1. “Since 2004, the Androscoggin River has seen significant improvements in water-quality. After examining the three key measurements for water quality, including dissolved oxygen, a reduction in algae blooms and reductions in the amount of phosphorous discharges, we have seen considerable improvements in all three. These developments demonstrate we are making positive progress on the health of the Androscoggin.”

2. “The revised water quality permits issued by my administration, and strongly endorsed by me, earlier this summer for the Rumford mill and the Jay mill put in place requirements on the mills that will bring these dischargers into full compliance before the end of my second term, and the Androscoggin River will be cleaned up to Class C water-quality standards in five years or sooner.”

Pat LaMarche

1. “My best understanding is that it’s about at a B- in level of cleanliness, which, compared to the ’70s, when there were so many chemicals in there it would spontaneously combust, it’s much better. It’s not at the level you could eat the fish.”

2. “First, we can’t allow any more discharge into the river. The pollution has to stop going in. And that way, when we do make an effort to clean the river, it’ll get clean. The DEP was writing discharge permits on an IP computer; before we clean up the river, we have to clean up the government.”

Rep. Barbara Merrill

1. “Let me start by explaining that I was one of about 34 Legislators who refused to vote to delay the cleanup of the Androscoggin for another 10 years. The majority of the Democrats, Republicans and the lone Green Party representative voted to delay cleanup for a long 10 years in spite of the wishes of the leadership in Lewiston/Auburn. My perception of the Androscoggin is that it needs cleanup now, not later, and that it deserves the same level of treatment as the Kennebec and the Penobscot rivers have received.”

2. “The Androscoggin River needs to have the same high standards as have been applied to the Kennebec and the Penobscot, and it needs to have that immediately. As governor, I would submit legislation to have the Androscoggin cleaned up, with an immediate plan for action. As governor, I will also pursue bonding that would immediately minimize storm water run-off into the Androscoggin.”

Phillip Morris NaPier

1. “The health of all of our water supplies could be improved by not putting garbage and other kinds of pollutants, such as factory discharges of chemicals and other bad stuff, into our water supply, whether it is our rivers, streams or lakes or the ocean. We people must recycle more and make recycling profitable to some, like the deposits we have on bottles and cans. Down South, in states where there is not a recycling program, the rivers and streams are littered with garbage.”

2. “We people of Maine must petition the federal government to enforce better controls on those outside our borders who send us pollutants on the wind and in the rain that falls on our state. We can do better by all our rivers if everyone is mindful of runoff from the land, and the impact that garbage has on our streams and rivers, and the negative impact on the wildlife, those that live in the water and those that drink the water.”

Sen. Chandler Woodcock

1. “The river is very much improved over the days of my youth. It has been a significant effort on the part of the paper mills to change their discharges, but more can be accomplished. We need cooperation from both the business and environmental communities going forward.”

2. “I hope to promote a healthy river by encouraging the business community and the municipalities to work with the environmental community to improve the quality of the water in the Androscoggin River. It is outrageous that we have to actually warn people about eating Maine’s fish. I am hopeful that in the near future we will be able to replace the consumption warning with a label extolling the positive health effects of a diet of Maine fish and seafood.”

Editor’s note: Some comments edited for space.