Letter: Maine's Wabanaki people deserve better than more pollution

A letter to the Bangor Daily News argues that Maine’s Wabanaki people near the proposed Juniper Ridge landfill expansion deserve stronger environmental protections. The writer thanks the paper for publishing John Krueger’s July 27 commentary, saying it highlighted cancer disparities affecting Wabanaki residents on Indian Island next to the landfill. The letter contends that expanding the landfill could worsen cancer risks, including through pollution of the Penobscot River—an area described as federally legally protected for Wabanaki fishing. It also cites concerns about exposure from airborne pollution after a landfill fire. The writer concludes that society should not choose cancer-causing pollution over the health of future generations.