A Sanford solution for Maine
Maine has a PFAS problem.
Sanford is building a practical solution.
PFAS contamination has devastated farms, threatened water, and exposed a costly flaw in how communities manage biosolids. The Sanford gasification project offers a new path: destroy PFAS in biosolids before it goes back into the environment.
99%
Modeled PFAS destruction rate
135
miles for current landfill haul each way
$0
cost to taxpayers
24/7
emmissions monitoring
The crisis
Forever chemicals have already changed lives in Maine.
PFAS contamination from biosolids has been found on farms, in homes, and in the places where Mainers live, work, and raise their families.
80+
farms identified
Across Maine
500+
properties affected
And counting
PFAS
soil, water, milk, blood
Contaminated
HOW PFAS SPREADS
PFAS ends up in our waste stream. Then communities have to deal with it.
Products & runoff
PFAS in everyday products and industrial sources wash into drains.
Wastewater plant
PFAS flows into municipal wastewater treatment systems.
Biosolids
PFAS can concentrate in biosolids, the treated sewage sludge left after processing.
Disposal
Biosolids are spread on land as fertilizer in other states, landfilled, incinerated, or hauled to Canada — leaving communities with the risk.
Current system fails
Trucking biosolids to landfills does not solve the PFAS problem.
The current disposal loop is expensive and incomplete. It puts municipalities in the business of hauling biosolids long distances and still not destroying the contaminant.
The Sanford Solution
What if we could stop PFAS before it goes back into the environment?
The Sanford gasification project is designed to process biosolids using controlled, high-temperature technology. Instead of simply moving biosolids somewhere else, the process reduces the PFAS burden in the disposal pathway.
This is not just waste management. It is PFAS destruction.
Biosolids
PFAS-laden biosolids enter the facility.
Gasification
Material enters a controlled thermal environment.
Intense heat
Extreme temperatures break down PFAS.
Biochar
A safe, reusable material is produced.
Reduced burden
PFAS is kept out of soil, water, and people.
The proof
Testing shows gasification can destroy PFAS in biosolids.
Testing at the first large scale biosolids gasification facility in the nation confirmed a 97% PFAS destruction rate. Additional tests from other facilities show the temperatures to be used at the Sanford facility destroy 99% of PFAS.
97%
⇾
99%
Early testing ⇾ Latest testing
PFAS DESTRUCTION
Tested process
Gasification applied to biosolids.
High heat
Designed to break down PFAS compounds.
Practical path
Stops the disposal loop from cycling PFAS onward.
Maine stakes
Protect farms, water, and local communities.
Local benefits
A PFAS solution that can also save Sanford money.
A practical civic payoff: less long-haul trucking, lower landfill dependence, local jobs, and tax revenue — without making taxpayers fund a new burden.
PFAS Mitigation
Destroy PFAS before it can be released to farms, landscapes, waterways, and families.
Costs
Reduce trucking and disposal expenses to lower costs for taxpayers.
Jobs + tax revenue
Create skilled local jobs and long-term tax revenue while solving a statewide waste challenge.
FAQ
Common questions, clear answers.
What is PFAS?
PFAS are persistent chemicals often called “forever chemicals” because they do not easily break down in the environment.
Why are biosolids part of the problem?
PFAS can enter wastewater treatment systems from residences and businesses from everyday products, showering, laundry, and other similar activites, and human waste. After wastewater treatment, PFAS can become concentrated in biosolids.
What does gasification do?
Gasification uses controlled high temperature treatment to break down biolsolids. Gasification converts the biosolids into a renewable gas that powers the facility and also produces a non-toxic, valuable by-product called biochar.
How much PFAS can the process destroy?
The Sanford facility will destory 99% of PFAS in the biosolids.
Will this cost Sanford taxpayers more?
No. In fact, by reducing long-haul trucking, landfill dependence, and ongoing municipal disposal costs, Sanford taxpayers will actually save money.
Science. Transparency. A cleaner Maine.
The Sanford Aries project is a smart solution to a serious problem.