CAMDEN — A helicopter carrying six 100-pound lead acid batteries to the top of Ragged Mountain to service cellular tower service unexpectedly released its load, sending 68 pounds of sulfuric acid onto the trees and peat moss, igniting small fires and resulting in a environmental cleanup.

“It is fortunate that the ground was wet and the fires didn’t spread,” said Jessica Logan, director of communications for the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.

Tuesday, Oct. 22, was rated a Class 4 day on the National Fire Danger Rating System, meaning fire danger was very high. According to the rating system, “Fires start easily from all causes, and immediately after ignition, spread rapidly and increase quickly in intensity. Spot fires are a constant danger. Fires burning in light fuels may quickly develop high-intensity characteristics; such as, long-distance spotting and fire whirlwinds, when they burn into heavier fuels. Direct attack at the head of such fires is rarely possible after they have been burning more than a few minutes.”

The incident was reported to the DEP Tuesday afternoon, after the six batteries, hoisted up the hill on a pallet, apparently were dislodged from the helicopter and pallet. Jeremy Greenman, a DEP hazardous materials responder, investigated the site Tuesday and Wednesday.

The sealed batteries apparently all fell on property above the top of the Snow Bowl T-bar, on land that falls within Rockport’s town line, although there is some discrepancy in that information. Some batteries may have landed on Camden-owned land.

The batteries were destined for Verizon wireless equipment on the top of the mountain. The cell tower is on a 15-acre parcel of land owned by Wavesource LLC, in Rockport, at the summit of Ragged Mountain. Charlie Foote III is the president of Wavesource LLC and has hosted telecommunications equipment on the property and existing tower for a variety of public and private entities. In 2006, Rockport approved a Verizon Wireless expansion plan of its existing facility on the land there, which is in the town's zone that accommodates telecommunication towers and equipment.

According to a statement from Verizon submitted Thursday afternoon: “On Tuesday afternoon Verizon Wireless was able to quickly identify the location of the fallen batteries on private property owned by the cell towers’ landlord. We immediately secured contractors (Clean Harbors) to conduct a thorough cleanup, which is expected to be completed Thursday, and are continuing to work closely with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection to keep them informed of developments.

“Batteries are important to the reliability of cell service in the area to ensure that in the event of a commercial power outage (due to a winter storm for instance), cell service remains uninterrupted. We are committed to providing reliable cell service to our customers in rural areas, which is why we go to such great lengths to ensure backup power is available at cell sites.

“It has been reported that the batteries impacted an area that stretched 1,000 feet, however, it is our understanding that although the batteries themselves did smolder, the debris was confined to a *much smaller* immediate area, and there was no evidence of surrounding vegetation suffering any fire damage.”

Camden is an abutter to the Rockport property and access to the tower is made via the Camden Snow Bowl's ski trails and a 20-foot-wide easement that runs up to the top of the mountain.

On Thursday morning, a two-man crew from Clean Harbors, an environmental cleanup company, was at the Snow Bowl at the bottom of the mountain, making trips to the top via an ATV. The two men, Rob Johnson and Jason Babbidge, declined to comment on the situation, other than to say they were picking up pieces of the batteries and transporting them back down the mountain to a waiting pickup truck. There, the battery pieces were to be deposited in steel drums.

Camden Fire Chief Chris Farley said Wednesday that neither his fire department nor Rockport’s received any alert to the incident, despite the fact that three small spot fires were set off when the batteries exploded. One battery remained intact because it landed in a softer moss bed.

Logan said she did not know why local fire departments had not been notified, but said the fires extinguished on their own.

The incident was not reported to Knox County Regional Communications Center in Rockland, the county’s emergency service dispatch. Rockport and Camden fire departments learned of the incidents only through word of mouth late Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

Both Camden and Rockport fire departments expressed concern about the lack of communication and notification of the incident. Farley said Thursday that their concerns rested on the fact that the forest fire danger was high, that hazardous materials spilled and affected the environment, and that there was no immediate, nor subsequent, communication from the DEP about the event.

Logan did not know the name of the helicopter company transporting the batteries. She said Thursday evening that the clean-up had been completed and three to six inches of soil had been removed from the areas where the batteries fell.

Verizon is in the process of applying with the town of Rockport for approval of the new 195-foot cell tower atop Ragged Mountain.

Related story:

• Ragged Mountain cell tower application back before Rockport Planning Board

Editorial Director Lynda Clancy can be reached at lyndaclancy@penbaypilot.com; 706-6657.