CHINA: Hapgood: with budget time coming, short meetings have come to an end

/0 Comments/in , /by
by Mary Grow

With work on the 2022-23 budget not quite ready to start, China Select Board members had another short meeting with a varied agenda on Jan. 3.

Town Manager Rebecca Hapgood reminded them their brief meetings are about to end. She has tentatively scheduled a joint meeting with the budget committee for Monday evening, Jan. 24, and is likely to recommend weekly select board meetings in February.

At the Jan. 3 meeting, board members expressed their approval of the survey Hapgood is circulating. Available on the town website and Facebook page, and on paper at the town office, it is designed to get residents’ views on town office and transfer station hours and similar service-related issues.

Hapgood is collecting opinions to find out how residents’ use of town services has changed with the pandemic, and to seek their preferences on how to reduce hours at the office and the transfer station, if selectmen decide to do so.

In other business, board members unanimously approved spending $21,590 from the China Rescue Unit (CRU) reserve fund to buy a replacement 12 Lead electrocardiogram machine.

Rescue spokesman Thomas Alfieri explained that the current machine is so old it is unusable; that the equipment is essential, both as a requirement for CRU’s state license and to save lives; and that he and his fellow CRU members want to act now, not in the next budget year, especially because of the pandemic.

The $21,590, lowest of three bids he presented, was from Master Medical Equipment (MME) in Jackson, Tennessee. Alfieri said MME is also equipment supplier for Delta Ambulance; China’s unit will match Delta’s, making for a smooth transfer for a patient.

By other unanimous votes, select board members:

  • Gave owners of four properties on which the town has foreclosed for unpaid taxes another 60 days to pay in full; and
  • Formally dissolved the town police department, which has already been replaced by an agreement with the Kennebec Sheriff’s Office (KSO). The vote was requested by the assistant director of the Maine Criminal Justice Academy, which oversees training of local police forces.

Board member Wayne Chadwick told KSO Deputy Ivano Stefanizzi that he, for one, is entirely satisfied with KSO coverage. When Board Chairman Ronald Breton asked if the 2022-23 budget should provide funding for more than the current 10 hours a week (in addition to China’s share of service as a Kennebec County town), Chadwick and fellow board member Blane Casey said no.

Because Monday, Jan. 17, is the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, the town office will be closed and the next select board meeting is postponed to Tuesday, Jan. 18. Hapgood said one agenda item will be the town personnel policy, which has been reviewed and revised by town attorney Amanda Meader.

China resident looks to fill a need for women veterans

/0 Comments/in , /by

Below left, left to right: Sooz R., Holly L., Rachel P., U.S. Navy Quilt of Valor recipient, and Kristin S., during Quilt of Valor Ceremony on November 6, 2021. (contributed photo)

by Eric W. Austin

Nichole Jordan

“Women veterans in general are so overlooked and underappreciated,” says China resident and U.S. Army veteran Nichole Jordan. “Women are truly the invisible aspect of after-service to our country.”

While many excellent veterans organizations exist, like the American Legion and VFW, historically the focus of these organizations has been on male veterans and the support they need. With men making up about nine-in-ten of all U.S. military veterans, this makes sense, but Nichole Jordan saw a need for more supportive activities aimed at women veterans. To this end, she started Women Veteran’s Glamping in 2019.

“Glamping” is a portmanteau of the words “glamorous” and “camping” and aims to provide participants with modern amenities while enjoying the Great Outdoors.

At the first Women Veteran’s Glamping event Jordan heard from many of the attendees who said they only knew one other woman veteran in the state. “Being a woman veteran, that really hurt to hear,” she says.

The WVG logo designed by Got Vinyl?, in Vassalboro.

With some amazing sponsors and support, Women Veteran’s Glamping was born. Local graphic design experts from Got Vinyl? Ink & Printing, in Vassalboro, helped design their logo featuring a dragonfly, which represents dedication, beauty, honor, courage, love and selflessness. The goal of Women Veteran’s Glamping is to provide a safe and supportive environment for women veterans to relax and connect with other veterans while enjoying the best of Maine’s natural scenery.

At each event, a Quilt of Valor is presented to a deserving veteran to honor their service and sacrifice to the country. “The quilt equals healing,” says Jordan. “The warmth of the wrap and love that is put into it comforts one’s soul on a day when all seems lost or forgotten. Focus is on those most in need of comfort and healing first; those who need to know their sacrifice is acknowledged, those who need the affirmation of a hug, and those who never heard the words ‘Welcome home.’”

Left to right: Vicki B. US Navy, Nichole J. US Army, Jannene B. US Army & US NAVY, Sheryl M. US Navy, Dawn O. US Navy, during a Quilt of Valor Ceremony on October 30, 2021. (contributed photos)

Women Veteran’s Glamping has partnered with two local businesses, Maine Forest Yurts, in Durham, and House in the Woods, in Lee, Maine, to host their weekend retreats. During the first two years they served mostly women veterans in Maine, but in September of 2021, they became an official nonprofit and expanded their events to include women veterans in all 50 states.

Women Veteran’s Glamping has held three previous events with 16 women veterans attending each. This year, they are stepping up their game with seven events planned throughout the year. So far, 152 women have signed up. The trips start on Friday and run through Sunday. Five of the events are scheduled at Maine Forest Yurts, in Durham, with two additional weekends taking place at House in the Woods, in Lee, Maine. Jordan hopes to extend the weekend trips to week-long getaways in 2023.

Interior view of a Maine Forest Yurt, in Durham, ME. (contributed photo)

“Our five-year plan is finding 50 to 100 acres for our own retreat center that will be open year round,” Jordan says. “We will continue to keep Women Veteran’s Glamping in Maine and hope we can secure the land and buildings needed for this down the road. The U.S. has 300,000 women veterans, not including active duty women. There is a calling and a need for this. One step at a time. With God and Country behind us all things are possible.”

Currently, cost for participants is $250 and includes lodging, food, all activities and required supplies, but Jordan is busy fundraising, hoping to cover expenses for most participants in the future.

Outer view of a Maine Forest Yurt in Durham, ME. (contributed photo)

On Saturday, January 15, Women Veteran’s Glamping will hold a Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser, from 7 a.m. – 11 a.m., at St. Bridget Center, in Vassalboro. Then, on Friday, January 28, there is a Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m., at the Auburn VFW Post #1603, 588 Minot Ave. (To-go boxes will be available if pandemic restrictions require either of the events to be take-out only.) They have an on-going quilt raffle as well, with the winner announced live on their Facebook page on February 19 at noon. T-shirts, printed by Got Vinyl? Ink & Printing, in Vassalboro, will be available for a suggested donation of $20 each. They have also connected with local redemption centers throughout Maine and set up accounts to collect funds, so check with the business where you drop off bottles and cans if you’d like to donate them to the cause.

“This year alone we need over $65,000 in fundraising,” she says. “It grows as time goes on. We still have to purchase 25 sleeping bags; a large, flat top grill with 30-pound propane tanks; and we are fundraising for a 7×16-foot trailer to haul all our event gear in.”

Jordan says fundraising has been difficult because many companies are already giving to veteran organizations with a male focus. “Men get $8,000 hunting trips given to them, yet women veterans do bottle-and-can redemption collections, meal fundraising and quilt raffles to cover the lodging, food and activities for women veterans,” she says. “We have sent out 350 donation request letters to the top companies in Maine, New Hampshire and across the country. We get back lots of rejection letters. Some say they don’t want to donate because we are so new, some say they can’t donate because they already support other, predominately male veteran programs in the state of Maine. We offer an opportunity for recreation and the camaraderie of shared experiences in a safe environment. We will continue to hope that companies and others will want to help honor Women Veteran’s Glamping.”

2020 was a difficult year for everyone with the pandemic going on, but it was a particularly painful one for Nichole Jordan. That year, just before Mothers Day, she received the news that she had been diagnosed with lung cancer. Within three weeks, she had part of her right lung removed. While recovering, she moved back with her folks who had recently bought a house in China. “I am here for when they need me as they age and as I heal from my lung cancer,” she says. “If God lets me live to see 50 years old this year, I promised I would be giving back for my next 50 years to Women Veteran’s Glamping.”

Previously, Jordan lived with her family in Vassalboro from 2010-2012. Her son graduated from Erskine Academy, in South China, before attending the University of Maine at Presque Isle, and then enlisting for active duty in the U.S. Air Force. Her daughter graduated from China Middle School before moving to Texas for high school. Nichole Jordan currently lives in China with her parents and her loyal black lab, Willow Grace.

To find out more about Women Veteran’s Glamping or sign up for a weekend retreat, please visit their website at www.WomenVeteransGlamping.org. To contact Nichole Jordan or to find out more about donating to the cause of women veterans, call 456-6114 or email WomenVeteransGlamping@gmail.com.

Longtime Boy Scout leader steps down

/0 Comments/in , /by

Scott, left, and his wife Priscilla. After 32 years as Scoutmaster of Troop #479, he is now serving as the Troop’s Committee Chairman and as the Treasurer of the Bomazeen Old Timers as he tries to save the Scout camp he loves. (photos courtesy of Chuck Mahaleris)

by Chuck Mahaleris

As 2021 is now in the rear view mirror, we can not let the year pass without recognizing one milestone that took place. Scott Adams stepped down as Scoutmaster of Scout Troop #479 in China, a position he held since August 29, 1989.

When Scott Adams became Scoutmaster of Troop #479, there were only four Scouts including his son Matthew. Thirty-two years later, Troop #479 remains one of the healthiest Scout Troops in Kennebec Valley District and can boast having seen 44 Scouts from their troop earn their Eagle Scout rank. Adams is remaining active as the Committee Chairman of Troop #479 and as the Treasurer of the Bomazeen Old Timers which is working to prevent the camp from being sold.

Scott Adams and Greenbar Bill. (contributed photo)

Adams has recently received his 60-year Scouting Veteran pin. He was a Scout in Troop #479 in 1966 under Scoutmaster Preston Mosher. “I joined because that was the thing to do,” Adams recalled. “The Scouting program was much larger back then. My two best friends were in the troop so I joined, too. I was into sports so cooking and camping were all new to me. I enjoyed Scouting but didn’t stay with it as a youth,” he said. But rejoined the program in 1984 as a member of the Pack Committee for Albion Pack #410. The next year, his son Matthew joined the Cub Scout program and Scott has not left it since. When the family moved to China, Scott and Matthew joined Pack #479 which was struggling and being reorganized. Scott and other adults stepped up and the “Pack took off.” Scott served as Den Leader and then Webelos Leader. When Matthew crossed over into Boy Scouts, Scott went with him. Three other Scouts crossed over as well and they made up the entirety of the troop at that time as it had been inactive for most of the year. Scott became Scoutmaster, received training for the position, and focused the program on the youth and getting them into the outdoors each month. “Our first camping trip was to my hunting camp in Unity,” Scott said. “The Scouts slept in tents but there was a cabin with running water if we needed it. We had a latrine but they learned how to dig their own, anyway. Scouting is about getting the kids into the outdoors. If you get them outside and show them that they can enjoy themselves out there, they will stay with the program. The longer they stay in the program the more they will learn about Citizenship, Character, Fitness and Leadership Development. We’re teaching life-long skills but doing it in a way that they enjoy it.”

Christian Hunter, who earned Eagle under Scoutmaster Adams, became the troop’s new Scoutmaster in February. “Looking back it is hard to believe all that Mr. Adams did as Scout­mast­er,” Hunter said. “Mr. Adams planned at least one campout and service project for the troop every month to keep the troop active and to help every scout in have the opportunity to advance in rank. At outings, Mr. Adams always kept the troop on tight time schedule to make sure we could get the most done in a day as possible, but still have some time to have some fun. Also at every outing we had delicious food and plenty of it. Scouts learned to cook in the outdoors. Mr. Adams was an excellent teacher, as Scoutmaster, and taught me and all the other Scouts in our troop many important lessons. Mr. Adams taught us how to plan outings, how to do everything in the Scout Handbook, and how to support and take care of our community. If you had a question about anything, Mr. Adams always had the answer, and would explain it to you so that you would understand. He always made sure to test us on the skills he had taught us, to make sure they would stay with us and help us as adults.”

Adams always kept the program flexible to accommodate the busy schedules of the Scouts. “We had a camping trip scheduled,” he recalled. “But only four Scouts signed up. When I asked, I found out that there was a dance they all wanted to go to on Friday night. No problem, we left for the camping trip early Saturday morning instead of on Friday night. Instead of four Scouts, we had 16 take part.”

There were two events he stressed that all of the Scouts take part in each year: Scout Sunday service at China Baptist Church and Memorial Day services. Adams explained that Pastor Ron Morrell would let the Scouts lead many aspects of the service on Scout Sunday. “One year we had 26 Scouts in the church choir on Scout Sunday,” he said. He also, over the years, brought the Scouts of Troop #479 to camporees both local and all over the nation, and to two that were held in Canada.

Scott Adams. (contributed photo)

Bomazeen Camp Director Bruce Rueger had nothing but praise for Adams’ dedication and appreciates his work with the Bomazeen Old Timers. “Scott is the most passionate and effective Scout Leader I have worked with in the program,” Rueger said. The Old Timers raise funds throughout the year to provide camperships for youth in the area to attend Camp Bomazeen and to purchase building material and supplies for the camp. “I can’t even begin to imagine where the camp would be without all of his work.” Now Rueger and Adams are working together to keep the camp from being sold so that Scouts from Waterville, Skowhegan and Augusta areas will continue to be able to use it for decades to come. “Bomazeen to me is what Scouting is all about,” Scott Adams said. “I will challenge anyone to come up with a waterfront and camp that is better than at Bomazeen. People do not realize the treasure that they have. It is simply outdoor camping at its best.”

Kennebec Valley District Chairman Joe Shelton was recruited by Scott. “Scott has been a steadfast member of his community through Scouting, Masons, Fire Dept. and Community support,” Shelton said. “I’ve known Scott since 2010 and he will help anyone who asks. If he can’t help he will find someone or someway to help. In the end Scott will do whatever he can for anyone who asks! I’ve never seen him turn anyone away that deserved his insight, guidance or assistance.”

Adams’ advice after more than three decades as Scoutmaster to others in the Scouting program: “I like to think that we had a program run by the Scouts. We always tried to make every kid feel welcome and give them an opportunity to succeed. Having a strong outdoor program made all the difference.” He said that sometimes life sent challenges to his Scouts. “I had a Scout who told me he had to quit. I asked why and he said that he was failing in school and needed to quit. I told him that he did need to focus on his school work but when he was ready, Scouting would be waiting to welcome him back whether that was in two weeks, two months or two years. He could pick up where he left off.”

Scott’s wife Priscilla has joined Scott on his Scouting journey. “He is always willing to help everyone,” she said in December 2021 during a regional Scouting leaders’ meeting where Scott was drawing the winning tickets for the latest Bomazeen Old Timers’ raffle. “He has always put just as much time and energy into the family as he has put into Scouting.”

Scoutmaster Hunter said, “Taking over as scoutmaster of Troop #479 is a huge undertaking because Mr. Adams was an excellent leader. There is no way I’ll ever be a Scoutmaster like Mr. Adams, but with the skills he taught me I will do my best to fill his shoes.”

China planners settle three issues

/0 Comments/in , /by
by Mary Grow

China Planning Board members settled all three issues on their Dec. 14 meeting agenda.

They approved a revised subdivision plan for Fire Road 19, updating records to show a relocated road.

They agreed the former subdivision on the Lakeview Drive lot that Brent Chesley recently bought from the Town of China had expired before the town sold the land, and the town is therefore responsible for notifying the Registry of Deeds that the land is no longer subdivided.

They voted that the new owner of Little Learners Child Development Center, 166 Tyler Road, needs to file a new application to continue the business, even though she plans no changes.

The next China Planning Board meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 28.

China TIF committee receives first 2022-23 application

/0 Comments/in , /by
by Mary Grow

Members of China’s Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Committee received their first applications for 2022-23 TIF funds at their Dec. 13 meeting. They postponed action until more applications are in, they hope by the Jan. 3, 2022, deadline.

Scott Pierz, executive director of the China Region Lakes Alliance, talked about plans for the rest of the current fiscal year and next year and about longer-range plans, which might involve an expensive alum treatment for part of China Lake (see The Town Line, Dec. 9, 2021, p. 1).

China Lake Association President Stephen Greene intends to submit a complementary application for funds to pay for additional analysis of bottom sediments in the north part of the lake’s east basin, a preliminary step toward determining whether the alum treatment is a good idea.

Greene said he has no firm cost estimate yet. He hopes to have one in time to meet the Jan. 3 deadline.

Four Seasons Club President Thomas Rumpf is asking for 2022-23 TIF funds for trail work and for the annual ice fishing derby, now expanded into China Ice Days and scheduled for the weekend of Feb. 18-20, 2022.

In addition to reviewing the applications, TIF Committee members discussed the program in general: how much money they have and how it is budgeted, what types of projects are eligible, whether they can legally create an emergency fund and similar topics.

They are currently operating under the TIF Second Amendment, approved by China voters in June 2021 and by the state Department of Economic and Community Development in November. Changes in project types or fund allocations would require a third amendment, with the same approval process, Town Manager Rebecca Hapgood said.

The next regular TIF Committee meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 10, 2022.

China transfer station committee agrees to budget $1,500 for travel expenses

/0 Comments/in , , /by
by Mary Grow

China Transfer Station Committee members used their Dec. 14 meeting to discuss, and in some cases re-discuss, a variety of waste disposal questions.

They made two decisions.

They will reduce the 2022-23 budget request for the committee from the $2,500 agreed on at their November meeting to $1,500. They will meet again at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022.

The funds requested from the town are intended to cover registration and mileage when committee members attend meetings, training sessions and similar relevant events. Committee Chairman Lawrence Sikora thinks $1,500 should be enough.

The major news from the meeting was that Town Manager Rebecca Hapgood and other town officials are considering – nothing is definite yet, Hapgood emphasized – reducing hours at the town office and the transfer station.

Currently, she said, China’s hours are among the most generous in Maine: the town office is open 45.5 hours a week and the transfer station 42.5 hours a week. Because of after-hours work, staff illness and other factors, overtime pay is frequent.

One suggestion is that the transfer station be open four days a week instead of five: Tuesday and Wednesday and Friday and Saturday. She again emphasized that the whole idea is in the conversation stage only; there has been no discussion at a select board meeting.

Other topics discussed Dec. 14 included:

  • The still-not-operating waste recycling facility in Hampden which China and many other Maine municipalities support. Hapgood repeated town attorney Amanda Meader’s advice not to try to get out of the contract.
  • How much the fee charged to Palermo residents for trash bags should be increased. Consensus was China has enough bags on hand for the next few months, and the earlier decision to wait for early 2022 information on bag prices and the consumer price index was sound.
  • Updating the five-year plan for transfer station equipment and other needs: no need to act immediately, committee members said.
  • Non-residents using China’s transfer station with RFID (radio frequency identification) tags to which they have no right. Committee members considered, without making any recommendation, checking each vehicle as it enters, or going back to the vehicle sticker system.

China Lake association president lays out 10-year plan to select board

/0 Comments/in , /by
by Mary Grow

China Lake Association President Stephen Greene is thinking in millions of dollars these days – but not to be spent immediately.

At the Dec. 20 China select board meeting, Greene updated board members on the draft 10-year China Lake Watershed-Based Management Plan, which he expects the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to approve early in 2022 (see The Town Line, Dec. 9, p. 1).

Stephen Greene

The goal is to continue improving water quality in China Lake, for environmental and economic benefits. The plan has six components, Greene said: reducing internal loading, the excess nutrients (especially phosphorus) already in the lake; reducing external loading by controlling run-off; preventing future external loading; informing and educating area residents; raising funds, locally and from other sources; and monitoring progress and results.

Absent specific plans, cost estimates are crude. Greene expects the external work to cost about a million dollars and the internal to add another $1.4 million.

One possibility for internal work is an alum treatment, a process in which aluminum sulfate would be added to the north end of China Lake’s east basin. The alum carries phosphorus in the water to the bottom of the lake and creates a barrier above phosphorus that is already in the bottom sediments.

Alum has been used in other lakes in Maine, including East Pond, in Smithfield, and in other states. Greene said more study, including more bottom sampling, is needed before a decision is made on whether a treatment would help China Lake.

He told selectmen the China Lake Association has turned over its ongoing programs – LakeSmart, Courtesy Board Inspectors, Youth Conservation Corps and Gravel Road Rehabilitation Program – to the China Region Lakes Alliance, so the Lake Association can focus on the management plan. He intends to ask for town funds in the 2022-23 budget.

Greene listed numerous cooperating groups and potential funding sources, from local organizations to state and federal governmental agencies. Asked if he had contacted the Town of Vassalboro, which surrounds part of China Lake’s west basin, he said no, but Vassalboro should be included.

Greene did not ask selectmen to take any action at the Dec. 20 meeting.

Other issues did require action, including voting to:

  • Appoint Trishea Story a full member of the Tax Increment Financing Committee, on which she has been the alternate member.
  • Appoint Stephen Nichols China’s Emergency Preparedness Director, with approval from Town Manager Rebecca Hapgood, who has had the position with Nichols as her deputy.
  • Maintain the present employees’ health plan for another year, with four board members in favor and Blane Casey dissenting (see The Town Line, Dec. 9, p. 3).

Hapgood called board members’ attention to the DEP’s Dec. 15 notice that PFAS testing will be conducted in China, to see if any land is contaminated with the “forever chemicals,” (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances).

The letter says DEP staff are working with Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry staff to locate any farmland in China where sludge or septic waste might have been applied. A state law that became effective in October prescribes and describes the investigation.

A copy of the letter is on the Town of China website, china.govoffice.com, under the sub-heading “Public Notices” under the “About” tab.

As part of 2022-23 budget preparations, Hapgood asked whether the current police services are satisfactory. China is now paying $65 an hour to the Kennebec Sheriff’s Office for 10 hours a week extra coverage, in addition to the service provided by KSO and the state police.

Select board members are satisfied. Wayne Chadwick asked whether a contract could be signed, to help with longer-range budgeting.

Deputy Ivano Stefanizzi said coverage is provided 24 hours a day; there is no change-over gap between shifts. He and his colleagues continue to stop many speeders between 4 and 7 a.m., he said.

If select board members decide not to revive the town police department, they are likely to ask voter’ permission to sell the town-owned police vehicle.

Hapgood said no bids had been received on the Harley-Davidson motorcycle the town has taken as part repayment of a loan from the Tax Increment Financing Revolving Loan Fund. She recommends trying again in the spring.

The next regular China select board meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 3, 2022.

Benjamin Lagasse earns rank of Eagle Scout

/0 Comments/in , /by

Recently, Kristie Lagasse, left, pinned the rank of Eagle Scout on her son, Benjamin Lagasse, from Troop #479, China, at his family home in Windsor. Several attempts to have a traditional Eagle Ceremony were canceled for concerns because of Covid-19. Benjamin is the 44th Scout to earn the Eagle Rank in Troop #479, in China. Benjamin’s Eagle project was to pre-plan and create a bench and sign placard for the north side of the Grange to provide a respite to enjoy watching the alewife returning to the stream near the Grange, in Vassalboro. Benjamin is the son of Keith and Kristie Lagasse, of Windsor. He is a sophomore at UMA, in Augusta, and is in the biology program. He is working towards a physical therapy degree. (contributed photo)

State to initiate an investigation into the presence of PFAS chemicals in China

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Photo: Richard Hurd (internet photo)

China Town Manager Rebecca Hapgood has received a letter from Susanne Miller, director of the Bureau of Remediation and Waste Management, relative to initiating an investigation into the presence of PFAS chemicals in the town. The letter follows:

China town manager Rebecca Hapgood. (photo by Eric W. Austin)

This letter is to inform you that the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is initiating an investigation into the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from the land application of sludge and/or septage in China. This is part of the DEP’s statewide investigation for the implementation of 2021 Public Law Chapter 478, An Act To Investigate Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Contamination of Land and Groundwater, effective October 18, 2021.

Sites have been identified based on DEP licensing information. To designate the approximate schedule for sampling, the DEP prioritized all sludge sites across the state into four Tiers (I, II, III, IV) based upon the following criteria:

  • The anticipated presence of high levels of PFAS substances in sludge or septage applied at a location; and/or
  • The volume of sludge or septage applied at a location; and/or
  • The proximity of a site to drinking water supplies.

The DEP is working closely with the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) to identify sites with historical sludge application which are currently being used for the production of agricultural products. As a first step, DEP and DACF will work to verify application history and locations of spreading and stockpiles. DEP and DACF staff may reach out to municipalities to gather information that will help in our investigation. DEP will request permission to sample soils and groundwater from properties where sludge and/or septage may have been land applied.

DEP will also request permission to sample and test drinking water supplies from individual homeowners in the direct vicinity of the site(s) for certain PFAS. The purpose of DEP’s investigation is to identify sites statewide that are impacted by PFAS, identify drinking water supplies that are impacted above Maine’s Interim Drinking Water Standard for PFAS, and provide impacted individuals with water that is below the standard.

DEP will share the sample results with DACF who may recommend modifications to farming practices based on a careful review of the data. DACF may also recommend additional sampling, including the testing of feed and other on-farm products, and the testing of additional soils to gain insight into any potential impacts that PFAS may have at farms.

PFAS are considered emerging contaminants and are not currently regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA). As an interim step, U.S. EPA has established a Health Advisory Level of 70 parts per trillion in drinking water for the combined total of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which are two of the most common forms of PFAS.

In Maine however, emergency legislation became effective June 21, 2021, setting forth an interim drinking water standard of 20 parts per trillion for the sum of six PFAS (PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFHxS, PFHpA, and PFDA). This is described in 2021 Public Law Chapter 82 Resolve, To Protect Consumers of Public Drinking Water by Establishing Maximum Contaminant Levels for Certain Substances and Contaminants. The DEP is using Maine’s more stringent standard for its investigation.

We understand that you may have questions and concerns regarding our investigation. General questions about the investigation by DEP or that are being conveyed to you through your constituents should be directed to David Madore, Deputy Commissioner and Communications Director, David.Madore@maine.gov, 207-287-5842. You can also visit our webpage located at: http://www.maine.gov/dep/spills/topics/pfas/index.html.

Any questions about an investigation by DEP at a specific property should be directed to Jim Pollock at 207-592-8343 or jim.c.pollock@maine.gov

If you have agricultural-related questions, please contact Nancy McBrady, Director of the Bureau of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources, Nancy.McBrady@maine.gov, 207-287-7522.

Thank you for your assistance in this important investigation.

Give Us Your Best Shot! for Thursday, December 16, 2021

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

To submit a photo for this section, please visit our contact page or email us at townline@townline.org!

BLAZING SKY: Tina Richard, of Clinton, photographed this fiery sunset from her backyard.

COLORFUL SUNSET: Summer resident Susan Thiem, of Corpus Christi, Texas, snapped the beautiful colors and sunset on China Lake.