EAST MILLINOCKET, Maine — State leaders want to hear from businesses willing to run the Dolby landfill commercially, thereby possibly saving the state as much as $46.5 million over the next 30 years, the governor’s office said Friday.
Officials from the Maine State Planning Office hope to issue requests for proposals in two or three weeks. The state would entertain proposals from firms willing to lease or buy the landfill, said Adrienne Bennett, Gov. Paul LePage’s spokeswoman.
If the state could lease or sell the landfill, it would also create jobs and revenue for East Millinocket, said Rep. Herbert Clark, D-Millinocket. In addition, he said, it would relieve East Millinocket and Millinocket of pressure from LePage to contribute funds or manpower to landfill operations, which cost about $254,100 annually.
“These towns don’t have a lot of money to do this long term. Millinocket came up with a number [a proposal to contribute $50,000 to the landfill’s operations for a year] and East Millinocket came up with a proposal of services,” Clark said Friday.
The state could probably use another landfill, state officials have said. Estimates place the life remaining in the state’s landfills at six to 10 years.
However, state laws prohibiting new or expanded commercial landfills might have to be changed, and officials from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection have expressed doubt whether Dolby has enough room to accommodate the state’s trash needs.
Also, Dolby is limited to serving as a disposal site for the new Great Northern Paper Co. LLC mill in East Millinocket, and changing that would take at least five to seven years, officials have said.
Still, other forms of landfill operations not specifically addressed by state law might be allowed, said a LePage administration official who declined to be identified. The Legislature could also vote to approve exceptions to the law, he said.
The Legislature voted in June to take ownership of the dump, thereby clearing the way for the eventual purchase of the two Katahdin region paper mills, as no would-be buyer wanted the landfill’s cleanup and maintenance costs.
State officials have estimated it would cost roughly $31.9 million to run the landfill commercially plus another $14.6 million to close a filled portion of Dolby, but town officials have said those costs could be more than offset by tipping fees and other charges commercial landfills pass on to their customers.
Clark said he was unsure whether operating Dolby commercially would be preferable. He is concerned, he said, that commercial dump traffic would jam Route 157 through Medway, East Millinocket and Millinocket, and whether residents would want the landfill run commercially.
State officials hope to have proposals returned from businesses by April.
Quimby Land….. ;-)
“Quimby Lookout”
Possibly$46.5 million cost projected over the next 30 years. Cheap enough as long as it shields the millbilly’s from reality, I guess. What would the state have to give away to entice someone to assume responsibility for this toxic crocodile just yards away from the river. That would be the $64 question.
It wont matter because the state will own it therefore we will be the toxic offenders, The operator will be free and clear of any wrong doing . Thats why the state owns them , cant sue yourself ! Just like the old town one ! Casella runs that for the state of Maine !
Thanks for the clarification of the matter of ownership. Knowing that the state has just recently chained this dead duck around its neck in perpetuity should be a matter of relief to every concerned taxpayer.
You don’t pay taxes to Maine !! Why does this bother you ?
Anyone that looks at this site can see it is a disaster waiting to be exploited. Money,money,money is the engine of this disastrous landfill. A pond within yards, come on! Could anyone but big business or the state get this landfill licensed? Lepage, CLOSE THIS DUMP, SAVE OUR STATE.
It’s called a pond but in reality it’s the West branch of the Penobscot.
Baldacci will send Casella right up to take care of us, just be ready to increase the size of the existing landfill cause bigger is always better !
Go have a glass of milk and cookies. Orreos were made for situations like this.
has anyone ever done soil test on that stuff to see if places like earthgro/scotts could use the stuff in that landfill?
Excellent idea!! The yuppies can spread good ole Dolby sludge around their homes instead of expensive bark mulch. We’ll even add die to it like they do to bark mulch. It’s just discarded wood fiber anyway, with a few other unmentionable additions.
I think it would be a good material to make torrified wood from.
The unmentionables are very much like the defoliants that came to be known as agent orange. Now add some construction waste, if the arsenic, don’t getcha then the other heavy metals will. This is what is leaching into the Penobscot from the landfills around Old Town and what do we get? I OWE my soul. 25 jobs in Millinocket.
It can be composted in Canada. Before the mill went down they were shipping most of what the mill produced to Frederick New Brunswick.There is a large composting facility there.
It would be nice to look for a Maine based company other than Cianbro to manage this site. I’m sure it will be contracted out of state because it will be a couple bucks cheaper. Sick business tactics.
Once again I see Nick Sambides is reading the Lincoln News. This story and a couple of others were reported in the paper a couple of weeks prior to Nick reporting in the BDN.
Clark is worried about jamming 157 through Medway and East, oh boy that would be bad for the area business wouldn’t it.
You load millions of tons of waste and what do we get. Another day older and deeper in —-. The union advocates and the town officials will be out and loaded for beer. What they really are looking to do is: build a pile of sludge high enough to block from sight any chance that people will want to come here as tourist. Shame on you
I think they ought to rename the Dolby landfill Mt. Lepage. As to the Millinocket Town Council, they sold their soles to the company stores.
And they want to do away with LURC!
To many Regulations on buisness like, you cant throw toxic waste into the river!