Five Mainers recognized during Clean Water Act anniversary

Gov. John Baldacci and other state officials marked the 35th anniversary of the federal Clean Water Act on Thursday by recognizing five Mainers for their contributions to helping restore and protect waterways.

Former U.S. Sen. Edmund Muskie, a Maine Democrat, was an architect of the 1972 landmark law that eventually became known as the Clean Water Act. The law put in place a structure for regulating and permitting pollution discharges into water, set water quality standards, and funded wastewater treatment facilities.

“Rivers that once ran thick with pollution are now dramatically cleaner and are treasured by the communities through which they run,” Baldacci said in a statement. “These cities and towns now embrace the natural beauty of their rivers which spur economic development and community revitalization along their banks.”

On Thursday, Baldacci and officials from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection honored five Mainers who he said both personally and professionally exemplified the vision outlined by Muskie.

Dr. Jane Disney of Bar Harbor was honored for creating “a model stewardship program that involves Mount Desert students and residents,” according to a release from the governor’s office. Disney is executive director of the Mount Desert Island Water Quality Coalition.

Dotty Dudley, an educator from Easton, was recognized for “teaching thousands of Mainers the values of Maine’s environment.”

Also recognized were:

. Michael Sinclair, a chemical engineer at Rumford Paper who worked to lower nutrient discharges in industrial wastewater.

. The late John Cole, a journalist and advocate who helped raise consciousness of Maine residents and then-Gov. Muskie about environmental issues.

. Jerome “Frenchie” Guevremont, municipal treatment superintendent for Rangeley who led his community to build the state’s first tertiary water treatment facility.

“These individuals exemplify the best of our state and show what a difference engineers, water treatment operators, journalists, educators and citizen scientists can make in preserving one of our most prized natural resources,” Baldacci said.