MACHIAS — A miracle machine that extracts usable fuel oil from waste oil and sludge could be under construction in Maine by the end of the year, but the facility to build the machines may not open in Machias as first was thought.

William Blackwood of Jonesport, one of five partners in Energy Conservation Systems Inc., said Monday that ECS had been contacted by officials in Bangor, Brewer, Ellsworth and Lubec about the proposed machine manufacturing plant.

“We’d like to (build the machine) in Machias,” Blackwood said, “but we’d have to look at the economics of it.” He said earlier that ECS, which owns exclusive rights as sole New England manufacturer of the machine, “hadn’t heard much from Machias.”

Steven Lord of Whiting, also a partner in ECS, added Monday that his company had requested a meeting with Machias selectmen to discuss locating at the Machias Industrial Park. That meeting is not scheduled until May 10.

Canadian inventor Edward Shurtleff began developing the machine, called the Shurtleff disjoiner, 10 years ago. It converts used, contaminated oils and fuels into a diesel-type heating and fuel oil.

The machine also has been tested using fish oils, cooking oils, and combinations of fuel, oil and seawater.

An agreement, signed March 7 in Calais, made Shurtleff a partner in ECS Inc. with Kenneth Ramsdell of Cutler, Francis J. Hallissey of Machias, Lord and Blackwood. Ronald McQuinn of Bar Harbor since has been added as a partner, Lord said.

McQuinn is expected to operate the first machine once it arrives, Lord said. He was hopeful of testing the machine in the Bangor area at a site already approved for oil refining operations. An acceptable site has not been found, however.

Ramsdell, Lord, Hallissey and Blackwood are also partners in Recycled Resources, a firm that will act as franchising agent in Maine for the machines.

Ramsdell, at a March 12 news conference, announced plans to manufacture the machines from a new facility in the Machias Industrial Park, possibly by the end of summer. He claimed that between 100 and 150 new jobs could be created once the plant becomes fully operational.

Several changes have occurred since the March 12 conference that could boost the number of potential new jobs to more than what was first believed.

ECS now plans to manufacture water disjoiner and sludge machinery along with the oil refiner, Lord explained. Shurtleff also has been awarded a grant from the Canadian government to build and test a soil cleaning machine. If it passes testing, it, too, will be built by ECS.

Machias may not be able to provide the labor force needed to fill those jobs, said Lord.

A Canadian-built machine that was supposed to arrive in Machias by mid-April for environmental testing purposes “is expected real soon,” according to Lord.

David SaiQ, director of the Department of Environmental Protection’s Oil & Hazardous Wastes Bureau, said Monday that his agency had scheduled a preapplication meeting with Recycled Resources. “A lot of information isn’t there or isn’t clear,” said Sait.

The DEP will have to determine under what guidelines to license the machine. If the machines processed the used oil and sold it as a used oil byproduct, each machine would have to be site-specific licensed.

Sait said the information received by DEP indicates the Shurtleff disjoiner produces a virginlike, or new product and would fall under “hazardous activities” guidelines if shortage of more than 21,000 gallons is involved.

A meeting has been scheduled between DEP officials and Recycled Resources representatives for May 9.

Recycled Resources will operate every machine sold in Maine, Lord said. It also could operate some machines sold out of state. Because of differing emission standards and other factors in each state, Recycled Resources is considering taking on a partner from each of the New England states.

Regardless where the manufacturing plant is built, Lord assured that corporate offices for ECS and Recycled Resources would remain in Machias. The company has received queries from as far away as Texas and Michigan, Lord said.