There is a legal dispute between two Maine millionaires over allegations that one of them poisoned the other’s trees to enhance their ocean view, resulting in a lethal herbicide contaminating the community’s only public beach.
Lisa Gorman, the wife of the late LL Bean president Leon Gorman, claims that her neighbor applied herbicide to her oak trees without permission in 2021, as reported by The Associated Press.
The neighbor, Amelia Bond, former CEO of St. Louis Foundation, then offered to share the cost of removing the dying trees from the front of the Camden home in 2022, according to legal documents reviewed by the AP.
This action gave Bond an unobstructed view of Penobscot Bay, a picturesque harbor filled with lobster boats, yachts, and schooners.
The herbicide spread to the town’s only public beach, Laite Memorial Beach, raising concerns among residents who were spotted walking their dogs near the contaminated area, where the herbicide, harmful to aquatic plants, was found.
Bond and her husband, Arthur Bond III, have paid fines to the state and compensated Gorman with $1.5 million, according to the town’s planning and development director as mentioned by the AP.
The Bonds are also responsible for further monitoring and remediation of Laite Memorial Beach and its park, with Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey agreeing to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident.
Some residents of Camden, a small community with just 5,000 residents, believe that the fines imposed are not sufficient punishment, advocating for stricter penalties or even criminal charges.
Rep. Vicki Doudera suggested the possibility of a sliding scale for wealthier individuals who commit such offenses.
An attorney for the Bond couple stated that they are cooperating with the authorities and taking the allegations seriously.
The herbicide at the center of the controversy, Tebuthiuron, is known for its persistence and difficulty in remediation. It remains active in the soil, posing a threat to surrounding plants for an extended period.
Aside from complete soil removal, the only solution is to dilute the Tebuthiuron and wait for it to dissipate over time to ensure the safety of other plants in the area.
Residents like Lynn Harrington questioned whether the Bonds should be welcomed in the community, considering their actions.
Others, like Dwight Johnson, criticized the Bonds’ offer to share the cost of tree removal after causing their demise as deceitful.
Many residents acknowledged that wealthy part-time residents like the Bonds have the means to pay fines and escape severe consequences for their actions.
“They just pay the fine because they have plenty of money,” said resident Paul Hodgson. “That’s the town we live in.”
