I am concerned about a proposal to dump snow removed from the streets into rivers and other bodies of water.

I work for the city of Lewiston at the snow dump. There is certainly a lot more in those piles of snow than just snow and dirt. As anyone can imagine, chemicals, oil, cigarette butts and other debris gets concentrated into those piles, which last well into the spring and summer. We remove trash from those piles and move the piles to another location in the summer. Dumping that trash into a river would be devastating.

I used to live by the Androscoggin River while growing up. I remember trying to fish there when it smelled so bad, and there were no fish to catch. Now there are eagles that feed out of that river.

The river has come a long way and I would hate to see it go backward. I am a taxpayer and a sportsman. Maine is known as “Vacationland” for a reason. The environment must be protected.

I have been concerned with the quality of the water and waterways for quite some time. The regulations of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection are there for a reason. A lot of improvements have been made since I was a child trying to fish in a polluted Androscoggin River.

This is not just for myself, but for the generations to come. I’ll be a grandfather soon. We need to work to keep the river’s quality safe for everyone’s grandchildren.

George Belanger, Lewiston