Residents of Denmark, Maine, began learning about their groundwater in 2005, when Nestle N.A. (Poland Spring) was granted access to mining 105.1 million gallons of water a year out of their water cycle. The long-term effects of such large-scale extraction is still not known.
During the drought of 2016, many Denmark residents found themselves having to drill costly new wells, concurrent with Nestle’s appearance before the select board for renewal of their five-year extraction permit. A group of concerned residents requested my attendance to help them to understand the science being presented by Nestle and Denmark’s town hydrologist, Keith Taylor of St. Germain Collins.
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmv:G6? E92E x 925 366? H6=4@>65 2E s6?>2C<’D AC6D6?E2E:@?D @? E9:D E@A:4 7@C 2=>@DE EH@ J62CD[ x H2D DFCAC:D65 2E E96 C646?E $6AE] `` p>64 u@DE6C (966=6C W(@@5 vC@FAX AC6D6?E2E:@? C682C5:?8 H2E6C =6G6=D H96? s6?>2C< x?E6C:> %@H? |2?286C q6CE z6?52==[ :?7@C>65 >6 E92E x H2D ?@E A6C>:EE65 E@ 2EE6?5 3642FD6 x H2D “?@E 2 C6D:56?E]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`QmtG6? 27E6C x 6IA=2:?65 >J AC6D6?46 H2D C6BF6DE65 3J s6?>2C< C6D:56?ED[ x H2D DE:== 5:C64E65 E@ =62G6] p =2E6C C6G:6H @7 2 D6=64E 3@2C5 >66E:?8 G:56@ 7C@> yF=J b` C6G62=65 }6DE=6’D :?G:E2E:@? H2D @A6? E@ “s6?>2C< C6D:56?ED @?=J[” 8:G:?8 E96 2AA62C2?46 E92E E96 E@H? H2D 7@==@H:?8 }6DE=6’D :?DECF4E:@?D H96? 56?J:?8 2446DD]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmr:E:K6?D D9@F=5 36 4@?46C?65 H96? 56?:65 E96 C:89E E@ 92G6 C6AC6D6?E2E:@? 7@C E96:C 36DE :?E6C6DED[ 6DA64:2==J H96? E96C6 2C6 ?F>6C@FD F?2?DH6C65 BF6DE:@?D 2?5 A6C46:G65 4@?7=:4ED @7 :?E6C6DED] p =6EE6C E@ E96 65:E@C 3J {2FC:6 {2|@F?E2:?[ @?6 @7 E96 C6D:56?ED H9@ C6BF6DE65 >J 2EE6?52?46[ H2D AF3=:D965 62C=:6C E9:D J62C :? E96 !@CE=2?5 !C6DD\w6C2=5 W8@ E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^E:?JFC=]4@>^56?>2C<9a_QmE:?JFC=]4@>^56?>2C<9a_k^2mX]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmx H2?E65 E@ 96=A C6D:56?ED 86E 2?DH6CD @? }6DE=6’D 5C@F89E C6A@CE:?8 2?5 9@H :E A6CE2:?D E@ s6?>2C< 3642FD6 E96C6 92D 366? 4@?7FD:@? H:E9 H92E :D 36:?8 AC6D6?E65] (96? 2 5C@F89E :D C6A@CE65 3J E96 >65:2[ E96 4=2DD:7:42E:@? :D 86?6C2==J E2<6? 7C@> E96 &]$] sC@F89E |@?:E@C[ H9:49 :D >@C6 :? =:?6 H:E9 9@H C6D:56?ED >2J 2DD6DD H92E :D 92AA6?:?8 :? E96:C 324<J2C5] s2E2 :D 4@==64E65 C682C5:?8 5@K6?D @7 :?5:42E@CD AC:@C E@ 4C62E:?8 H66<=J 5C@F89E >2AD]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmx? s6?>2C<’D =2C86\D42=6 H2E6C tIEC24E:@? ~C5:?2?46[ }6DE=6 :?DE625 C676C6?46D }~pp’D !2=>6C wJ5C@=@8:42= sC@F89E x?56I] %96 !wsx 4@?D:56CD 9J5C@=@8:42= :>A24ED @7 5C@F89E DF49 2D C6D6CG@:C 2?5 8C@F?5H2E6C =6G6=D[ H9:49 C6DA@?5D >@C6 D=@H=J E@ 492?8:?8 4@?5:E:@?D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmx? s646>36C @7 a_``[ 2E }6DE=6’D C6BF6DE[ E96 s6?>2C< D6=64E 3@2C5 4@?5:E:@?2==J 2AAC@G65 492?8:?8 E96 5C@F89E :?56I E@ E9:D D=@H6C\E@\C6DA@?5 !wsx] s6?>2C< C6D:56?ED DF3D6BF6?E=J G@E65 E@ 2AAC@G6 E9:D C64@>>6?52E:@?]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm~? }@G] `d[ a_`e[ }6DE=6 H2D C6BF:C65 E@ 2AA62C 367@C6 E96 D6=64E 3@2C5 E@ 56E6C>:?6 H96E96C 7:G6 >@C6 J62CD @7 6IEC24E:?8 `_d]` >:==:@? 82==@?D @7 H2E6C 2 J62C H@F=5 36 A6C>:EE65] (:E9 2EE6?566D :>A24E65 3J E96 5C@F89E[ E96 AF3=:4 962C:?8 6I466565 42A24:EJ[ H9:49 =65 E@ >2?J 36:?8 2D<65 E@ =62G6 :7 E96J 5:5 ?@E 92G6 2 D62E]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qms6?:2= @7 2446DD E@ 2 AF3=:4 >66E:?8 :D 2 G:@=2E:@? @7 |2:?6 $E2E6 $E2EFE6 %:E=6 `] UD64Ejc_b] `] !C@4665:?8D @A6? E@ AF3=:4] tI46AE 2D @E96CH:D6 AC@G:565 3J DE2EFE6 @C 3J D64E:@? UD64Ejc_d[ 2== AF3=:4 AC@4665:?8D >FDE 36 @A6? E@ E96 AF3=:4] xE 2AA62CD 5F6 AC@46DD H2D 56?:65 H96? E96 962C:?8 4@?E:?F65[ :?DE625 @7 A@DEA@?:?8 E@ 2 =2E6C 52E6 2?5 G6?F6] W*@F 42? G:6H E9:D >66E:?8 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^E:?JFC=]4@>^56?>2C<``a_`eQmE:?JFC=]4@>^56?>2C<``a_`ek^2m]X s6?>2C<UCDBF@jD E@H? 2EE@C?6J D9@F=5 4@?D:56C E96 G2=:5:EJ @7 E96 7:G6\J62C A6C>:E C6?6H2= 8C2?E65 3J E96 3@2C5 2E E9:D 962C:?8]kDA2? 4=2DDlQpAA=6\4@?G6CE65\DA246QmU?3DAjk^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm|2?J C6D:56?ED H9@ H6C6 23=6 E@ 2EE6?5 6IAC6DD65 4@?46C?D 2?5 BF6DE:@?65 }6DE=6’D 5C@F89E C6A@CE:?8[ :?4=F5:?8 E96:C DE2E6>6?E E92E s6?>2C< H2D 4=2DD:7:65 2D >:5\C2?86 ?@E >@56C2E6 5C@F89E 3642FD6 2E E96 E:>6[ E96 C6BF:C65 !wsx :56?E:7:65 s6?>2C< 2D 36:?8 :? 2 >@56C2E6 5C@F89E W?454]?@22]8@GX] }6:E96C 4=2DD:7:42E:@? C6BF:C65 }6DE=6 E@ 462D6 AF>A:?8[ 3FE =6DD E92? 2? :?49 @7 C2:? 925 72==6? 5FC:?8 E92E >@?E9[ 4C62E:?8 BF6DE:@?D 23@FE H92E H2D 36:?8 AC6D6?E65]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%96D6 BF6DE:@?D =65 %@H? wJ5C@=@8:DE z6:E9 %2J=@C E@ DF3>:E 2 =6EE6C @? }@G] ab[ a_`e[ E92E DE2E65i “p44@C5:?8 E@ E96 !2=>6C x?56I[ s6?>2C< H2D :? 2 |@56C2E6 sC@F89E 7C@> E96 =2DE H66< @7 $6AE6>36C E9C@F89 2== @7 ~4E@36C 3FE ?@H :E :D :? E96 “|:5\#2?86” =6G6=[ H9:49 :D ?@E 2 5C@F89E]” p82:?[ E96 C6BF:C65 !wsx 5:D28C66D H:E9 3@E9 }6DE=6 2?5 |C] %2J=@C] p 76H >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@?2= >66E:?8D 92G6 E2<6? A=246[ 3FE ?@ 4=2C:7:42E:@? 92D 366? @776C65 3J s6?>2C<’D E@H? 9J5C@=@8:DE]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`QmpD x =67E E96 >@DE C646?E >66E:?8[ 2 C6BF6DE H2D >256 C682C5:?8 2446DD:?8 2 4@>A=6E6[ DE2E6H:56 >@?:E@C:?8 52E2 D6E 7C@> |2C< sF3@:D WH2E6C C6D@FC46 >2?286C 7@C }6DE=6 2?5 3@2C5 >6>36C @7 E96 |2:?6 q@2C5 @7 t?G:C@?>6?E2= !C@E64E:@? H9@ A2CE:4:A2E6D :? 564:5:?8 H2E6C 7=@H 2?5 H2E6C 6BF:EJX 3FE H2D E@=5 }6DE=6’D “52E2” :D @?=J 2G2:=23=6 7C@> 6249 E@H? 2?5 H2D 92?565 @FE[ x 766=[ :? 2? :?256BF2E6 2?5 @FE52E65 a_`f C6A@CE 4@?E2:?:?8 E9C66 8C2A9D 4C62E65 3J }6DE=6 7@C s6?>2C<]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm$6A2C2E6 7C@> 52E2[ 2== C6A@CED 2C6 C6BF:C65 E@ 36 A@DE65 @?=:?6[ 3FE :E 2AA62CD s6?>2C<’D H63D:E6 :D DE:== ?@E FA E@ 52E6] rFCC6?E=J[ }6DE=6 CF?D 2 E6=6G:D:@? 4@>>6C4:2= H96C6 |C] sF3@:D DE2E6D 9J5C@=@8:DED 2C6 “D2>A=:?8[ >62DFC:?8 2?5 C64@C5:?8 52E2 E92E H6 >2<6 2G2:=23=6 E@ 6G6CJ@?6 D@ H6 42? 2== 36EE6C F?56CDE2?5 E96 962=E9 @7 @FC 2BF:76CD]”kDA2? 4=2DDlQpAA=6\4@?G6CE65\DA246Qm k^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm(:E9 }6DE=6 36:?8 E96 =2C86DE 7@@5 2?5 36G6C286 4@CA@C2E:@? @? E96 A=2?6E[ EC2?DA2C6?4J @7 E9:D 6IE6?D:G6 52E2 4@==64E65 7C@> |2:?6’D 2BF:76CD :D 4C:E:42= E@ @3E2:?:?8 2? :?56A6?56?E F?56CDE2?5:?8 @7 E96 962=E9 @7 E96 H2E6C C6D@FC46D E92E H6 2== C6=J @?]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAaQm k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmk6>mr@C6J {2?6 :D 2? :?56A6?56?E 4@?DF=E2?E 7@C (2E6C c s6?>2C<] $96 :D 2 C6D:56?E @7 !@CE6C[ |2:?6]k^6>mk^DA2?mk^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.