Maine's wastewater 'sludge' is no longer being shipped to Canada
OLD TOWN (WGME) -- After months of having to divert municipal wastewater sludge from Maine to Canada, the CBS13 I-Team has learned those shipments have now stopped.
According to Casella Waste Systems, they were able to stop diverting sludge, also known as biosolids, to Canada on July 10, after a piece of emergency legislation was signed into law by Governor Janet Mills.
The new law allows Casella, the operator of the state's landfill in Old Town, to import more bulky waste and construction materials to mix in with the sludge and help make the landfill more stable.
As the CBS 13 I-Team has been reporting, Casella previously had to divert wastewater sludge away from the Juniper Ridge Landfill after stability concerns.
The company said the slippery sludge made things too unstable, leading them to drop the amount they'd accept by 60 percent. The company blamed a state law passed in 2022 that prevented them from taking construction debris from Massachusetts to mix in with the sludge.
Much of that sludge ended up being shipped across the border to New Brunswick, Canada. The I-Team reported in May that the about 3,600 tons were being exported there every month. That's equal to about 130 truckloads.
Casella said since they no longer have to divert those biosolids to Canada they've also decreased certain fees that municipal wastewater districts had to pay to help with the shipments.
The new law allows for the increased importation of bulky waste for the next two years. Legislators and Casella say it will help buy them time to find a more long-term solution.