AG Aaron M. Frey

Attorney General Aaron M. Frey announced this morning his Office’s successful collection of over $650K from Cornerbrook LLC and CPSP LLC,  both compnies owned by Joseph Soley.  The companies own properties near the Maine Mall in South Portland that are subject to regulation and permitting under the Clean Water Act and Maine law due to their proximity to the Long Creek watershed.  Soley, in his 90s, is a well-known and sometmes controversial property owner on Exchange Street in the Old Port of Portland.

Entities typically meet these obligations by signing on to a permit administered by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, which requires participation in an agreement administered by the Long Creek Watershed Management District and payment fees to the District.  The fees from this geneal permit agreement help make necessary improvements to water quality due to the unique and vulnerable characteristics of the Long Creek watershed.  Mr. Soley’s LLCs had previously violated these legal requiremens under a prior version of the general permit, which prompted a court action in 2012 resulting in judgments against both companies.

In 2018, the DEP notified Mr. Soley’s companies that they were in violaltion of the legal permitting requirements.  Because the entities failed to voluntarily come into compliance, the DEP filed complaints in Maine District Court in 2021.  In 2023, the Court entered judgments requiring the entities to pay overdue fees and civil penalties and submit notices of their intent to comply with the DEP’s general permit for the Long Creek watershed going forward.  Addidtional penalties were triggered by the companies’ failure to timely comply with the Court’s judgment.  Overall, the violations by these entities have resulted in payments of over $400K in overdue fees to Long Creek Watershed Management District and $250K in civil penalties to the State of Maine.

“Environmental regulations like the ones in the present case ensure communities have safe, clean water and our natural resources are preserved,” said AG Frey in the press release issued this moning.  “When violators flout the law, refusing to pay fees and fines, we must take action to protect residents, waterways and wildlife.”

“Years ago Mr. Soley told this blogger that when he lived in the Baltimore, Maryland area, he was a business partner of the late Vice President Spiro Agnew in the housing business in that area.  Agnew could sell anyone anything Soley told this blogger.  But he was forced to resign before President Richard Nixon did because of his illegal activities in which he engaged while VP of the US.  He narrowly escaped prison time due to the good work of his legal team.  Will Trump escape prison  time if he doesn’t keep his mouth shut?”

For background information, please visit post herein dated June 2, 2018.