Dangerous Fire at Local Trash Plant Calls for Closure

The trash plant across the Penobscot River in Hampden has burned twice in two years, raising serious concerns about safety and health. The facility, once called PERC and now the Eagle Point Energy Center, has been a source of noise, odor, and bright lights for over two decades. When the plant first caught fire, it burned for ten days and left many residents with breathing problems. The latest blaze was stopped more quickly, but the smoke spread over ten towns and carried dangerous chemicals like heavy metals, lithium, plastics, and dioxins.People living nearby feel the impact of this plant every day. They see it as an eyesore and worry about pollution in the Penobscot River, which also faces threats from another toxic site upstream. A cancer survivor who lives in the area says that such pollution could be linked to illness among neighbors. The town of Orrington must decide whether to shut the plant down permanently. Closing it would protect residents from ongoing pollution and help prevent future fires. A new plan for handling waste could keep the community safe and the river clean.