AUGUSTA - The Maine House voted unanimously to enact a measure Thursday to upgrade the clean water classification of the lower Androscoggin River, along with other Maine waters. The legislative action marks 50 years since the passage of the Clean Water Act, a landmark law spearheaded by former U.S. Sen. Edmund Muskie.
LD 1964 implements recommendations of the Board of Environmental Protection resulting from its review of the state's water quality classification system and related water quality standards. The most notable change is the decision to upgrade the water quality classification of the stretch of the Androscoggin River that runs from the Worumbo Dam in Lisbon to Brunswick and Merrymeeting Bay from Class C to Class B.
"This vote is a tribute to Sen. Muskie and the success of the Clean Water Act," said Rep. Ralph Tucker, D-Brunswick, House chair of the Legislatures Environment and Natural Resources Committee. "Fifty years after the passage of that landmark law, Maine now has some of the best water quality in the country. This is the perfect time to note and celebrate Muskies legacy, our successes and the ongoing clean-up of Maines rivers".
Every three years, Maine's Board of Environmental Protection reviews the water quality testing of all rivers and streams, including changes in the classification of various waters under the federal Clean Water Act. Enacted in 1972, Muskies law was inspired by pollution in the Androscoggin River.
In the 1960s, the Androscoggin was widely considered to be one of the most polluted rivers in the nation due to chemicals released into the river by the nearby paper and textile mills. Poor water quality resulted in the death of virtually all fish and other aquatic life. Other Maine river's, including the Penobscot, suffered from similar pollution and water quality issues. The Penobscot Rivers classification was similarly upgraded by lawmakers in 2019.
LD 1964 faces an additional vote in the Senate.
Tucker, who represents part of Brunswick, is serving his fourth term in the Maine House of Representatives.
Contact:
Jackie Merrill [Tucker], c. 812-1111