Local History

Mills everywhere are going bankrupt because of globalization of the world. New technology is coming in and pushing mill and factory workers out. Manufacturing companies are using high tech machines to do the work instead of workers. Mills are being shut down because of newer ways to create rubber, woolen, paper, steel and other products. Mills are also a huge part of pollution. They contaminate soils with toxic wastes that are hazardous to people.
The Eastland Woolen mill located in Corinna, Maine went bankrupt and closed down in 1996. The mill took up 21 acres of Corinna. Corinna in 1865 was a mill town. The town had sawmills, planning mills, and woolen textile mills. The town also had door, sash and blind factories, shoemaking shops and an iron foundry. Waste products were emptied down the drains of the mill and they seeped into the soil around the mill. It contaminated the Sebasticook River and the soil of Corinna in more than just those 21 acres. When they realized that the chlorinated benzenes, the chemical released into the soil was toxic they contacted the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (ME DEP). 150,000 tons of contaminated soils were removed from the town of Corinna. However chlorinated benzenes were used to swell the wool and to enhance dye processes and were very dangerous to have in the soil and water in the town of Corinna. Not only was chlorinated benzenes in the soil but there was copper, biphenyl, arsenic, beryllium, cadmium and many other chemicals like those.
There were 300 jobs affected by shutting down the mill, not to mention the damage effected on the environmental aspect of the town. It affected the way people saw the town of Corinna.

Interview: Sean Richards, resident of Corinna.
Did the mill affect you in any when it was here? “No, not really. I lived out of town a ways from the mill so my land wasn’t affected from the mill. It wasn’t a very pretty sight to drive past everyday though.”
Was your job affected by the mill closing? “No, I did not work at the mill. I worked in Newport.”
Did the contamination from the mill affect your health? No it didn’t. We don’t get drinking water from the water where the chemical leaked so I don’t think it affected my health any.”
What were your views on the mill? “I was glad that it got cleaned up. It was a shame that people lost there jobs, but it was polluting our town and it was an ugly scene.”
Did you agree with cleaning up the mill and the clean up of all the contamination? “Yes I did.”

The town has now replaced the mill with a senior citizens retirement home. The east branch of the Sebasticook river was restored and a Main St. bridge and railroad crossing was installed. The mill pond was turned back into a river and they removed the dam and divert to the Sebasticook River. The MACTEC paved new roads and they received two Engineering Excellence awards at state national levels. The town has an elementary school and a Village store. After 36 million dollars in cleanup the town of Corinna is a very nice place to live. Most people were very happy with the clean up of the town. The town is a nicer place to look at and a nice neighborly town thanks to the destruction of the mill and the clean up of all the contamination.

"We have a clean sheet of paper to start planning a new village center and this is a unique opportunity...some of us envision a New England village center with retail services, antiques and crafts, home or micro businesses, possible B&Bs and offices for professional services, all overlooking a river/lakeside environment"
-Resident of Corinna

Benzene the chemical found in the water and soil of Corinna is an organic chemical compound. It is a colorless sweet smelling liquid that is extremely flammable and has a high melting point. Benzene is more hazardous than most chemicals. It is on 8 federacy regulatory lists and there is 1 million pounds of it in the United States. It is an important in the production of drugs, plastics, synthetic rubber and dyes. A lot of chemicals are derived from benzene, this happens by one or more of the hydrogen atoms is replaced inside the nucleus. Some other types of benzene are phenol, toluene, and aniline. In the early 20th century benzene was used as after-shave lotion. Now to us that seems extremely dangerous but they used it for the sweet smell. Before the 1920s benzene was used for degreasing metals. In 1903 Ludwig Roselius used to decaffeinate coffee. Now we use benzenes for making rubber, dyes, detergents, drugs, explosives, napalm and pesticides. Benzene is extremely dangerous. Breathing big amounts can cause death. Low levels can result in drowsiness, dizziness, rapid heart rate, headaches, tremors, confusion, and unconsciousness. It can affect the liver, kidney and the endocrine systems. Drinking benzene or eating it can cause vomiting, irritation to the stomach, dizziness, sleepiness, convulsions and death. Long term effects are even more dangerous. Benzene damages bone marrow and can cause a decrease in red blood cells which causes anemia. It can also cause leukemia. It can damage the immune system and cause excessive bleeding and benzene cause bad infections. For women over a long period of time benzene can decrease the size in ovaries and cause irregular menstrual periods. They are starting to use toluene now as a substitute for benzenes because toluene is less toxic and has a higher liquid range.
Industries that use benzenes are the rubber industry, chemical plants, oil refineries, shoe manufacturers and gasoline related industries. In 1987 about 237,000 workers were exposed to benzene. Water and soil contamination is becoming a huge deal. In the U.S there are 100,000 sites that have been contaminated by benzene either in the soil, water or both.
Pollution is becoming a huge part of society today. Mills were a leading cause. Without pollution control which is the control of all the pollution that goes into the air from industrial production, agricultural activities, mining, transportation, human consumption we would damage our natural environment. There is air pollution, water pollution, soil contamination, radioactive contamination, noise pollution, light pollution, visual pollution and thermal pollution. Air pollution is the release of chemicals into the air. Chemicals like carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides produced by vehicles. Water pollution is from liquid spills, surface runoff, wastewater discharges, and littering. Soil contamination is when chemicals are released by spill or underground storage tank leakage. Most soil contaminations are from hydrocarbons, heavy metals, herbicides, pesticides, and chlorinated hydrocarbons which is the same as chlorinated benzenes. Noise pollution is from roadway traffic noise, aircraft, and industrial noise. Visual pollution is caused by power lines, billboards, litter, and graffiti. Thermal pollution is a temperature change in natural water bodies caused by human influence.
Motor vehicles are one of the leading causes of air pollution. The world leaders in air pollution are China, United States, Russia, Mexico and Japan. Soil Contaminators are chlorinated hydrocarbons, chromium and cadmium which are heavy metals usually found in rechargeable batteries and lead that is found in lead paint, zinc, arsenic and benzene. Landfills are the main source of soil contamination. Pollution can also be caused by natural disaster like hurricanes that can contaminate water from sewage.
The effects of pollution are very dangerous. Bad air quality can cause death. Ozone pollution can cause respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, throat inflammation, chest pain and congestion. Water pollution causes 14,000 deaths per day. Oil spills can cause skin irritation and rashes. Noise pollution can result in hearing loss, high blood pressure, stress and loss of sleep.
Edmund Cartwright invented the first power loom in 1785, this lead to the start of the industrial revolution. The industrial revolution was a revolution that caused major changes in the way the world saw itself and the way the world made their money. The discovery of the power loom lead to the invention of the steam engine to the creation of the first textile industry. The industrialization had a huge impact on the landscape, economy, and the people everywhere. The creation of mills changed the world forever. Not only did they change the work force, and the way people lived there lives, but it changed the environment and the image of the world itself. The lives of families changed drastically. Instead of people working in their homes to make money, they were forced to work in the new developing industries. Instead of home based economies the world shifted to an industrial based economy. Mills and new factories changed everything.
Now mills are diminishing. Newer industries were being created that were better. Better ways of making the same products that was healthier for the environment and easier to produce. However the world has stayed the same. Mills going bankrupt because of new creations industrially hasn’t affected anything. The world still portrays the same image and our economies are still industrially based. It just shows that the world hasn’t given up. We are still creating newer and better things. Industrialization is still growing.
Mills were a huge part of pollution to the environment. However mills are dwindling down because of upgrades in technology. We don’t need workers when we have high tech machines doing the work for us. Even though there is less pollution from mills there is still a lot from other things. Benzenes are very dangerous chemical that is contaminating a lot of soil and water in the United States. The destruction of mills is a huge step to getting rid of a lot of pollution, and a big step in industrial revolution.