July 17, 2025

This newly produced animation highlights the ongoing impacts of Juniper Ridge Landfill on the Penobscot watershed and the pollution affecting front line communities, including the Penobscot Nation.

This Friday, July 18th, at 1pm, Penobscot Nation and Conservation Law Foundation will be presenting oral arguments for Penobscot Nation v . Maine Department of Environmental Protection at a hearing at Penobscot County Superior Court, located at 78 Exchange Street in Bangor. The hearing is open to the public 

A rally for the River and Environmental Justice will be held outside the courthouse at 12pm.

Penobscot Nation and Conservation Law Foundation are bringing the Maine Department of Environmental Protection to Superior Court on Friday, July 18th, 2025, appealing the department’s ruling that an expansion of the Juniper Ridge Landfill in Old Town adheres to “public benefit” and Environmental Justice criteria. Juniper Ridge Landfill (JRL) is owned by the state, but privately run by Casella Waste Systems. Surrounding communities experience air pollution from noxious odors, methane releases, and fires. JRL’s toxic leachate is trucked to the ND Paper Mill, processed and dumped into the Penobscot River’s sustenance fishing waters. Despite legislative efforts, Juniper Ridge Landfill continues to accept out-of-state waste.

Penobscot Nation and CLF assert the Maine DEP has sidestepped a statute requiring the equal protection of surrounding communities from waste pollution and that the Penobscot people are not being equally protected from waste pollution’s harm to their health, sustenance fishing, and cultural survival. This is the first instance of the Environmental Justice requirement being tested, setting precedent for future cases.

Hearing and Rally for Penobscot Nation v . Maine Department of Environmental Protection

WHEN: Friday, July 18th

12 PM – Community Rally and Press Conference

1 PM – Oral Arguments begin for Penobscot Nation and Conservation Law Foundation v. ME DEP

WHERE: The Penobscot Superior Court, 78 Exchange Street, Bangor

WEAR BLUE to show solidarity (no shorts, gum, or signs inside the court room)

For more information on the Penobscot Nation’s and CLF’s case against the DEP watch:

“Environmental Justice: An Age Old Saga – Penobscot Nation Takes a Stand Against Juniper Ridge Landfill”

“Environmental Justice: An Age Old Saga – Penobscot Nation Takes a Stand Against Juniper Ridge Landfill” — produced by Sunlight Media Collective