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Jul 26, 2016

Sears Island in 1967: Pollution Report shows island, coast awash with chicken guts and fat

From Report on Pollution-Navigable Waters of the Penobscot River and Upper Penobscot Bay in Maine. 196

"On June 28, 1966, the Maine Sea and Shore Fisheries reported finding floating chicken entrails in Stockton Harbor at the northeast side of Sears Island. They reported that these entrails had a total coliform value greater than 170,000 MPN/100ml.

"Again on July 8, 1966, floating chicken entrails were found by Fisheries personnel in Stockton Harbor at the same location.

"They also reported that on June 28, 1966, an animal fat film was found on the waters from the south tip of Sears Island to the north tip of Sears Island in Stockton Harbor. Large amounts of feathers have been reported found on Sears Island and Islesboro Island.

"In the past, chicken entrails have been found all along the banks of Belfast Bay

A ferry running from Isleboro Island to Lincolnville, which is south of Northport, reported that their water intake screen had to be cleaned at least once a week in the past, due to chicken feathers clogging the screen.

"During the period samples were being collected by the Merrimack River Project, there is no significant discharges of either feathers or entrails, indicating that either the new screening devices were working properly or that closer attention was given to maintenance of these screens.

" IV-474 "Sterile gauze swabs were placed at 21 stations for about five days. Salmonellae were found at five of the stations (poultry plant effluent). The United States Public Health Services Communicable Disease Center determined the serotype.

The results clearly pointed out that poultry plant wastes are pathogenic to man since all Salmonella bacteria are pathogenic. Salmonellae were isolated from both swabs placed in the Penobscot River."

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