It has been a very long story when it comes to the water remediation for Bucks Harbor and the status of the dilapidated U.S. Air Force base housing at the foot of Howard Mountain, but a new chapter appears to be in the making.
      The State of Maine has started demolition of the abandoned housing units, which have seen many uses since they were built in the early 1950s. The current status and future of the 27 single units sitting across the road from the entrance to Jasper Beach in Machiasport have been a talking point for the town for quite some time.
In September 1984 the state purchased the area around the radar installation after the departure of the Air Force and established the Downeast Correctional Facility (DCF). The station buildings were adapted to house inmates in what was then classified as a minimum‑security facility. The prison began receiving inmates in June 1985. The housing units located below the site were also utilized as residences for guards and storage. At that time the Department of Corrections (DOC) oversaw all operations and maintenance of the buildings within the area.
      A number of issues prompted the decision to begin removing the structures, according to Jody Breton, deputy commissioner of the DOC. "We decided to begin the process of bringing those base housing units down due to mold, vandalism and the rapidly deteriorating and unsafe condition of the structures. We are using state resources to do so and right now have no plans to do anything with the land. If we do decide to do something, it would require legislative approval," Breton says.
      For Machiasport resident Sandra Prescott, the sights and sounds of the demolition are beautiful. Prescott says, "This is fantastic news. Ever since the housing closed, this area has been deteriorating. As a former chair to the advisory board for the DCF, I constantly had these 27 homes on the agenda and sought town consideration for their use. But when the water contamination came to light, the focus on their status stopped. It is nice to see something being resolved with the removal now under way." If the state does decide to sell the property, the Town of Machiasport would have first right of refusal to purchase and utilize the property.
      And in the never‑ending saga of the water remediation for Bucks Harbor, signs of positive movement forward come after years of meetings, decision documents and plans.       The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has awarded a contract to a firm to design the public water pipeline to the homes in Bucks Harbor affected by the water contamination.
      In 1994 the USACE found 11 different chemicals, one of which was trichloroethylene (TCE), while removing fuel tanks from the housing units. It was determined that TCE was the primary cleaning agent used on radar equipment and vast amounts were being disposed of down dry wells, which eventually contaminated the drinking water of a number of homes. This prompted a remediation process on a large scale over many years that, with this latest development, appears to be approaching closure.
      Marie Wojtas, USACE project manager, indicates a design contract has been awarded and construction is not too far behind for the water pipeline. Wojtas explains, "USACE has awarded a design contract to Colby Company Engineering of Portland for the water line installation. Colby Company Engineering will develop a design‑build request for proposal for construction of the water line and upgrades to the existing DCF public water supply. Our goal is to put the RFP for the water line extension construction out for bid in spring 2017, so that the construction work can be completed in 2017."
      Rep. Will Tuell of East Machias is quite pleased with the situation on both projects. He says, "I'm glad they are being resolved after so long. Any time you have the USACE involved, it takes longer, but they also do a very thorough job of things. If this means cleaner water for residents and a better and more cost-effective water source for the prison, it is fantastic news both for the people of Machiasport and the area as a whole."