The state is calling on the Wiscasset Raceway's new owner to provide a cleanup plan for waste areas at the West Alna Road track.

Richard Jordan met with Maine Department of Environmental Protection representatives on the property August 8. Based on that discussion, the Kingfield businessman said he will be hiring an environmental consultant to write the plan.

Jordan knew of potential environmental issues when he bid $130,000 on the property, and the state's request for a plan has not affected his intentions to finalize the purchase, he said. “I'm just covering all the bases,” the Edgecomb native said in an interview August 9.

The plan must be written by a qualified professional, and must include “clear objectives for cleanup and an investigation into buried waste,” DEP environmental specialist William Butler said August 10. As the state's primary project manager for the site, Butler was among the officials who met with Jordan.

Depending on the results of the buried waste investigation, the state may also require an investigation into groundwater and surface water contamination, Butler said. “There's not anything to prevent him from running the raceway” while the plan is being drafted and while cleanup is under way, Butler said.

Both men both viewed the recent meeting as cooperative.

Jordan remains encouraged by the continuing, strong public interest surrounding the prospect of the track re-opening. About a month after the foreclosure auction, he has still been getting two or three calls a day from people wanting to volunteer their help, he said.