More than a dozen environmental improvement projects are now being funded through a settlement to clean up mercury contamination in the Penobscot River.
In addition to remediation, the 2022 agreement also requires Mallinckrodt US LLC, the former owner of the closed HoltraChem facility, to pay $20 million for various projects, including land conservation, a recreational boat launch facility in Orrington, and a fishway at the Frankfort Dam.
The Penobscot Nation will also receive funds to improve water quality, and boost knowledge and awareness of mercury pollution in wild fish.
Mitch Bernard, the chief counsel for the Natural Resources Defense Council, said the projects will help communities harmed by decades of pollution.
"I think that's the essential purpose, it's to, in recognition of the pollution in the river. It's to do good things to the river and to help it to accelerate its recovery," Bernard said.
Bernard said the projects will help communities improve the river, with more projects likely to be funded in the future. But with decades of pollution, and requirements for state and federal permitting, Bernard expects complete remediation to take a long time.
"I think it's useful to keep in mind that the pollution began in the 1960s," Bernard said. "And I hope people will be patient about the fact that accelerating the river's recovery, will take will take a good chunk of time."
Mallinckrodt will be required to pay at least $187 million in total, as part of the settlement.
