298 



and commercial expansion have required a drastic increase in the acre- 

 age of flats and waters closed because of pollution. Some of the prob- 

 lem is due to heavy metals mining. 



Levels of toxic metals are at or above the maximum of the normal 

 range for shellfish. In the case of lead, the concentration is double or 

 triple the maximum guideline recommended by the U.S. Public Health 

 Service. 



In addition to the high coliform counts, there is a problem in the 

 Penobscot Bay area due to poultry processing. The following informa- 

 tion gives a picture of the problems caused by the poultry industry 

 (report on "Pollution-Navigable Waters of the Penobscot River and 

 Upper Penobscot Bay in Maine"). 



On June 28, 1966, the Maine Sea and Shore Fisheries reported finding floating 

 chicken entrails in Stockton Harbor at the northeast side of Sears Island. They 

 reported that these entrails had a total ool'iform value greater than 170,000 

 MPN/100 ml. Again on July 8, 1966, floating chicken entrails were found by fish- 

 eries personnel in Stockton Hartior at the same location. They also reported that 

 on June 28, 1966, an animal fat film was found on the waters from the south tip 

 of Sears Island to the north tip of Sears Island in Stockton Harbor. Large 

 amounts of feathers have been reported found on Sears Island and Islesboro 

 Island. A ferry nmning from Islesboro Island to Lincolnvllle, which is south of 

 N'orthport, reported that their water intake screen had to be cleaned at least 

 once a week in the past, due to chicken feathers clogging the screen. In the past, 

 chicken entrails have been found all along the banks of Belfast Bay. During the 

 period samples were being collected by the Merrimack River project, there were no 

 significant discharges of either feathers or entrails, indicating that either the 

 new screening devices were working properly or that closer attention was given 

 to maintenance of these screens. 



Sterile gauze swabs were placed at 21 stations for about 5 days. Salmonellae 

 were found at five of the stations poultry plant effluent. The United States 

 Public Health Services Communicable Disease Center determined the serotyi)e. 

 The results clearly pointed out that poultry plant wastes are pathogenic to man 

 since all Salmonella b^acteria are pathogenic. Salmonellae were isolated from 

 both swabs placed in the Penobscot River. 



The Maine Water Improvement Commission found that the disisolved oxygen 

 placed the Penobscot River either in the nuisance condition or in class D (suit- 

 able for transportation of sewage and industrial waste without causing a public 

 nuisance) from Bangor to Bucksport. Zero D.O. was found from Bangor to Win- 

 terport during the summer of 1963, with the oxygen sag curve moving down- 

 stream at low tide and ui>stream at high tide. This dissolved oxygen condition 

 limits usage of the entire river below Bangor and prevents fish, including anadro- 

 mous fisih such as salmon, from passing through these waters. 



Another problem is sulfite waste liquor resulting from the process- 

 ing of pulp using the sulfite process. "Bioassays of Pulp Mill Wastes 

 with Oysters, Biological Problems in Water Pollution," U.S. Depart- 

 ment of Health, Education, and Welfare, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1965, 

 showed that concentration of SWL above 10 p.p.m. prevented the em- 

 bryonic development of the Olympic oyster from eggs to shelled 

 larvae. Upper Penobscot Bay area had SWL concentration near 60 

 p.p.m. and at low tide near Fort Point the value was about 100 p.p.m. 



In November 1954, about 5 miles of shoreline and a fivefold increase 

 in the total area of flats and overlying waters were added to the orig- 

 inal Belfast Bay closure. Prior to this time, 50 commercial diggers 

 had been licensed in the Belfast area alone. 



Additional closures have been made periodically since 1954. Finally, 

 by July 1, 1966, the last remaining open areas were closed, making 

 the closure complete from Great Spruce Head in Northport up the 

 Penobscot River and down the east shore to Castine. 



