07/22/2026
Join us tomorrow in Bangor to fight for environmental justice!
THE PUBLIC IS ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND the July 23rd hearing THIS Thursday, presenting oral arguments in Penobscot Nation v. Maine Department of Environmental Protection. Join us and please wear blue!
Penobscot Nation and Conservation Law Foundation are continuing their appeal of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection’s affirmative Public Benefit Determination for a proposed expansion of Juniper Ridge Landfill (JRL) in Old Town. JRL is a state-owned landfill, privately run by Casella subsidiary NEWSME, which is an intervenor with the state in this case.
On the health of the Penobscot people and communities impacted by the JRL leachate processed and dumped into the Penobscot River at the Nine Dragons facility and by Juniper Ridge Landfill on site gas emissions:
"Petitioners have repeatedly raised the presence of both legacy and non-legacy toxics in landfill leachate and gas, including specifically dioxins, furan, and PCBs, as well as VOCs such as toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, and benzene....even with PFAS controls, other toxics in the increased leachate would continue to enter the Penobscot River..."
"...Similarly, the record reflects that landfill gas contains additional toxics, including VOCs, PFAS, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (“PAHs”), and methylmercury.
These risks are particularly significant given that the Penobscot Nation is in the 99th percentile in Maine for the toxic releases to air EJ index; this means that these exposure levels combined with demographic vulnerability are higher for the Penobscot Nation than nearly all communities in the state. Moreover, the Penobscot Nation has some of the highest lung cancer rates in the State, and EPA’s EJ Screen data show that Indian Island is in the 99th percentile nationally for asthma-related health indicators.."
"By ignoring the broader suite of contaminants and pathways at issue, DEP failed to evaluate the true scope of the cumulative environmental burden on the Nation, rendering its decision arbitrary, an abuse of discretion and unsupported by substantial evidence"