Juniper Ridge Landfill

Casella Waste Management, the operator of the state-owned Juniper Ridge Landfill in Old Town, has been cleared to apply for a license to expand.

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection has issued a draft decision approving the expansion's public benefit determination, despite opposition from the Penobscot Nation, area residents and environmental groups.

The proposed extension for the operator of the Juniper Ridge Landfill in Old town came under fire from area residents at a Thursday evening hearing.

Environmental activists have criticized Casella Waste Systems' management of the site and how it handles toxic sludge in recent years. Its proposed expansion and acceptance of out-of-state trash has also faced criticism from locals who worry about the landfill's environmental impact on their area.

The Old Town Fire Department says a neighbor reported the blaze around 8 pm and that crews were there for four-and-a-half hours.

State environmental officials say they support a two-year suspension of new restrictions on out-of-state waste.

State environmental officials plan to update lawmakers on Wednesday about what some view as a developing crisis over the disposal of sludge.

The private company that runs Maine's largest, state-owned landfill said it can no longer accept millions of pounds of sludge per month, forcing municipalities to change operations to avoid a potential environmental "crisis" as waste builds up at treatment plants.

The Senate unanimously approved the proposal late last week. The House of Representatives approved the bill in a 102-25 vote on Monday, and a spokesperson for Gov. Janet Mills said on Tuesday that she'll sign it.

The bill, approved by a 32-0 vote on Wednesday, aims to close a loophole that allowed out-of-state trash to be processed and reclassified in Maine, and then dumped in Maine’s only publicly owned landfill, Juniper Ridge, near Old Town.