Sagadahoc Sen. Tepler Urges Maine to Reduce Solid Waste, Upgrade Facilities

Sen. Denise Tepler (D‑Sagadahoc) published a guest column on Feb. 26 urging state investment to upgrade aging solid‑waste and recycling facilities after a 2024 Maine Department of Environmental Protection report warned Juniper Ridge Landfill in Old Town will exceed current capacity within the next two years. Juniper Ridge is described in Tepler’s column as the only state‑owned waste‑processing facility in Maine and is “now responsible for handling nearly 90% of all biosolids in Maine.”

Tepler said the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources visited Juniper Ridge “to prepare for the current legislative session,” noting wastewater sludge, commonly referred to as biosolids, is a primary driver of the facility filling up. The DEP finding that intake will exceed capacity within roughly two years from the 2024 report frames an urgent policy choice: expand Juniper Ridge, build alternatives, or reduce the volume of solid waste statewide.

Tepler explicitly raised cost and environmental concerns about expansion: “I worry that if we were to expand Juniper Ridge, it would be expensive, time-consuming and counterproductive to our goal of protecting Maine’s land and waters.” Her column argues for both investment in facility upgrades and stronger waste‑reduction measures; she added she will “continue to advocate for and introduce legislation that will allow for the better management of Maine’s waste so we can protect the lands and waters that we call home.”

PFAS‑contaminated biosolids figure centrally in the debate. Tepler wrote that “PFAS‑infused biosolids are the main byproduct of the wastewater treatment process” and that it is “no longer legal to spread these contaminated products on our farmlands,” which has concentrated biosolids handling at Juniper Ridge. The legal change, combined with the facility’s outsized share of biosolids, increases pressure on state planning and budgeting for solid‑waste infrastructure.

Municipal wastewater operators and other witnesses who submitted testimony to the Legislature in connection with LD 1604 warned against rapid statewide regulatory timelines and urged science‑based decision making. Testimony filed April 16, 2025 said, “We ask that this committee consider the complexity of the issue, and not unintentionally penalize the hard-working wastewater facilities throughout our State who are now challenged with managing these chemicals that society asked for, manufactured and benefited from.” The same testimony cautioned, “Asking the DEP to establish effluent discharge limits on facilities like ours, especially in the timeframe established in this bill, is simply not realistic.”

Tepler’s column provides next steps for constituents and signals forthcoming policy action: “To stay up to date with these efforts, you can subscribe to my regular e-newsletter at mainesenate.org. If you ever have any concerns that you would like to see addressed or opinions you would like to share, please do not hesitate to contact me. You can email me at (/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection), or you can call my office at (207) 287-1515. I look forward to hearing from you.” Lawmakers now face a decision point between costly facility expansion, new treatment technologies, and statewide source‑control measures as the Legislature moves into debate over PFAS limits and solid‑waste funding.