Westbrook residents got a chance to express their opinions Thursday night to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection about Sappi Fine Paper’s plan to burn construction debris.
At a public hearing at Westbrook High School, some residents told Department of Environmental Protection representatives that burning waste would harm residents and bring back the days of smell and pollution from the mill, while others said they support the move by Sappi.
The company has filed an application for a permit to burn the debris, which the state is currently evaluating. A representative for the state estimated that a decision on the permit would most likely come within the next two months.
The material, which would consist of old lumber and construction debris sorted and processed into small chips, would be used to help fuel one of the mill’s boilers. The plan to burn waste wood has garnered criticism by residents, who are concerned burning the waste will result in air pollution or a smell. However, the company and the Department of Environmental Protection have said that burning the debris would cause no ill effects on the community.
For a complete story, see the Nov. 22 issue of the American Journal.
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