Brown snow fell in Rumford after a malfunction at the ND Paper mill caused the emission of black liquor.
The town office said about noon Tuesday that the emission of spent black liquor caused brown or tan snow to fall adjacent to the mill.
That affected Falmouth, Cumberland and Waldo streets, the town said.
Black liquor isn’t toxic, but the town warned that it can cause skin irritation because it has a pH of 10.
“Although it is non-toxic it should not be touched or otherwise put in contact with skin,” the town said in a statement.
The town hopes that Wednesday’s rain will wash away most of the black liquor. In the meantime, parents should advise their kids not to play with the snow and pet owners should keep their companions at a safe distance from it.
Black liquor is a byproduct of the digesting pulpwood into paper pulp and has been used as an energy source in paper mills since the 1930s.
