ORRINGTON, Maine — Update
Officials held a press conference Friday to provide updates on the fire.
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Officials are warning people who live near the former PERC facility to keep their windows closed after a fire last night sent significant smoke into the air, the Orrington Fire Department said in a press release.
The advisory is for Orrington, Brewer, Bangor, Bucksport, and Hampden residents.
Some residents said they are feeling the impact of the smoke.
"We just live right down the road from where it happened, where it is. It's really smokey, you gotta go out with a mask," Orrington resident Jen Abbott said. "This morning it actually made me sick. So basically, in and out, you want to stay indoors, have your windows down."
Crews were still at the scene of the fire as of Wednesday. According to Orrington Fire Chief Scott Stewart, the fire is contained but will take several days to fully extinguish.
"We're trying to maintain that confinement as well as limit the risk to the public from the smoke that it's producing," Stewart said.
Around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, initial reports were received from across the Penobscot River in Hampden noting flames coming through the roof of the facility, according to the Brewer Fire Department.
The blaze warranted a multi-agency response after the hydrant system was reported to be out of service, which required tankers to respond from surrounding communities including Brewer, Bangor, Holden, Eddington, Dedham, Hermon, Hampden, and Levant, the Brewer Fire Department told NEWS CENTER Maine.
A small fire reportedly occurred at the facility on Monday during the day, according to the Brewer Fire Department.
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection listed the following health precautions people in the area should take:
- Stay inside and away from the smoke.
- Keep indoor air as clean as possible. Keep windows and doors closed. Do not run your air conditioner.
- Air handling and air recirculating systems should be turned off to prevent pulling air from outside, ensure filters are in place and replace filters once this incident is over.
- Follow the advice of your doctor or other health care provider about medicines and your respiratory management plan if you have asthma or another lung disease.
The Maine DEP said Wednesday morning an air monitoring team from the Environmental Protection Agency was headed to the scene. Stewart said they're expecting air quality test results tomorrow.
NEWS CENTER Maine had a crew at the scene who said heavy smoke could be seen in the area. Additional crews were observed staging at Norlen's Water Treatment, located close to the facility.
As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, Industrial Way, where the former PERC facility is located, was closed while crews responded. River Road (Route 15) did not appear to be impacted.
Orrington Town Manager Chris Backman told NEWS CENTER Maine the fire was "pretty much knocked down" around 10:35 p.m. Some crews were observed leaving the scene around 11 p.m., but many crews were still present Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning. As of Wednesday evening, a small crew of Orrington firefighters remained.
It is believed there is no risk to the public and that workers had not been present for some time.
The Orrington-based renewable waste facility formerly known as Penobscot Energy Recovery Company, or PERC, was sold to Eagle Point Energy Center earlier this year. Eagle Point Energy Center announced plans to restart operations in early 2025.
Backman said the town has been working with the Eagle Point Energy Center to get the facility reopened throughout the summer and that the fire Tuesday night is not expected to delay reopening at this time.
He noted there was a large amount of trash left by PERC, and that getting rid of old trash is the center's highest priority.
"We've been putting plans together all summer long, trying to get construction and restart this plant. And we've been fighting this pile of trash that's been left here since 2023. Can't work around it, it's obviously a fire hazard, and we're going to need some assistance cleaning it up," Backman said.
Eagle Point Energy Center spokesperson Dan Cashman told NEWS CENTER Maine in a statement late Tuesday night that "negligible damage to the facility was sustained" in the fire.
The cause of the fire is believed to be a lithium-ion battery left over from the PERC facility, Cashman said. Stewart said the fire department is still investigating the cause.
"PERC improperly disposed of nearly 8,000 tons of solid waste, polluting the site before creditors foreclosed on the facility in May of 2023," the statement read. "Since acquiring the facility, EPEC in conjunction with the Town of Orrington has spent over $500,000 remediating the site. EPEC and the Town of Orrington commend the Maine Department of Environmental Protection’s continued stance that polluters, like PERC, will be held financially responsible, rather than host communities. EPEC looks forward to continued progress on the clean up and the start of construction."
This story will be updated.
