get my water tested,” she said.
On the other road bordering the site, Tim Leary, the seventh-generation owner of Leary Farm, remembers when waste was still being dumped. He said many people at the time didn’t realize that the tannery, located about four miles away in Saco, was dumping acids and heavy metals into the pits.
“The primary concern at the time was the organic waste, because the smell was horrendous,” said Leary, 65, who has lived at the farm his entire life. “Before it was fenced off, we used to go skating on the ponds, on the lagoons. In retrospect, that probably was not a great idea.”
Leary tests the milk from his dairy cows and water to process his vegetables every year. So far, there have been no PFAS readings, and he would like it to stay that way.
“If I hear that the plume is moving, I might be concerned,” Leary said.
Lori Valigra is an investigative environment reporter for the BDN’s Maine Focus team. She may be reached at lvaligra@bangordailynews.com. Support for this reporting is provided by the Unity Foundation, a fund at the Maine Community Foundation, and donations by BDN readers.
As a new legislative session begins, Mainers are asking a simple, familiar question: What comes next, and how do we not just get by but actually thrive in such tumultuous times?
After years shaped by COVID, economic whiplash and political chaos, that question feels heavier than it used to. Mainers know what they need to succeed: a safe and stable place to live, health care they can count on, and a fair shot at getting ahead without burning out or falling behind. They want to know that if they work hard and play by the rules, they can build a life that feels secure, dignified and hopeful — the ultimate American dream.
That’s the lens guiding our work this session.
Economists are warning of unprecedented uncertainty ahead. From sweeping federal budget cuts and erratic tariff policies to lingering economic impacts from shutdowns and declining tourism, Maine is already feeling the immense weight. Just like Maine families do every day, the state has to plan responsibly for what we know is affecting us and what we can’t yet predict.
Despite these challenges, Maine remains on solid footing because of choices we have made together in recent years. We have focused on investing in education, workforce development, health care and economic growth — and because of those investments, our labor market remains stable. But inflation is still squeezing household budgets, consumer confidence is low and too many families feel like they are one unexpected expense away from a financial crisis.
At its core, this session is about delivering results that Mainers deserve. That means we must protect the fundamentals they rely on and create the conditions to actually thrive, not just survive.
One of the most important is keeping people housed and healthy, even as federal support grows less reliable. Housing and health care are not luxuries; they are the foundation that allows families to work, care for loved ones and stay rooted in their communities. This session, we will work to protect manufactured housing communities, expand affordable housing options and ensure seniors, veterans and working families can stay in their homes. Last session, we fully funded MaineCare through 2027 and expanded coverage to include doula care and hearing aids. In the year ahead, as Washington pulls back — including the failure to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies — Maine will step up. We will work to strengthen emergency medical services, protect access to reproductive and behavioral health care, expand dental care, and reduce the crushing burden of medical debt. No one should have to sacrifice their home or health because of cost.
It also means being honest about what’s weighing people down right now and lowering everyday costs wherever we can. From grocery bills and utility prices to prescription drugs, too many essentials are eating away at family budgets. We shouldn’t be making life harder for people who are already stretching every dollar. This session, we’re focused on practical relief by targeting energy costs, improving access to affordable medications and easing the pressures that hit working families first.
We will also continue leveling the playing field. Too often, systems are designed to favor large corporations over everyday people. This session, we will strengthen consumer protections, crack down on predatory practices and ensure Mainers aren’t punished for getting sick or trying to stay afloat.
And even in uncertain times, we must keep our eyes on the future. Ensuring a brighter tomorrow means continued investment in child care, education, workforce development and climate resilience — because every generation deserves a fair shot at a better life than the one before it.
When federal decisions create chaos or cut vital supports, Maine will respond with reliability. We will do everything in our power to honor our commitments, protect essential services like schools and health care, and shield Maine people from the worst impacts.
The work ahead will require careful budgeting, bipartisan cooperation and a firm commitment to making progress where we can. But Maine has faced uncertainty before, and each time, we have met it by looking out for one another and doing the hard, disciplined work required.
That’s our North Star this session: protecting the basics people depend on, expanding opportunity where we can and making sure Maine is a place where people don’t just endure uncertain times — they can build something better, no matter what lies ahead.
Mattie Daughtry represents state Senate District 23, Brunswick, Chebeague Island, Freeport, Harpswell, Pownal and part of Yarmouth in the Maine Senate. She also serves as Maine’s Senate president. She can be reached at [email protected] or 207-287-1515.
A student was killed in a crash involving a school bus in southern Maine on Tuesday morning, officials say.
The crash occurred around 7:30 a.m. near Edna Libby Elementary School in Standish, authorities said, and MSAD 6 School Superintendent Clay Gleason told News Center Maine it involved a student and a school bus.
Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce confirmed that an elementary school student was struck by an MSAD 6 school bus and died at the scene. He said Route 35 was shut down between Route 114 and Moody Road for the crash investigation.
MSAD 6 serves the towns of Buxton, Hollis, Limington, Standish, and Frye Island. Standish is a town with about 11,000 residents about 15 miles west of Portland.
The child who died was a student at Edna Libby Elementary School, the school district said. Joyce said only one student was on the bus at the time of the crash — the half-brother of the student who was killed.
“The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, along with other law enforcement agencies, will be reconstructing the accident, providing more information as we get it,” Joyce said. “What we do know now is we have a child that’s deceased. It’s tough anytime of the year, but not a good time of the year for a lot of families.”
Gleason said Edna Libby Elementary School planned to dismiss students at 11:30 a.m. to allow parents or caregivers to be with their children and for staff to receive support. All after school activities in the district were canceled, though the school day went on as scheduled in all other district schools.
“I have been in communication with the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office and a full investigation will be forthcoming to determine how this tragic accident took place,” Gleason said in a message to the school community. “In this difficult time please keep those directly impacted in your thoughts – first and foremost the family of the student, as well as the students and staff of Edna Libby. Speculation or blame on social media is not productive or helpful and is disrespectful to the memory of the student and their family.”
Support services are being provided for the bus driver and the family, Joyce said.
No additional information has been released, but officials said they expect to have more to say later in the day.
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