Les progrès de la Androscoggin River

Photo: Androscoggin Historical Society

La Rivière Androscoggin est la rivière la plus polluée et abusée de l'état du Maine aux États-Unis, mais elle a déjà été plus polluée. Ici, ce sont les papetières et leurs barrages qui font le plus de dommages. Mais certaines ont fermées, d'autres ont amélioré leurs pratiques, mais c'est loin d'être parfait.

Il est possible que la rivière reçoive ses lettres de noblesse, pardon, SA lettre de classe C cette année. Mais les limites pour manger ses prises (pas plus de 6 à 12 poissons par année) et des avis d'interdiction de baignade dans certaines sections après des pluies abondantes demeureront, mais devraient diminuer d'ici 2014.

La classe C est la plus basse selon le "Clean Water Act": c'est une rivière qui maintient sa population indigène de poissons, comme ici le saumon de l'Atlantique, et les autres poissons d'eau froide.

Mais les critiques n'ouvrent pas le champagne tout de suite. Ils veulent pêcher et nager dans toute la rivière. Ils veulent un plan de travail pour obtenir la classe B. La "Andy", comme l'appèlent les intimes, est la seule grande rivière du Maine qui a la plus basse classification pour la majorité de son cours. Les environnementalistes insistent pour dire que c'est la rivière qui reçoit le plus d'intrants du Maine.

Mais ces jours-ci, la rivière est suffisamment propre pour encourager les tours en bateau, la pêche et les usages riverains. Les bêtes sauvages, comme les aigles, le poisson et la sauvagine sont abondants. Beaucoup de marcheurs et joggeurs apprécient Auburn's Riverwalk, un sentier pavé qui suit ses rives. On attend impatiemment plus de sentiers qui sont aménagés dans le tout nouveau parc de l'État à Turner.

Pour plus de 20 ans, le Gulf Island Pond, un élargissement de la Androscoggin et une accumulation d'eau derrière le barrage et pour des milles en amont, n'a pas rencontré les standards à cause d'un manque d'oxygène dans l'eau et des floraisons d'algues. Si Gulf Island Pond reçoit enfin la classification C, ce serait déjà beaucoup selon Neil Ward du Androscoggin River Allliance. "Mais nous devons comprendre que la classification C est la protection minimum légale dont peut jouir les citoyens du Maine et leur environnement. Et cela a pris presque 40 ans pour le mériter. Si j'étais un fonctionnaire du DEP ou un exécutif des papetières, j'aurais très honte de ma feuille de route."

La rivière Androscoggin est classée B de la frontière du New Hampshire jusqu'à Rumford. De Rumford jusqu'à l'océan, elle est classée C. Les autorités du département de protection de l'environnement de l'état du Maine ne savent pas quand la classe B pourrait êre accordé à la grandeur de la rivière. C'est tout juste si Gulf Islland Pond respecte la classe C. La classe B est beaucoup plus difficle à respecter. Selon le Clean Water Act et la politique de l'état du Maine, les choses doivent continuer à s'améliorer, et la qualité de l'eau doit s'assainir avec le temps, mais il n'y a pas de mesures légales pour imposer cette politique.
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"Expectations rising — Progress on the Androscoggin River

Romeo Michaud, 77, strolls along the river on morning walks. In his lifetime, he's seen the Androscoggin go from clean to dirty to getting clean again. "They've largely solved many of the problems," he said. "You don't see or smell pollution like it once was. Since I've grown up, it really has improved — a complete turnaround from what it was." But Michaud is reluctant to swim in the river, even if the state says it's safe. “I wouldn't want to swallow any of it," he said.

Tons of pollution are still being dumped into the Androscoggin River every day. But compared to five years ago, the water quality is improving, officials at the Maine Department of Environmental Protection say. With a few exceptions, for the first time in decades the state is cautiously optimistic that the Androscoggin will meet its legal water-quality classification, Class C, this year. “It's incredibly exciting,” said Andrew Fisk, director of DEP's Bureau of Land and Water Quality.

The exceptions to meeting Class C are that fish advisories of eating no more than six to 12 fish per year will continue, and swimming advisories after heavy rains from Lewiston to Brunswick will stay in place. The swimming advisories will go down significantly by 2014, Fisk said. Class C is the lowest water classification allowed by the federal Clean Water Act, but Class C is "a very good standard,” Fisk said. “C is very robust. It supports indigenous species of fish. It supports salmon, cold-water fish. It is not a weak-kneed standard, by any stretch.”

Critics of the state's progress aren't celebrating. They want to be able to fish and swim in the entire river. They want a plan to upgrade it to Class B, which would mean a cleaner river. The “Andy,” as it's called locally, is the only large river in Maine with the lowest classification for most its length. It's Maine's most heavily dumped-in river, environmentalists point out.

But these days, the river is clean enough to entice frequent boating, fishing and riverbank uses. Wildlife, including eagles, fish and ducks, are abundant. More walkers and joggers, such as Michaud, enjoy Auburn's Riverwalk, a paved trail along its banks. Outdoor enthusiasts look forward to more trails being developed in Maine's newest state park in Turner.

For more than 20 years, much of Gulf Island Pond, water behind the dam and miles upstream, has not met water-quality standards because of a lack of oxygen and algal blooms. If Gulf Island Pond finally meets class C, it would be a good step forward, said Neil Ward of the Androscoggin River Alliance. “But we need to keep it in perspective.” Class C is “the absolute minimum protection that the law affords Maine citizens and their environment,” he said. “And it has taken almost 40 years to get there. If I were a DEP official or an executive for the paper industry, I would be pretty ashamed of that record.”

On the Androscoggin, the river is Class B from the New Hampshire border to Rumford; from Rumford to the ocean, it's Class C. Fisk said he didn't know when Class B status would be considered for the entire river. It's taken 20-plus years to get Gulf Island Pond into compliance, if it is in compliance. Class B is a much tougher step. The Clean Water Act and state policy “says that things go upward,” or that water quality should get better over time, but there's no legal requirement it do so, Fisk said."

Excerpts from article written by Bonnie Washuk published in the Sun Journal here: http://www.sunjournal.com/city/story/892764

So easy to pollute, so hard to clean up afterward!