A wealthy CEO, Amelia Bond, who enhanced the sea-view from her $3.5 million Maine vacation home by poisoning her wealthy neighbor’s trees, now faces a fresh criminal investigation despite having paid $1.7 million in fines and settlements.
In 2022, Bond secretly applied four pounds of the herbicide Tebuthiuron to trees belonging to Lisa Gorman. When the trees began to die, Bond offered to pay for their removal, attempting to cover up her actions. Tests later confirmed her culpability, leading to her paying $1.5 million in compensation to Gorman. However, the state attorney general is now considering charges after the poison spread to a nearby park and beach, igniting local outrage.
“Anybody dumb enough to poison trees right next to the ocean should be prosecuted, as far as I’m concerned,” said neighbor Paul Hodgson.
Gorman, the widow of Leon Gorman, the former president of L.L. Bean, grew suspicious when trees and vegetation in her yard began dying. Her property overlooks the scenic Laite Beach and Camden Harbor, and her trees had been blocking Bond’s view. Bond, appearing concerned, had suggested removing the dying trees, but Gorman’s suspicions led her to hire Bartlett Tree Experts to investigate. Soil samples revealed the presence of herbicide, affecting not only the oaks but also maples, blueberries, and dogwoods.
Local authorities tested the site in November 2022 and interviewed Amelia Bond, who admitted to using the poison. She claimed she bought it in Missouri, intending to treat two oak trees she thought were dying.
Bond and her husband, Arthur Bond III, an architect and nephew of former US Senator Kit Bond, have paid substantial fines and settlements. They resolved violations with the Maine Board of Pesticides Control Board for $4,500, and with the town for $180,000. Additionally, they have paid $30,000 for further environmental testing and over $1.5 million to Gorman in a legal settlement.
Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey has announced an investigation amid rising anger over the spreading damage in Camden, a town of 5,000 residents. “Wealth and power don’t always go hand in hand with intelligence, education, and morals,” said Tom Hedstrom, chair of the Select Board. “This was atrocious and gross and any other word you want to use to describe abhorrent behavior.”
Rep. Vicki Doudera, D-Camden, expressed frustration with the $4,500 maximum fine allowed by the Maine Board of Pesticide Control Board. “It makes me so livid,” Doudera said. “This situation, the minute I heard about it, I thought, ‘Wow! These people are going to get a slap on the wrist. That’s just not right.’”
Tebuthiuron, the herbicide used by Bond, is notorious for its persistence in soil, leading to prolonged environmental damage. This is the same herbicide used in 2010 by an Alabama football fan to poison the Toomer’s Corner oak trees at Auburn University, resulting in jail time for the perpetrator.
A lawyer for the Bonds stated that they have no comment but continue to take the allegations seriously. “They continue to cooperate with the town of Camden, state of Maine, and the Gormans, as they have done over the last two years,” he added.
Hodgson remarked that Bond’s actions are not unique among affluent out-of-towners seeking to enhance their views. “They just pay the fine because they have plenty of money,” he said. “That’s the town we live in.”
