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If you've heard anything about mining in Maine, you've heard about the Callahan Mine. The name is frequently invoked to illustrate the perils of the industry, and was instrumental in shaping the state's mining policies, which are considered some of the most stringent in the nation. 

You might know that the mine waste leaked heavy metals into the watershed for decades, and that it's now a Superfund site that is expected to cost more than $55 million (most of that taxpayer money) to clean up. The Environmental Protection Agency announced in August that it expected to wrap up its work there in 2026, more than two decades after it began.

What you may not have heard is what happened the same year the mine closed, long before it became a Superfund site.

The former mine pit, which was dug below Goose Pond in Brooksville, was refilled with water and then stocked with salmon and oysters in one of Maine's earliest experiments in commercial aquaculture. The fish were served at restaurants as far south as Boston, and the experiment continued for years, not far from the piles of waste rock and uncapped tailings pond.

For weeks, I've been poring over hundreds of pages of historic documents and newspaper articles. I spoke to the former mine manager and local residents, visited the site and walked the paths of the sanctuary on the western shore, trying to piece together how we got here. I hope you find it as fascinating as I do.

— Kate

Callahan Mine site home to one of Maine's earliest aquaculture projects

The former Callahan Mine in Brooksville has long been invoked as a cautionary tale on the perils of mining.

But after the mine closed, before it became a Superfund site, the mine pit was home to one of Maine's earliest commercial aquaculture experiments, and the salmon that were raised there were served in restaurants across Maine and as far south as Boston.

Read this story by Kate Cough

Worcesters paying fines on time: After flouting state regulations in 2019 and building an unpermitted campus of 52 cabins in Columbia Falls, the company behind the scrapped Flagpole of Freedom project is paying its resulting fine on time and cleared the first hurdle for its overdue permit. Read this story by Emmett Gartner

Three takeaways from our investigation into child care centers: A Monitor investigation found that child care centers across the state have been repeatedly relicensed after numerous transgressions. Here are three takeaways. Read this story by Alexa Foust

Which EMS agencies received stabilization funding?: Last year the Maine Legislature allocated $31 million intended to stabilize the emergency medical system, which is considered to be in crisis. So far, more than $10 million has been distributed to 184 emergency transportation services statewide. Here's which agencies got the money. Read this story by Adrienne Washington

Maine has no testing requirement for medical cannabis. Public health advocates want that to change.

As new legislation regulating marijuana takes effect, the debate about whether and how to mandate testing and potency limits for medical cannabis continues.

Read this story by Rose Lundy

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