Biddeford, MERC deal on hold for DEP review
The state licensing process for expansion of a Casella Waste Systems landfill in Old Town continues to hold up Biddeford's purchase of a local trash-to-energy incinerator, the Portland Press Herald reported.
Biddeford agreed in July to buy and close the incinerator owned by Casella and operated by Maine Energy Recovery Co., or MERC. That deal, however, is contingent upon Casella's expansion of its Juniper Ridge Landfill in Old Town. All of the waste now taken to Biddeford would, instead, travel to Juniper Ridge.
The expansion proposal requires review from the state's Department of Environmental Protection and will likely involve a public hearing to be scheduled sometime after Oct. 3, the state's deadline for accepting Casella's expansion application as complete.
The original closing date for the deal with Biddeford was set for Nov. 15, but a spokeswoman for the DEP told the Press Herald that the entire review process will not be complete by then.
In late 2010, Casella announced a hold on its plans to locate a $15-million waste processing facility in Westbrook that would reduce the amount of trash handled at MERC in Biddeford.
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