BUCKSPORT, Maine — Bucksport Mill LLC recently had its petition to abandon three dams accepted by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.
In 2015, when Bucksport Mill purchased the former Verso Papermill, it also gained ownership of the Silver Lake, Alamoosook Lake, and Toddy Pond dams in Hancock County.
Dan Cashman, the spokesperson for Bucksport Mill, said that "the intent was never to become dam operators" when the company bought the mill nearly 10 years ago.
After failed attempts to find a buyer for the three dams, the company has filed to divest ownership under Title 38. Cashman said that abandonment was never the goal.
"I think the best-case scenario is to identify and secure a buyer prior to [abandonment] taking place. I think Bucksport Mill LLC would love for that to happen," Cashman said.
Still, the decision to petition has many frustrated. Over 200 area residents attended a meeting hosted by Bucksport Mill last week to voice their concerns and ask questions.
One of the attending residents was Susan Lessard, the Bucksport town manager, who is concerned about what could happen to her town if the dams are abandoned.
"Silver Lake is our water supply," Lessard said. "[It] provides cooling water for the stack at Bucksport Generation, which is one of our largest taxpayers and without that, they would have to make major modifications that are very capital intensive, and I don't know that they would do that."
In nearby Penobscot, Chair of the Select Board Harold Hatch worries that the dam opening would eliminate millions from the town’s tax revenue.
"If the water levels are dropped back to what naturals were prior to when the dams were done, then the real estate values on Toddy Pond are going to drop drastically," Hatch explained.
Bucksport Mill is accepting questions about its move to divest and plans to release its first round of answers on Nov. 24. Questions can be submitted and answers viewed at bucksportmillanswers.com.