Residents concerned about Red Shield ash

ORONO – About 40 residents from at least eight area towns expressed concerns Thursday about potential toxins from ash that settled on parts of Bradley on Feb. 28 and March 3.

The ash came from the biomass boiler system at the former Georgia-Pacific Corp. mill in Old Town, which now is operated by Red Shield.

Routine ash samples taken from the mill tested positive in March for high levels of lead, but the Maine Department of Environmental Protection said the ash that escaped into the air and landed in Bradley was unrelated and posed no threat to the public.

DEP officials, however, never tested any of the ash that fell in Bradley, explaining that there was too much potential for the soot to have been contaminated by something else. They also were still trying this week to correlate the times of the “sooting” events to the exact times the contaminated samples were taken from the boiler. Meanwhile, Red Shield ceased burning construction and demolition debris, or wood waste, until the issue could be investigated and resolved by the state.

Residents of surrounding communities who gathered at the Keith Anderson Community Center in Orono Thursday evening said they have trouble believing the DEP’s explanations. The community forum was requested by the area residents. No representatives from Red Shield or the DEP were present.

Ed Spencer of west Old Town read from a DEP document that indicated ash escaped from the smokestacks at the mill after workers cleared an obstruction in the hopper, which caused air to rush in and the ash to rush out. Spencer said he believes that based on that description the ash in Bradley must be related to the ash in the boiler that was found to contain toxic levels of lead.

“I just don’t think we’re getting the whole story,” Spencer said.

Dorothy Kilmis-Zacas, professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Maine, said the problem of possible lead contamination was just one of her many concerns for the area.

Kilmis-Zacas said mills and boilers produce nearly 200 chemicals that make up a “toxic cocktail” that can cause kidney problems, central nervous system failure, cardiac issues and several types of cancer.

“Of course, not everyone is going to die,” Kilmis-Zacas said. “They’re just going to suffer.”

Debbie Gibbs of Alton said she feared for University of Maine students because they are a large population in a small area that could be severely affected by possible toxins from the mill in the neighboring town.

“This is an unacceptable health risk,” Gibbs said.

She also criticized the DEP’s decision not to test the soot, saying, “It’s silly to just assume [the ash] is benign.”

State Rep. Bob Duchesne offered what he called “Augusta’s perspective” after hearing people’s concerns.

Duchesne said the Legislature has “five or six controversial environmental issues” that lawmakers are dealing with now. Among the bills are several that attempt to tackle solid waste management and incineration in Maine.