REMEDIES BY REACH
Orrington Reach
$50 million in committed funds.
$10 million in contingent funds.
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Remediation work in Orrington Reach will be performed using
$50 million in committed funding for capping of intertidal sediments, primarily on the east side of the Orrington Reach. $10 million in contingency funds will be provided by Mallinckrodt, if needed, to complete the work or for future cap monitoring and maintenance.
Mendall Marsh
Monitoring and Possible Marsh- Related Projects
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The primary remedy in Mendall Marsh will be natural recovery, which will be monitored to confirm that natural sedimentation will gradually bury mercury contamination below the biologically active layer of the marsh. In addition, a portion of the funds for Beneficial Environmental Projects may be allocated to projects that would benefit Mendall Marsh.
Orland River and
East Channel
$30 million to select and implement a remedy.
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$30 million will fund primary remedies for the region that includes the Orland River and the channel east of Verona Island. Remediation measures may include a combination of targeted capping and/or removal of contaminated sediments, or enhanced monitored natural recovery, a process by which clean sediment is naturally dispersed by tides and currents to dilute contamination and accelerate natural recovery.
REMEDIES THROUGHOUT
THE ESTUARY
Targeted Removal of Mobile Sediments and Surface Deposits
$70 million in committed funds.
$50 million in contingent funds.
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The Consent Decree allocates
$70 million for targeted removal of contaminated sediments that are moved in the Penobscot River Estuary by tides and currents. The Remediation Trust is planning further investigations to identify the specific locations and the amounts of contaminated sediment to be removed. Sediment removed from the Estuary will be beneficially reused, if possible, in upland infrastructure or construction projects. If the sediment cannot be beneficially reused, $50 million in contingent funds will be allocated to pay for safe landfill disposal.
Beneficial Environmental Projects
$20 million for beneficial projects.
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The Project Trust will allocate the $20 million in committed funds to projects that provide tangible environmental or public benefits to the community. These may include restoration projects, tidal marsh projects, and any project that benefits the natural environment of the Penobscot River Estuary or improves recreational or aesthetic enjoyment of the Estuary.
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In 2023, the Project Trust developed and launched the process for stakeholders to propose projects for funding. Until January 5, 2024, project proposals were accepted for funding consideration. Visit the Project Trust page.
Long-Term
Monitoring
$10 million in committed funds.
$10 million in contingent funds.
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In addition to remedy-specific monitoring, the Consent Decree dedicates at least $10 million for 30 to 45 years of long-term monitoring of the Penobscot River Estuary. Fish, birds, surface water, sediment, and organisms that live in sediment will be monitored at regular intervals to track the recovery of the Estuary.
TOTAL FUNDS:
Committed funds of $187 million​
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Orrington Reach: $50 million
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Beneficial Environmental Projects: $20 million
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Mobile Sediment and Surface Deposit Removal: $70 million
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Orland River and East Channel: $30 million
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Long-Term Monitoring: $10 million
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Trust Administration: $7 million
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Contingent funds of up to $80 million
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Orrington Reach: $10 million
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Mobile Sediment and Surface Deposit Removal: $50 million
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Long-Term Monitoring: $10 million
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Trust Administration: $10 million
