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.
They were built decades ago in some of the most picturesque spots across Maine — manmade mountains of granite and brick, concrete and steel, rising beside rivers that powered the state’s booming textile industry through the 1800s and 1900s.
Now, these old mills are increasingly being converted to housing and other purposes. In Biddeford’s sprawling mill district, a variety of housing projects have been completed or are underway, including 154 apartments in the former Pepperell Mill that are being leased or sold as condominiums.
Two of the most recent conversions are Picker House Lofts, a mixed-income rental property in Lewiston, and The Spinning Mill, a housing and commercial project in Skowhegan. Both opened last year.
The Spinning Mill, including 41 apartments, a boutique hotel and a restaurant, received a 2026 Honor Award from Maine Preservation for excellence in historic preservation and rehabilitation.
Here’s a look at those three mill conversions.
The Spinning Mill
Location: Skowhegan, Somerset County
Waterfront: Kennebec River
Year built: 1922
Year renovated: 2025
Number of units: 41
Monthly rent: $1,510-2,750, utility and amenity fees vary
In its peak years, the Maine Spinning Co. employed 300 people and produced 2 million pounds of wool yarn annually in the heart of the downtown district, closing in 2005. High Tide Capital of Bangor purchased the site in 2019 and began a $20 million residential and commercial redevelopment project.
The conversion suffered a major setback in December 2023, when the storm-churned Kennebec fooded the first floor, causing more than $3 million in damage. An economic recovery grant from the state helped the developers clean up and continue.
The adaptive reuse respected the building’s history, preserving wooden floors and high ceilings, oversized windows and exposed brick walls. Modern plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling systems were installed, along with stainless steel appliances and granite countertops.
The four-story building includes studio through three-bedroom units, ranging from 630 to 1,300 square feet. Amenities include a fitness center, mini movie theater, coworking space, resident lounge and art studio. The property also includes The Skowhegan, a 20-room boutique hotel, and the Biergarten, a German-themed restaurant and event space with riverside patio.
Contact: Yates Murphy, The Spinning Mill, 207-951-6475
Picker House Lofts
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Location: Lewiston, Androscoggin County
Waterfront: Androscoggin River
Year built: 1855
Year renovated: 2025
Number of units: 72
Monthly rent: $1,495-2,000 (26 market-rate units); $801-1,332 (46 subsidized); heat, hot water and basic Wi-Fi included
Part of the 7-acre Continental Mill complex, Picker House Lofts is a 79,000-square-foot, mixed-income rental property developed by The Szanton Co. of Portland. The remaining 481,000 square feet of former factory space is being developed to include more than 300 additional apartments along with office, retail and light industrial uses by Chinburg Properties of Newmarket, New Hampshire.
Named for its original function, the five-story building is where workers called “pickers” removed seeds, twigs and other debris from raw cotton before it was woven into cloth.
It includes one-, two- and three-bedroom units, with 46 reserved for households with incomes at or below 60% of the area median income, which ranges from $35,880 for a single person to $51,240 for four people, according to MaineHousing.
The developers preserved historic features where possible, including wood floors, huge operable windows and 13-foot ceilings with exposed overhead carrying beams, while adding modern fixtures, utilities and appliances.
Amenities include a fitness center, indoor bike storage, landscaped courtyard with picnic tables and a communal lounge with adjoining roof deck that overlooks the Androscoggin River. It’s located downtown near a farmers market, museums and a park with a fitness court.
Contact: Saco Falls Management, 207-228-8800
Pepperell Mill
Location: Biddeford, York County
Waterfront: Saco River
Year built: 1845
Year renovated: 2008
Number of units: 154
Monthly rent: $1,695-2,995, utilities and wifi included
Originally converted by local developer Doug Sanford, apartments in the Pepperell Mill Campus retain many historic features from its textile-weaving past, including 10- to 18-foot ceilings, exposed brick walls and beams, and honey-colored maple floors.
Now owned and managed by Texas-based Presidium, the property is available to lease or purchase residential units as they come on the market, providing what the company calls a “try before you buy” opportunity. It’s part of a 17-acre complex in the heart of a downtown that includes a variety of small businesses, artists, restaurants, breweries and coffee shops.
Apartments range from economical studios to luxury two-bedroom, two-bathroom units that include washer-dryer hookups. Available condos are priced from $325,000 to $1.5 million, according to Portside Real Estate Group.
Units feature modern finishes and oversized, industrial-style windows, many with views of the Saco River. Amenities include smart laundry facilities, green spaces with seating areas and gas grills, riverside picnic areas and a dog-washing station.
Contact: Pepperell Mill Campus, 207-282-5577, Ext. 201
PORTLAND, Maine (WGME) — It’s graduation season, and 37 medical school grads received their degrees Saturday at USM.
The students graduated from the MaineHealth Maine Track program, which is a part of Tufts Univeristy in Boston.
Program leaders say students specifically trained in community-based medical practices across Maine.
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Eleven of the graduates will begin their residencies at MaineHealth Maine Medical Center in Portland.
David Heidrich lives in Augusta.
From the cliffs of Acadia to the woods and waters of Katahdin’s national monument, Maine’s public lands are more than scenic, they are the backbone of our economy and way of life. Anyone who has spent any amount of time in these or other public places knows that they offer more than just natural beauty. They are central to our identity, drawing visitors from around the world, supporting small businesses and sustaining jobs in communities across the state.
As someone deeply invested in the success of Maine’s outdoor recreation and tourism industries, I know that investing in our public lands will support thriving communities for generations to come. But maintaining these places requires more than appreciation, it requires sustained investment and action.
In 2020, Congress recognized that many of our country’s national parks and other public lands were suffering from decades of deferred maintenance. Roads, bridges, water systems, historic structures and visitor facilities were aging faster than they could be repaired. In response, lawmakers passed the Great American Outdoors Act, which created the National Parks and Public Lands Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF).
This landmark legislation provided five years of dedicated funding to address long-overdue repairs on federal lands. Here in Maine, the LRF delivered $54 million for critical repairs to our public lands. These investments supported projects at places like Acadia National Park — improving trails, restoring historic carriage roads and upgrading essential infrastructure — as well as work on national forests and wildlife refuges across the state. These projects have served to protect natural resources, improve safety and enhance visitor experiences while supporting local economies.
Now, with that funding having expired, Congress is considering the America the Beautiful Act, introduced by Sen. Steve Daines of Montana and Maine’s own Sen. Angus King. The bill has received strong bipartisan support, and I want to thank Sen. King and Sen. Collins for their leadership in advocating for this important legislation.
The America the Beautiful Act rises above politics and reflects a shared commitment to conservation and safeguarding the places that help define both Maine and our nation. By continuing to invest in our public lands, we ensure they sustain local economies while preserving natural resources for residents, visitors and future generations alike.
Outdoor recreation is a cornerstone of Maine’s economy. Each year, millions of visitors come to experience our parks, trails, waterways and working forests — supporting roughly 32,000 jobs and generating $3.9 billion in economic activity. That is approximately 5% of Maine’s workforce and 4% of its GDP, respectively. Communities throughout Maine depend on these visitors, and the continued health of our public lands is essential to their continued success.
While important progress has been made, maintenance backlogs on our federal lands persist and require reliable, long-term funding. Congress should pass the America the Beautiful Act because it would provide $2 billion per year for eight additional years to address ongoing maintenance needs across national parks and public lands — without raising taxes.
This is accomplished by: 1) dedicating lease and royalty payments from energy producers operating on federal lands and waters to conservation, 2) requiring federal agencies to identify and dispose of unneeded assets, and 3) leveraging private funding by introducing a preference for projects with a 15% financial match from private stakeholders or nonprofit organizations.
By passing this legislation, Congress can ensure that Maine’s treasured public lands remain safe, accessible and vibrant. If we want future generations to experience Maine as we know it today, we need to invest in it now.
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