Don't eat or touch the brown snow, officials warn residents of Maine town

"It should not be touched or otherwise put in contact with skin," the town advised in an official statement.

In the quiet town of Rumford, Maine, where folks are used to the crisp, white snow of winter, residents woke up to a startling sight: their town blanketed in an unusual brown snow. The unusual phenomenon was caused by a malfunction at a century-old paper mill, according to town officials.

The mill malfunction resulted in the emission of spent black liquor into the atmosphere, which then tainted the falling snow. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, black liquor is a by-product of the paper-making process and is typically used within the mill to produce heat, steam, and electricity.

While the snow does not emit any odor, it initially had a pH level of 10 and can cause skin irritation, according to officials. "Although it is non-toxic, it should not be touched or otherwise put in contact with skin," the town advised in an official statement although in an update posted on Wednesday, officials said the pH level has dropped to 8.

Maine's Department of Environmental Protection is actively testing the discolored snow to ensure public safety. The mill has also agreed to pay for third-party testing which will be done independently with snow samples sent to a lab. "We are confident that the public safety concerns are minimal at this time. In the meantime, out of an abundance of caution, please avoid ingesting or direct skin contact with the brown snow," Rumford officials reassured residents via a Facebook post.

Local authorities have also urged residents to keep pets away from the snow and have notified neighboring school districts to prevent children from playing in it. They hope that the rain forecast on Wednesday would wash away the brown snow, reducing the risk of contamination. However, concerns remain about the potential runoff into the nearby Androscoggin River.

Report a Typo