The Maine Department of Environmental Protection filed a formal complaint in Penobscot County Superior Court on August 25, 2026, against Mallinckrodt US LLC for failing to complete cleanup of the former Holtrachem site along the Penobscot River in Orrington.
The former Holtrachem site was a chloralkali manufacturing facility that produced chemicals used in the pulp and paper industry. Historic operations resulted in significant contamination, including highly toxic mercury and chloropicrin, in surrounding soils, groundwaters, and the river.
DEP and the Board of Environmental Protection issued orders establishing site-specific cleanup standards in 2008 (affirmed by various courts through 2014) to ensure the site would be cleaned up to protect public health, safety, and the environment. However, large areas of soils still exceed the cleanup standards, according to DEP.
While progress occurred initially, it slowed beginning in 2018 when Mallinckrodt began seeking relief from the orders' requirements. Since 2023, Mallinckrodt has ceased any meaningful cleanup progress at the site, DEP said. Prior to the lawsuit filing, DEP issued Notices of Violation to Mallinckrodt on March 19, 2025, and October 22, 2025.
DEP is seeking injunctive relief from the Superior Court and civil penalties for ongoing violations.