Company seeks to give up ownership of Bucksport-area dams

The company that owns the former Bucksport paper mill has formally petitioned to give up ownership of three area dams that are part of its holdings. That prospect has been a concern to area officials , because the water levels in three lakes and ponds depend on the dams.

Bucksport Mill LLC and its parent company, AIM Demolition USA, filed the petition with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection at the end of last week, according to a public notice . However, a spokesperson for Maine DEP said Monday it still has not received the formal petition and could not provide other information about it.

The three waterways impounded by those dams are Silver Lake in Bucksport, Alamoosook Lake in Orland, and Toddy Pond, which touches Orland, Blue Hill, Surry and Penobscot.

Officials have worried about the dams being abandoned in part because that could reduce water levels and access for shorefront property owners and others who use the lakes. The assessed value of those properties could drop if the lake levels come down — reducing the overall tax revenue coming into the towns.

Silver Lake also provides the drinking water for Bucksport and several other towns, and a power company operating at the former paper mill site has rights to it. On Alamoosook Lake, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a fish hatchery.

According to state law, petitions to remove ownership of dams must first be accepted by Maine DEP. They then launch an 180-day period in which the owners must consult with a group of stakeholders — including lake associations and affected communities — to assess whether they would be interested in taking over the dams.

If no new owners are found, various state agencies will then have the opportunity to assess whether it’s in the public interest to take possession of them. If none of those pan out, Maine DEP can require the owner to release the water from the dams in a manner that minimizes any impacts.

Susan Lessard, Bucksport’s town manager, said she has requested to speak with state officials about the petition and will also be consulting this week with residents and officials, including the local town council at its meeting on Thursday. In general, she expressed confidence in the coming period of public input and scrutiny that are required for the petition.

“The idea that they can just open the gates and let this go is ridiculous,” Lessard said. “There is a process that will help to ensure that there are no unintended consequences … There are a lot of interested parties that will be convening during this process.”