Plans to expand a biosolids processing plant for sewage biosolids in Brunswick have alarmed residents who are still coping with the aftermath of a toxic forever chemical spill on a former naval air base just six months ago.
Critics of the proposed expansion question why Delaware-based Viridi Energy would import PFAS-laden waste into Maine at a time when the state is struggling to process its own sewage sludge.
Before last summer, the water in Amy Self's well was just fine.
But then 1,450 gallons of PFAS-laden firefighting foam spilled out of an airplane hanger at the redeveloped naval base near her Brunswick home. The spill contaminated nearby water and soil with chemicals that have been connected to human health disorders. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are sometimes called forever chemicals because of their incredible durability in natural environments.
Now, Self and her family don’t dare drink the water, which she said has PFAS concentrations many times above what’s considered safe. They wound up paying $35,000 from their retirement account to retrofit their house and hook up to town water.
"We couldn't play Russian roulette with waiting for the numbers to either dip or elevate because it is a moving target," Self said.
Self and many others locals are outraged by Viridi’s plans to truck thousands of tons of sludge into a growing residential area. They fear that the plant will be a source of pollution that could spread far outside town lines.
"This isn't just a Brunswick, Maine issue," Self said. "This is a state of Maine issue because it's a forever chemical. Once it's in there, we have no recourse."
Viridi said it has designed, constructed or operated ten renewable natural gas plants in North America. Last year it bought an anaerobic digester located at the former air base, now called Brunswick Landing.
The company wants to expand the operation to make pipeline-quality gas from biosolids, the stuff left over after processing at a wastewater treatment plant.
"Our commitment is to ensuring that the project is something that all the residents the town of Brunswick and all Mainers can be proud of," said Viridi advisor Chet Benham at a town council meeting in January.
Benham said the plant will produce enough gas to heat 3,000 homes. And it will generate 2.2 megawatts of power, mostly going to businesses at Brunswick landing.
The plant could help Maine and Brunswick meet targets to reduce greenhouse gas and increase renewable energy.
"Whether you believe in climate change, helping in the fight against climate change, or you believe in energy independence, projects like this are an important part of not just the New England energy ecosystem, but nationally as well," Benham told councilors.
Viridi said it could process about 85,000 tons of sludge per year. That’s roughly the same amount that Maine produces.
And the company said it may bring in more sludge — up to 50% of its supply — from out of state. That just doesn't make sense to Sarah Woodbury of the Environmental nonprofit Defend our Health.
"We are already dealing with a massive sludge disposal problem here in the state of Maine," Woodbury said.
Since the state banned using biosolids as fertilizer three years ago following the discovery of PFAS contamination on farmland, most of Maine's sludge has been trucked to the state-owned Juniper Ridge landfill in Old Town. And it's on track to run out of space in less than 15 years unless Maine can reduce the its sludge volumes or find other places to dispose of the waste, according to a 2023 state report.
But there are efforts underway to mange the problem. That includes a drying plant under construction by Waste Management at its Crossroads Landfill in Norridgewock. The company said that facility is designed to process 73,000 tons of biosolids a year.
"Our permits allow the facility to accept volume from elsewhere, but our focus remains in Maine," said Waste Management spokesperson Garrett Trierweiler.
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection has also floated a $50 million bond to aid wastewater treatment plants install equipment to treat and manage sludge.
Given those developments, Woodbury, from Defend our Health, said Viridi's plan to truck imported waste in and out near neighborhoods already scarred by a PFAS spill doesn't seem like a good option.
"To be clear, we're supportive of dryers and digesters. We're working with the [DEP] on a bond measure to help some wastewater facilities do this. But it needs to be in the right location, and this is not the right location,"
But some argue Maine has to do something soon, and it may not produce enough biosolids on its own to justify the massive cost of new treatment facilities.
Scott Firmin, wastewater director for the Portland Water District, said sludge disposal costs have doubled since 2022. But investing in its own processor could cost the district tens of millions of dollars.
"I'm not sure that Maine has sufficient quantities of biosolids to make these cost effective on their own," Firmin said. "I believe the state will benefit from having multiple options for managing biosolids."
Meanwhile Amy Self and other members of the group Brunswick United for a Safe Environment said they will fight the new project at the same time they push to remove PFAS foam from the old air base and demand accountability for the spill last summer.
"The disaster that happened in August, it didn't end," Self said. "The foam was removed, but the actual chemical is still leaching into the environment."
Viridi said its plant could reduce volumes by almost 90%, from 85,000 tons to just 10,000. But the remaining waste would still be trucked to Juniper Ridge.
The company is trying to get a zoning change from Brunswick officials to move its plans forward.
The company declined an interview request. In a statement, CEO Dan Crouse said that all of its work is build on a bedrock of safety and compliance.
"We are highly sensitive to what residents endured in August, which is why we have planned for a state-of-the-art facility that ensures environmental responsibility is considered in every aspect of its development and operation," Crouse said.
