DEER ISLE, Maine — After weeks of hauling, the massive ash pile at the Deer Isle transfer station has been removed.
The 1,800-ton pile of ashes has been a feature of the Deer Isle transfer station for decades. It stood over 15 feet high, which Deer Isle Town Manager Jim Fisher said was “way out of compliance” with state regulations.
The pile was originally thought to be contaminated with high levels of lead, which would have brought the cost of its removal up into the multimillion-dollar range. But testing showed relatively low lead levels, meaning the ashes could be trucked to the Juniper Ridge Landfill in Old Town at a much lower cost.
At an April 24 Deer Isle Select Board meeting, Fisher said the pile has been reduced to ground level but that the Maine Department of Environmental Protection may require the town to continue digging.
“It’s up to them to see if we have to dig down below grade,” Fisher said.
Instead of digging below ground level, Fisher said he’s asked the DEP for permission to pave over the site. The town had $300,000 allocated for ash pile removal but only spent about $225,000 in the operation. Fisher said the remaining funds could cover the cost of paving the site, creating a flat space that could house a new cardboard recycling compactor.
“We’ve eliminated the ash pile and we can pave it over with the money we have left,” Fisher said.
Fisher said a recent inspection of the transfer station by the DEP showed marked improvement of the space.
“It’s the best [inspection] we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Fisher said. “The place used to look like the Andes Mountains with piles of stuff everywhere.”
The town received a $50,000 state grant in October for a new cardboard recycling compactor. Unlike household trash, which costs the town $94 a ton to haul away, Fisher said cardboard recycling actually generates revenue for the transfer station. If the state gives the green light to pave, Fisher said it could open the door for a general reorganization of the transfer station.
“I’ve drawn and redrawn the master plan many times,” Fisher said. “The idea is to have an entrance road that goes through recycling stations and household trash compactors then out an exit road. In theory everyone could go around in a circle and take care of everything.”
But even as Deer Isle works to improve its transfer station, the future of waste removal on the Island remains uncertain. Both Deer Isle and Stonington have signed letters of intent for a contract with Eagle Point Energy Center (EPEC), the corporation that purchased and intends to rebuild the Orrington waste to energy plant.
In April, EPEC officials met with the Stonington and Deer Isle select boards to discuss new 15-year trash contracts. Roy Donnelly, the EPEC plant’s project manager, said the Orrington facility is expected to start burning municipal waste again in 2026, but that its success is dependent on contracts from area towns and a legislative bill governing the sale of its electricity.
Right now, all of Deer Isle’s household trash is being hauled to the Juniper Ridge Landfill under an old contract with the now defunct Penobscot Energy Recovery Company.
This story appears through a media partnership with the Penobscot Bay Press.
