I am writing regarding the debate about water quality in the Androscoggin River.

Like many service-center communities in Maine, Lewiston and Auburn have struggled in the last decade to retain people and businesses, and keep their downtowns healthy places to live, work and visit. Between 1990 and 2000, both cities experienced population declines (4.5 percent in Auburn, 10.2 percent in Lewiston) as the population shifted to surrounding rural towns.

In recent years, the tide seems to have changed. This is due in large part to the hard work of many local businesses, community leaders and citizens who are working to bring new life to the downtown.

Downtown revitalization means more businesses, more jobs, tourists and population growth. We can look to emerging cities like Bath and Gardiner to see the kind of success that is possible, and already starting, in Lewiston and Auburn.

We could support these local efforts at revitalization by holding the Androscoggin River, the heart of this community, to the same standard as other rivers of the state. What kind of message does a different standard send to residents who have been working so hard to bring new life back to Lewiston and Auburn? A substandard river sends the message that these are substandard communities.

It is disappointing that the Legislature did not support an equal standard for the Androscoggin. Lewiston and Auburn shouldn’t have to tolerate 10 years of lost opportunity. The time to take advantage of this momentum is now.

Maggie Drummond,

advocacy director,

GrowSmart Maine, Yarmouth

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