The Lincoln Mill is a complex in Biddeford, Maine, owned by MCMAQ, LLC. No. 2 fuel oil is stored on the property in two bulk tanks - one 20,000 gallon tank and one 975 gallon "pony" tank. A canal system which drains to the Saco River runs beneath Lincoln Mill and the neighboring Westpoint Stevens facility. Fuel oil has been discovered in these underground canals.
Samples of the oil in MCMAQ’s storage tank and of the spilled oil in the lower canals were collected by MEDEP in February 2003. These samples were analyzed by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Marine Safety Laboratory (MSL) and were determined to be from a common source. MEDEP has subsequently decided to assume responsibility for funding and managing the investigation into the nature and extent of the contamination in the underground canal system.
