Some Orrington residents say they are stunned at the actions of their own town, for siding with a major pollutor on a controversial clean-up plan. During the last day of hearings on the future clean-up of the former Holtrachem site, the Orrington town manager announced the town would endorse a remedy that goes against the directive of the Department of Environmental Protection and against many townspeople's wishes. A voluntary state regulatory board is weighing several clean-up options for what is considered to be one of the most hazardsous waste sites in Maine.

For nearly two weeks, the volunteer members of the Maine Board of Environmental Protection have been weighing conflicting, technical testimony about options for cleaning up the former Holtrachem chlor-alkalai plant on the banks of the Penobscot River in Orrington.

The plant ceased operations ten years ago, and for eight years the DEP was in negotiations with former plant owner Mallinckrodt to work out a remediation plan. DEP Commissioner Dave Littell has since ordered the complete removal of five unlined, contaminated landfills, which contain the neuro-toxin mercury and other hazardous chemicals.

Mallinckrodt has challenged the order. But Littell is standing by his position. "The department still believes that removing these hazardous landfills is the most protective remedy to protect the environment and the public health for tje citizens."

Mallinckrodt says the department's plan would be too costly, too difficult and create potential safety issues. And Orrington Town Manager Paul White, on behalf of a unanimous board of selectmen, is now siding with the company on a less expensive alternative: remove one of the landfills, an industrial sewer, and do on-site remediation.

White calls it "more reasonable," even though he says the town does not oppose the DEP's position. "We just felt that we could accomplish the things that we were after, and that is the safety of the general public, environment and the Penobscot with other remedies."

Susan Sharon: "Are you comfortable that most people in town will support this option?"

Paul White: "I believe we'll have total support. You will never satisfy everybody, as you know, but certainly I believe most of the population will agree with our decision."

"Frankly, I was stunned and personally appalled that the select people voted in that way," says Jan Kimball, a resident of Orrington who has lived about half a mile from the site for 50 years. She says public presentations from Mallinckrodt and the DEP in the past week clearly showed residents on the side of the DEP.

She says she can't understand why town leaders have opted for the so-called "Woodard and Curran" option, the option recommended by one of Mallinckrodt's environmental consulting firms.

Margaret Parker, another local resident, says she is equally appalled by the town's position to remove one landfill and do on-site remediation. "I think that that's a temporary solution to a permanent problem. I think that stuff should be removed once and for all so that we don't have to just wonder when's it going to happen? Because inevitably it will."

Mallinckrodt says the Woodard and Curran option could be completed in about six or seven years, about half the time it would take to carry out the DEP's remedy. But Orrington Town Manager Paul White says there are several conditions the town wants addressed. First: the town wants Mallinckrodt to purchase the contaminated portion of the property the town now owns. It also wants remediation to begin immediately.

And, finally, White says the town wants some financial assurances from the company. "The board is urged to impose the strongest terms possible as a means to assure financial guarantees are put in place to ensure that this site is cleaned up and monitored for a period of time found acceptable to the Department of Environmental Protection."

But the ten members of the Board of Environmental Protection have to decide which clean-up option they think is best. DEP Commissioner Dave Littell says the town's endorsement will likely pull some weight.

For its part, Mallinckrodt says it's spent $40 million on clean up so far and is ready to take the next step. Joanna Schooler is a spokesperson for the company. "The town of Orrington's support of our proposed plan demonstrates how protective and comprehensive our clean up plan is and we look forward to moving forward collaboratively with the town on the redevelopment of the property."

One member of the board of environmental protection is Franklin Woodard, who happens to be the co-founder and past president of the Woodard and Curran consulting firm, the very firm whose clean-up option has been endorsed by Mallinckrodt and Orrington town leaders. An attorney for the BEP says Woodard retired several years ago and no longer has a financial stake in the company, which is why he has not recused himself from the proceedings.

A final decision from the board is expected in the next few months.