Water Ceremony and Rally Highlights Strong Community Opposition toLandfill Expansion

May 4, 2025

[OLD TOWN, ME] — Penobscot Nation citizens, impacted community members with Don’t Waste ME, Slingshot, Sunlight Media Collective and others honored the Penobscot River and called out the injustice of the state owned, privately operated Juniper Ridge Landfill on Sunday.

Speakers at the rally voiced fierce opposition to the proposed expansion of the Juniper Ridge Landfill, noting the repeated environmental health impacts of the landfill on the River and surrounding communities and the mismanagement of the landfill by its private operator, Casella Waste Systems.

Elders of the Penobscot Nation led a water ceremony prior to the rally which was an opportunity for participants to honor the River and its deep spiritual and cultural significance to the Penobscot Nation and its citizen

“This is a classic case of environmental injustice,” explains Darren Ranco, Chair of Native American Programs & Professor of Anthropology at University of Maine. “The state is captured and being exploited by the current polluter manager to solve the problem that they all created—all the while creating more pollution and more environmental risk for already threatened communities like the Penobscot Nation

Juniper Ridge Landfill is located in West Old Town between Pushaw Stream and Birch Stream which both flow into the Penobscot River. Leachate, a toxic liquid by-product of the landfill process, is trucked regularly from Juniper Ridge to the ND mill in Old Town where it receives minimal treatment before being released into the Penobscot River, directly below the Penobscot Nation. The leachate is not treated for PFAS, a class of highly toxic chemicals referred to as “forever chemicals.”

“Water is water, and water knows no boundaries,” explains Maria Girouard, Penobscot Nation Tribal Councilor. “The fact that Juniper Ridge Landfill has been involved in dumping leachate into the Penobscot River for a number of years, we’ve now learned about the concerns and the impacts of the PFAS and how that is impacting how we grow food, how we can hunt, and how we can fish.”

The impacted area is traditional sustenance fishing waters for the Penobscot Nation, but is also codified by a 2020 state law for “Sustenance fishing designated use,” that protects human consumption of fish for nutritional and cultural purposes. The Penobscot Nation and local residents have also experienced air pollution from the landfill, including noxious odors, the routine burning of methane gas, small fires and a larger fire in 2023 that covered the surrounding area in toxic ash.

“The culture of the Penobscot Nation leads by example, showing us how to respect positive values passed on to us from former generations and tread more lightly during our brief time on Planet Earth. This is in sharp contrast to Casella’s greed and disregard for human and animal life,” said Ed Spencer, member of Don’t Waste ME and abutter to Juniper Ridge Landfill. “All Mainers need to pay strict attention during this critical time for Maine to reform our waste policies.”

Casella Waste Systems is currently applying for an expansion of Juniper Ridge that would increase the landfill’s capacity by 11.9 million cubic yards, or the equivalent of 8.6 Empire State Buildings worth of waste. and extend the life of the landfill to 2040. As part of this process, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection is legally obligated to determine whether an expansion has “public benefit.” They also must consider Environmental Justice when looking at the industrial facility’s impact on surrounding communities, including the Penobscot Nation.

Despite a public hearing this past fall where numerous community members gave passionate testimony opposing the landfill’s pollution and the proposed expansion, the DEP decided Casella had met the public benefits criteria, stating, ”The Department finds that expansion of JRL is not inconsistent with ensuring environmental justice for the community in which the facility is proposed.”

Penobscot Nation and Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) have filed an appeal of this decision in Superior Court, arguing that the expansion cannot meet the standards for a positive Public Benefits Determination because it is inconsistent with the State of Maine’s Solid Waste Management Hierarchy and with ensuring environmental justice for impacted communities adjacent to the landfill. Environmental justice means the right to be protected from environmental pollution and to live in and enjoy a clean and healthful environment.

“Today’s rally shows that there is strong community opposition to the expansion. Juniper Ridge is a toxic, poorly run landfill. Forcing the Penobscot Nation and local community members to be in a “sacrifice zone” in order to solve the state’s waste problem is unjust and short-sighted,” shared Dana Colihan, Co-Executive Director of Slingshot. “We will fight this every step of the way.”

This week the Maine legislative Committee on Environment and Natural Resources is considering four bills relating to Juniper Ridge Landfill and waste management in Maine. This includes LD 297, a bill that would rollback environmental health protections, reopening a loophole that would allow for the importation of out-of-state waste to Juniper Ridge Landfill. LD 1604 seeks to protect Maine surface and groundwater from PFAS in landfill leachate. A public hearing on all four bills was held last week. Public comment is still being accepted for the bills ahead of the work session on Wednesday.

“The Penobscot River is the heart of our community. There are serious concerns about the management of Juniper Ridge and pollution from the site. That’s why I’ve submitted bills to increase legislative oversight and require testing for toxic chemicals in water near the landfill. We must act to protect our wildlife, our drinking water and the natural heritage we leave for our kids.”— Sen. Mike Tipping, Penobscot County.

There has already been some great press coverage of the Water Ceremony and Rally:
      • Maine Morning Star: https://mainemorningstar.com/2025/05/05/without-action-old-town-residents-worry-town-will-be-sacrifice-zone-to-juniper-ridge/?emci=3121a6dd-7828-f011-8b3d-6045bded8cca&emdi=e843ea80-a029-f011-8b3d-6045bded8cca&ceid=514131
      • Fox 22 WFVX Bangor:  https://www.foxbangor.com/news/protesters-rally-against-the-expansion-of-maines-largest-landfill/article_bcd88a9b-0873-477f-af46-0a7cd24bb9a4.html
      • Wabi 5: https://www.wabi.tv/2025/05/04/penobscot-nation-environmental-organizations-community-speak-out-against-landfill-expansion/
      • Maine Public: https://www.mainepublic.org/environment-and-outdoors/2025-05-05/environmental-advocates-penobscot-nation-citizens-rally-against-juniper-ridge-landfill-expansion
      • News Center Maine: https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/residents-resist-plans-expansion-maine-juniper-ridge-landfill/97-184406ac-9ccf-418f-9b2d-9d6660211078

Don’t Waste ME is a coalition of residents across Maine advocating for responsible policies that protect the health of communities most at risk from negative impacts of landfill, incinerator, leachate and sludge disposal operations.

Sunlight Media Collective is a collective of Indigenous and non-Indigenous media makers and activists working to document and present stories highlighting Wabanaki perspectives, with a particular emphasis on the intersection between environmental issues and Tribal rights.

Slingshot is a nonprofit environmental health and justice organization that works alongside communities most impacted by environmental health threats to take aim at polluters and build community power.