Trash from the still smoldering Orrington waste facility is being trucked to Juniper Ridge Landfill, with hopes of having the facility cleared in about two weeks.
A fire started before 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Eagle Point Energy Center, formerly known as Penobscot Energy Recovery Co. There are still hot spots and burning trash as of Monday afternoon, Orrington Fire Chief Scott Stewart said.
Trash pulled from the warehouse is being loaded onto trucks and taken to Juniper Ridge Landfill after it’s confirmed to be a safe temperature, Town Manager Chris Backman said. At least 15 loads, totaling around 500 to 600 tons, were taken Monday.
It’s likely to take 16 to 18 days to remove the roughly 6,000 tons of trash in the 200-by-400-foot building, Backman said.
There’s been considerable progress on reducing the smoke at the plant, which is down at least 50 percent in the area, Stewart said. It is still causing air pollution across the midcoast and eastern interior Maine.
Firefighters are at the facility 24 hours a day and hope to clear the scene by Friday, Stewart said.
