If the Land Use Regulation Commission agrees with a staff recommendation to approve a permit for a water pumping station on Pierce Pond, as many as 40 tanker trucks a day may be traveling along Long Falls Dam Road soon.

LURC staff released its recommendation Wednesday, and the commission will consider it at its June 9 meeting in Greenville.

Residents of Lexington, Highland Plantation and New Portland, through which the road runs, have voiced opposition to the proposal at two public meetings in April and May. They cite concerns over safety and environmental impact. They also see the influx of trucking along the road as a disruption of their quiet lifestyle.

Residents of two of the unorganized townships, Highland Plantation and Lexington Township, have formed a group dedicated to opposing the project, which would potentially extract 80 million gallons of ground water from the Cold Brook watershed east of the Bigelow Preserve. Spokespeople for Citizens for the Protection of Maine’s Groundwater announced its formation on May 29.

In a written statement, the group contends that “opening up of Maine’s unorganized territories to multinational corporations like Nestle (the parent company of Poland Spring), for commercial water extraction sets a precedent which has huge implications for the future.”

The 23-page LURC staff recommendation details Poland Spring’s proposal, listing potential effects on the watershed, soils, drainage and erosion, and the company’s intentions to mitigate these factors. According to the document, the project is not expected to have a negative impact on a nearby fish hatchery or Bigelow Preserve.

Items 23 through 27 of the document deal with the truck traffic. Poland Spring requested permission to run up to 40 trucks daily, seven days a week, year-round, except when the road is posted from March to May.

Poland Spring stated in the application that the actual number of trucks per day may be closer to 25, and that they may not run at all on weekends or during winter months when driving conditions are poor. It requested 40 trucks per day to allow for scheduling flexibility, it said.

Despite concerns and objections, “LURC staff have received numerous letters and calls in support of the project citing: economic improvements for the region, previous positive experiences dealing with this company, little concern over the increased truck traffic and no need for a public hearing.”

The application has been reviewed by the Maine Geologic Survey, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, the state soil scientist, the Maine Department of Transportation, Somerset county commissioners, the Maine Drinking Water Program, the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Maine Natural Areas Program.

Most approved of the project; those with concerns had them adequately addressed by the applicant, according to the document.

Highland Plantation assessors reviewed the application and neither supported nor objected to the proposal, but expressed concerns about the increased truck traffic, noting that the road’s use by logging trucks has been a problem in the past.

The staff acknowledged Long Falls Dam Road residents’ concerns, but stated they have no authority to restrict traffic on a public road.

The recommendation requires that Poland Spring address all concerns identified by the Traffic Management Committee, which is composed of residents of Long Falls Dam Road, local officials, and representatives of the Maine Department of Transportation and Poland Spring.

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