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Opponents of a Poland Spring Bottling Plant and Truck-Loading Facility Want to Protect Lovewell Pond

December 19, 2007 - FRYEBURG - A weekend protest drew more than 50 people criticizing Poland Spring's withdrawal of water from the town's aquifer. Howard Dearbom offered $10 to the first 50 people who joined him Saturday in pouring Poland Spring water into an inlet that drains into Lovewell Pond. But most donated the money to a group of residents who are fighting Poland Spring's proposal to build a bottling plant and truckloading facility in Fryeburg.

Dearbom, 89, said he was pleased that so many participated in his symbolic rejection of Poland Spring, a subsidiary of Nestle Waters North America Inc. He said natural springs that feed the pond have gone dry and that the water removal has changed the pond's natural ecology and purity of its water by allowing an increased phosphorous load to spur plant growth on the pond's bottom.

Everything the company has reviewed indicates the lake is going through a life cycle from lake to pond, pond to marsh, marsh to meadow and meadow to dry land, according to Poland Spring environmental manager Ron Dyer.

"People have strong opinions, but we're pretty calm about this. It's really a science question, and we want to look at it deeper," said Dyer, who attended the demonstration.

"Howard once said to me a year ago on this, 'I don't want to leave this world without knowing Lovewell Pond is safe,'" protester Jim Wilfong of Stow said.

"That's his motivation. He cares about the ecology of the pond."

In July, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court upheld a decision by the town of Denmark allowing Poland Spring to pump 105 million gallons of water a year to a proposed facility in nearby Fryeburg. The court declined to rule on the facility in Fryeburg.


SOURCE: PORTLAND PRESS-HERALD

DATE: 12-10-2007


Lakes: Lovewell Pond
Regions: Sebago


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