Much of NRCM’s work to clean up the Androscoggin focused on the former paper mill in Jay because it was a bigger polluter than the mill in Rumford. We worked for many years to get this mill to adopt modern pulping and bleaching technologies that reduce pollution, save energy, and lower operating costs. In 2005, NRCM sued International Paper (the owner of the mill at that time). That same year, we appealed a waste discharge license for the Jay mill to the Board of Environmental Protection.
The Androscoggin runs through the heart of Maine. Its waters in Gilead support a world-class trout fishery that attracts tourists to Bethel and nearby towns. Here, the river is a source of recreation-based jobs, activities, and pride for the people who live in the region.
Further downstream, the river is much cleaner than it used to be, and people can now use it for recreation. But the Androscoggin River is still the dirtiest of Maine’s major rivers.
