Responses from Don’t Waste Maine Waste Questionnaire : DWME submitted questionnaires to all the candidates running for Governor in the primary and received responses from Rick Bennett and Hannah Pingree
Rick Bennett:
1. Maine’s state-owned landfill, Juniper Ridge in Old Town, set aside by statute for Maine waste, is rapidly reaching capacity with waste and sludge brought in from other states. As Governor will you: Save Maine’s disposal capacity at Juniper Ridge and support efforts to set up the infrastructure and regulation that requires sludge to be dried and reduced in volume before it is landfilled?
Yes. In 2003, Juniper Ridge was purchased as a state asset to serve Maine people, not to become a regional dumping ground. In 2022, the Legislature passed LD 1639, which I strongly supported, to close the loophole that allowed out-of-state waste to be reclassified as “Maine waste” after passing through in-state facilities. Since then, Casella Waste Systems has been threatening to reject sludge from municipal waste water treatment plants, and charging taxpayers more to dispose of their sludge. They blame both LD 1639 and LD 1911, which was an important new law to ban the spreading of PFAS contaminated sludge on Maine farmland.
Just last year, LD 297 was a bill that aimed to delay the loophole closure and allow unlimited crushed waste from out of state to be used for landfill cover—a practice that has nothing to do with sludge stabilization and everything to do with corporate profit. I vehemently opposed that bill. There is no technical requirement to use out-of-state construction and demolition debris to stabilize sludge. Other landfill operators use contaminated soil, wood chips, or municipal solid waste, or they invest in dewatering and drying technologies. Maine should support that infrastructure. As Governor, I will hold Casella accountable to Maine law, preserve Juniper Ridge capacity for Maine waste, and require sludge to be properly treated before disposal.
[You can watch my remarks defending LD 1639 on the Senate floor, just before it received a unanimous vote of support, here: https://legislature.maine.gov/Audio/#senate_chamber?event=86137&startDate=2022-04-07T10:00:00-04:00 (begins at 1:34)]
2. Tens of thousands of tons of waste from out of state processed at Maine facilities is re-classified as Maine waste when entering recycling facilities where it is mixed with Maine waste. As Governor will you: Require recycling facilities to record the tonnage from different states be kept distinct from each other in order to have accurate accounting of out-of-state waste?
Yes. In 2022, the Legislature closed the loophole that allowed “out of state waste laundering” through facilities like ReSource in Lewiston. Under current law (38 M.R.S § 1303-C), facilities cannot send more waste to Juniper Ridge than they originally received from Maine sources. Any excess is out-of-state waste and is barred from the landfill. That means accurate accounting by state of origin. The law is clear. As Governor, I will enforce it. No more exemptions. Maine’s landfill is for Maine waste, and companies that profit from importing waste from Massachusetts and New Hampshire will be held accountable.
3. Over half of Maine waste is landfilled in Penobscot County. This disproportionally impacts the Penobscot Nation and all surrounding towns with water, air and land pollution that endangers public health and the environment. As Governor will you: Support Environmental Justice by evaluating and limiting the impact on communities unequally affected by pollution?
Yes. The Penobscot Nation and communities surrounding the landfill should not be treated as a sacrifice zone. Juniper Ridge sends millions of gallons of toxic leachate every year to a facility that was never designed to handle landfill toxins, and that “treated” leachate is discharged into the Penobscot River. Fish in that river now test high for PFAS, threatening the treaty rights and cultural identity of a riverine people whose lives are inseparable from that water. This is environmental injustice, and it is unacceptable.
Just recently, Maine’s courts blocked the State’s attempt to expand Juniper Ridge because officials failed to properly consider environmental justice in the public benefit determination—a requirement recently codified in state law. That new law and court decision was a victory for the Penobscot Nation, Don’t Waste Maine, and for accountability. I am watching the appeal closely. As Governor, I will enforce environmental justice standards, evaluate and limit the disproportionate burden pollution places on the Penobscot Nation and surrounding communities, and reject any proposal that treats Indigenous homelands as dumping grounds for regional waste. With Casella’s 30-year contract expiring in seven years, Maine must open the process to competition and demand an operator committed to responsible, transparent management in the public interest.
4. Do you have a policy for managing waste that: reduces volume and toxicity of waste; conserves and reuses resources; shares burdens more equitably; promotes environmental justice and the right to live safely in our communities; and provides transparent public participation in policy and licensing decisions?
Yes. My approach to waste policy is built on a record of environmental leadership and a deep commitment to protecting Maine’s natural resources. In addition to championing the laws to close the out of state waste loophole and ban land-application of PFAS contaminated sludge, I was the lead senate co-sponsor of Maine’s Extended Producer Responsibility law for packaging, which shifts waste management costs from municipalities and taxpayers to the companies that produce the packaging in the first place. I have strongly supported Maine’s product stewardship laws, which prevent waste at its source.
While recycling is a key strategy to conserve natural resources, I see Maine as a national leader for systems of reuse. With the influx of funding that will come into Maine through the packaging law, we can build out the infrastructure for reuse systems—washing facilities, delivery networks, and collection systems—that keep toxics and trash out of landfills and incinerators, preserve resources, and create jobs. The next Governor will need to fully implement that law because it’s a critical step to help municipalities pay for and improve their waste systems while reducing the burden on property taxpayers.
Transparency and public participation are not optional. Democracy only works when the people it serves can actually see it working. That means no more backroom deals, no more no-bid contracts. With Casella’s 30-year contract expiring in seven years, Maine must open the process to competition and ensure every Mainer—not just those with lobbyists and lawyers—has a real voice in who manages our public landfill and how.
Waste management is environmental justice. It is public health. And it requires a Governor willing to stand up to powerful corporate interests who are profiting off of the current extractive system, enforce the laws we pass, open the doors to real public participation, and put Maine communities first.
Hannah Pingree
1. Maine’s state-owned landfill, Juniper Ridge in Old Town, set aside by statute for Maine waste, is rapidly reaching capacity with waste and sludge brought in from other states.
As Governor will you: Save Maine’s disposal capacity at Juniper Ridge and support efforts to set up the infrastructure and regulation that requires sludge to be dried and reduced in volume before it is landfilled?
Yes. I am concerned about the issues at Juniper Ridge, and I believe they require action, and I would work proactively on a plan to address them, and reconsider acceptance of out of state waste. I also think we need more consultation with the Tribal Nations and surrounding communities as we consider the issues with Juniper Ridge.
I would support efforts to set up the infrastructure and regulation necessary to ensure sludge is dried and reduced in volume before it is landfilled and I supported DEP’s bond proposal to do that last year. I’d also continue to support efforts to reduce landfill reliance through statewide investments in recycling, composting, and waste diversion infrastructure. That being said, Maine’s landfill issues are at a crisis point – especially due to sewage sludge, PFAS issues and capacity – and the next Governor will need a thoughtful plan to address it.
2. Tens of thousands of tons of waste from out of state processed at Maine facilities is reclassified as Maine waste when entering recycling facilities where it is mixed with Maine waste.
As Governor will you: Require recycling facilities to record the tonnage from different states be kept distinct from each other in order to have accurate accounting of out-of-state waste?
Yes. I support efforts to better track out of state waste and believe we must also reconsider, long-term, the acceptance of out-of-state waste.
I would support requiring recycling facilities to record the tonnage from different states and keep that accounting distinct so Maine has accurate information about out-of-state waste.
3. Over half of Maine waste is landfilled in Penobscot County. This disproportionally impacts the Penobscot Nation and all surrounding towns with water, air and land pollution that endangers public health and the environment.
As Governor will you: Support Environmental Justice by evaluating and limiting the impact on communities unequally affected by pollution?
Yes. As I said above, I’m very concerned about these issues and would absolutely support evaluating and limiting the impact on Tribal Nations. To this end, l would welcome regular engagement with the Tribal Chiefs and their representatives from each Tribal Nation, inviting the leaders of Tribal Nations to quarterly government and government meetings to address these issues and others facing the Nations. My approach would also include reworking co-management of environmental resources with the Penobscot Nation and expanding environmental justice consultation in DEP’s landfill siting laws.
4. Do you have a policy for managing waste that: reduces volume and toxicity of waste; conserves and reuses resources; shares burdens more equitably; promotes environmental justice and the right to live safely in our communities; and provides transparent public participation in policy and licensing decisions?
Yes. My policy would focus both on reducing landfill reliance through statewide investments in recycling, composting, and waste diversion infrastructure but also in creating a more robust state and local partnership on waste management – that doesn’t leave responsibility to communities alone but includes consultation with communities most impacted by current facilities or any newly proposed facilities.
Expanding manufacturer responsibility through thoughtful EPR policies—building on Maine’s nation-leading bottle bill and mattress law—should be part of the solution, as should developing a deconstruction network to keep construction and demolition debris out of landfills and create a local stream of reusable building materials.
I have long supported strong chemical disclosure laws and holding manufacturers accountable—beginning with my successful Kid-Safe Products Act in 2008 and would continue to do so as governor when it comes to PFAS accountability and responsibility. As governor, I will continue to back meaningful reforms that put the health of Maine people, farmers, and communities ahead of polluters. I think we need to work hard to hold polluters, like PFAS producers, responsible for the impacts of these chemicals on our communities, health and waste management.
Finally, Maine needs stronger, comprehensive environmental testing and monitoring, particularly for PFAS and other contaminants, and a systematic approach that brings together environmental leaders, Tribal Nations, municipalities, and scientific experts to address solid waste and landfill management.
As governor, I will lead a transparent, open state government that strengthens public confidence and makes it easier for citizens to engage. Increasing opportunities for participation—especially for those facing the greatest barriers—and ensuring transparency at every level will help build trust, improve outcomes, and create stronger support for state policies. I have done that work through Maine’s climate planning process – which now includes more robust strategies on waste management and environmental justice. And I’d continue to do that as governor.
As governor, I would expand on this record—making public information easy to access, creating clear avenues for participation, and improving how state government works for Maine people, from navigating health care programs to DEP permitting.
