Brown snow falls over Maine town. Authorities warn people against touching or eating it

Apart from the holiday cheers, the month of December often brings along the excitement of cozy winter days. Sipping a cup of hot chocolate and looking at the snowy landscape outside the window is a moment many long for. But for the residents in a Maine town, a rather unusual occurrence graced their winter as brown snow covered the landscape on Tuesday, December 10, 2024. Authorities warned the citizens of Rumford, Maine to avoid touching or ingesting any of the brown snow that fell in the area as it may pose minor health risks. Photos of the brown snow-covered city made headlines as the news traveled through the nation leaving many shocked by the occurrence. 

An official Facebook update by the Town of Rumford announced the characteristics of the brown snow and what had led to the occurrence. It was confirmed that a malfunction at the paper mill led to the release of “spent black liquor” causing the precipitation to turn brown. The black liquor is an alkali by-product of the paper production process, according to a report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. It is removed from the digesters in the process of chemically pulping wood and serves a purpose even after its evaporation. The byproduct is then burned as fuel in a recovery furnace to yield some basic chemicals useful to the paper-making process. This black liquor, therefore, resulted in the precipitation of brown or tan-colored snow which could be potentially toxic to humans and pets.

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection was reported to be investigating the area since that afternoon. After testing the brown snow, the pH results were slightly higher than neutral, recorded at 8 while the pH of water is 7. The brown snowfall occurred in areas around the town on Falmouth Street, Cumberland Street, and Waldo Street. While the snow is barely acidic, the black liquor has a pH of 10 and is an alkali. It can cause skin irritation but is mostly non-toxic to life. 

To mitigate the concerns and aid in the quick assessment of the brown snow, the paper mill decided to fund third-party testing. “In order to help alleviate public concerns the mill has agreed to pay for third-party testing which will be done independently with snow samples that will be sent to a lab with a protected chain of custody,” a part of the announcement stated. 

It was suggested that the paper mill and regulators were already informed of the issue. In addition, district schools were advised to not allow kids to play or eat the brown snow and it is best to keep pets away from contact as well. The authorities were confident that the health of the citizens was not at risk, although avoiding contact remained a top priority. “out of an abundance of caution please avoid ingesting or direct skin contact with the brown snow,” the post stated. 

In order to get rid of the citywide strange snowfall, the DEP anticipated next day’s shower to wash away most of the residuals of the precipitated substance and remove it from people’s homes and official infrastructures. The announcement by the Town of Rumford encouraged the citizens to stay in touch with the Town Manager’s office with the stated contact information.