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EPA Seeks to Gut PFAS Protections, Leaving Millions Exposed to Toxic Forever Chemicals in Tap Water

NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL • May 18, 2026

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today proposed to eliminate key current standards set to protect people from unsafe levels of PFAS “forever chemicals” in drinking water, reversing legal protections adopted in 2024. Additionally, the EPA has reversed course and stopped defending the standards in a federal lawsuit filed by industry seeking to eliminate them. The EPA has sought to obscure the impact of the rollback of the PFAS health standards by creating a “PFAS Out” program, but this is a PR stunt. The EPA’s proposals to roll back protections from forever chemicals pose a threat to the health of up to 105 million people across the nation whose water has been contaminated by PFAS.

Kingfield residents site ‘inconsistencies’ in Bowdoin camp proposal

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 18, 2026

Kingfield residents continued pushing back against Bowdoin College’s proposed campsite development during a planning board meeting last week. Meanwhile, students and representatives from the college say fears about traffic congestion are largely unfounded. Bowdoin’s proposed campsite sits on 20.7 acres that the college acquired in November of 2024 along the Carrabassett River. The application seeks seven campsites, allowing 28 tents, a picnic area and a service building, which would house bathrooms and water access. The site will be called the Finnegan McCoul Woodruff Mountain Center, named after the late Bowdoin student and Outdoor Club member.

3 Mainers hurt in ATV crash

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 18, 2026

Lucas Goulet, 20, of Lebanon was driving an ATV with passengers 23-year-old Naven Case of Cape Neddick and 20-year-old Corbin Hopkins of Lebanon on the Farmington Recreation Trail in Rochester, NH, about 9:30 p.m. Goulet hit a closed gate blocking the trail, seriously injuring himself and his passengers. None of the men were wearing helmets or other safety equipment. Investigators believe speed and inattention are factors in the crash.

Opinion: Maine is forged by nature, not AI. Let’s keep it that way.

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 18, 2026

At the annual Maine Tourism Conference recently held in Rockport, keynote speaker Janette Roush, chief AI officer and SVP of innovation at Brand USA, spent 45 minutes attempting to convince the room that using AI to improve productivity is the way of the future. Roush said that the environmental problem with using AI is that companies aren’t overseeing the use of AI for efficiency. AI doesn’t improve efficiency, it replaces jobs, ruins skill sets and your memory. In Maine, we work on old boats, protected land and historic landmarks in addition to screens; we “touch grass” and get dirty. They say “forged by nature” — not AI. ~ Amanda Pleau, Bath

Mills vetoed a data center pause. Towns are looking to pass their own.

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 18, 2026

Weeks after Gov. Janet Mills vetoed a bill to temporarily restrict permitting for new data centers of 20 megawatts or more, at least four towns and cities are considering enacting their own moratoriums. The local pauses are designed to give officials time to review their zoning rules and develop new regulations for large data centers — should they ever come to town. Some, like those in Sanford and Scarborough, come as developers have already proposed building data centers in town. Others, like in Brunswick and Westbrook, are designed to get ahead of potential data center construction. All four communities plan to discuss their proposals at meetings this week.

The state hates these fish, but fishermen love them

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 18, 2026

Northern pike were illegally introduced into the Belgrade Lakes in the 1970s, and since then, they’ve dramatically changed the landscape of fishing in Maine. These toothy predators wiped out populations of landlocked salmon and trout in the Belgrades, and the state has spent decades trying to eradicate them—with no success. Now, pike are found throughout the state, both from that original illegal introduction and from others that followed. Despite state efforts, these fish have flourished, and because they grow to impressive sizes, fishermen have embraced them, chasing giants ever since.

Maine mushroom foragers find treasures in the woods after last year’s disappointments

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 18, 2026

Lagrange fungi farmer Magan Mishio found her first patch of wild black morel mushrooms last week after years of fruitless searching. It was a welcome discovery at the start of Maine’s mushroom season, especially after a dry 2025 made some species hard to find, if they appeared at all. Maine foragers like Mishio are seeing early signs of an abundant spring mushroom season as the soil warms and rain continues to fall. They’re cautiously optimistic about the months to come while expecting climate change will continue shifting how mushrooms fruit in the future.

Investigation into Searsmont mill explosion continues; 10 remain hospitalized

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 17, 2026

Ten people injured in the fire and explosion at a Searsmont lumber mill Friday were still hospitalized as of Sunday afternoon. Katherine Paige, a firefighter for Belmont, was one of many first responders fighting the large fire at Robbins Lumber when the explosion occurred. Paige is being treated for severe injuries at Maine Medical Center in Portland. Morrill firefighter Andrew Cross was killed in the incident at Robbins Lumber. 

Column: Fish passage, flood control and a Maine town united

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • May 17, 2026

This summer, the Downeast Salmon Federation is leading the Cherryfield Fish Passage Improvement Project in partnership with the town of Cherryfield, Maine Coast Heritage Trust, The Nature Conservancy and Atlantic Salmon Federation, to replace the river’s last remaining mainstem dam with a nature-like fishway. By November, sea-run fish will encounter fewer barriers to their migrations on the Narraguagus River than at any point in the past two centuries.

Where are the songbirds? As climate shifts, Acadia’s forests are getting quieter

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • May 17, 2026

The morning chorus of songbirds at Acadia National Park is losing some of its well-known voices. New research suggests the park’s forests have grown quieter over the last half-century, in part because of a fast-warming climate. The once common flute-like melody of the Swainson’s thrush is giving way to the car alarm calls of the red-breasted nuthatch. Some birds have left, like the bay-breasted warbler and the olive-sided flycatcher. The stretches of silence between calls and songs is increasing.

Rugged Eyebrow Trail hike delivers waterfalls, views, slips

SUN JOURNAL • May 17, 2026

What started as a plan to revisit Bald Mountain in Weld turned into an unexpectedly rugged spring adventure on the Eyebrow Trail in Grafton Notch State Park, where slippery rocks, cliffside scrambles and waterfalls made for more demanding hike than expected. The route climbs roughly 1,100 feet in a relatively short distance and is typically intended to be hiked counterclockwise, with the steepest section normally used for ascent rather than descent. Without realizing it at the time, we completed the loop in reverse. Despite a sore ankle, muddy shoes and a few unexpected slides, the hike became one of the more memorable spring outings we’ve had in a while, with rushing waterfalls, rugged terrain and clear mountain views throughout the loop. ~ Rebecca Richard

Letter: Maine’s tourism economy is in decline

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • May 17, 2026

Visitor numbers in Maine have declined steadily from a post-pandemic peak of 15.6 million in 2021 to last year’s 14.8 million, an 8% drop. And, accounting for the overall rise in consumer prices, “real” tourist spending in 2025 was 1.6% lower than in 2024 and 2.6% below the 2022 peak. This looks worse than stagnation. The dismal five-year trends suggest that we are not effectively developing or promoting quality “products” and destinations that could make tourism a dynamic part of Maine’s economy. ~ David Vail, Brunswick

What are those beautiful neon pink slime balls in the Maine woods?

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 17, 2026

I’ve been wandering the Maine woods since I was a little girl. I’ve become familiar with its flora and fauna. Yet the wilderness keeps surprising me with things I’ve never seen before — like neon pink slime mold. Slime molds aren’t fungi or lichens. They’re single-celled organisms that move around, similar to an amoeba. At that stage, they’re too small for people to see. But sometimes, they congregate to form threads and fruiting bodies that resemble mushrooms. Slime molds play an important role in the ecosystem. Often found on decaying forest litter and rotting wood, they serve as decomposers and recycle nutrients. They feed on bacteria, which decomposes plant matter. They also serve as food for worms, beetles and other creepy crawlies. Slime molds don’t have brains, but they can communicate with chemical signals.

Column: Have a grand time hiking the Down East coast at Petit Manan

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 16, 2026

The Maine Coast Islands National Wildlife Refuge, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is comprised of five individual refuge units—Petit Manan, Cross Island, Seal Island, Franklin Island and Pond Island—and 76 offshore islands, a 9,478-acre complex that ranges along the coast from the mouth of the Kennebec River to the Cutler Coast. MCINWR protects an incredible ecological diversity of landscapes. Two trails totaling 6 miles of hiking allow visitors to explore the beauty of Petit Manan on foot. ~ Carey Kish

Body of missing paddleboarder found in Ellsworth lake

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 16, 2026

The body of a paddleboarder who went missing May 5 on Graham Lake in Ellsworth was recovered Friday evening. Grayson Mote, 20, who had been missing since the morning of May 5, was found Friday at 6:30 p.m. by a family member who was searching the lake for him by boat. Mote was believed to not have been using a personal flotation device. Conditions were windy that day.

Letter: The costly problem with cheap oil

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 16, 2026

Fossil fuel use is causing wars, damaging our economy and heating up the planet, causing extreme weather. None of this is necessary. The technology exists to economically switch to renewables. China is way ahead of America in this regard. It costs less to develop renewable sources now than to mine fossil fuels or build gas plants. The major problem is that the American fossil fuel industry is so invested in its infrastructure and makes billions from selling fossil fuels. Consequently these companies do not care if burning fossil fuel causes wars and damages America and the atmosphere. Despite this, 32% of the world’s energy now comes from renewable sources and this percentage is growing. ~ Nancy Hasenfus, Brunswick

Column: The simple trick that makes bird songs easier to recognize

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 16, 2026

It’s getting loud out there. The minute songbirds return in the spring, they begin to advertise, singing to attract a mate and establish a territory. For some people, it’s joyful noise. For others, it’s a challenge. Who’s making all that sound? It’s much easier to identify bird songs once you understand a few tricks. The most important thing to know is that most of the sound comes from just a handful of birds. That varies by location and habitat, but rarely are you hearing more than 10 different species at a time. Getting to know the common songs makes learning the rest a lot easier. ~ Bob Duchesne

It’s peak moose collision season in Maine. Here’s what to know on the roads.

CENTRAL MAINE • May 16, 2026

In Maine, May and June bring long, sunny days, blooming flowers — and more moose versus car crashes than any other two-month period during the year. Crashes involving moose happen mostly in the northern part of the state; almost half from 2020-24 were in Aroostook County. But central and southern Maine still see serious incidents every year. Welcome to moose collision season. Peak times for crashes are between 4 and 5 a.m., and 8 and 11 p.m. Deer are hit far more often in Maine than moose — 25 times more often. But per crash, moose are the most expensive and most dangerous animal Mainers collide with on the roads.

Fire unfolded at business that has been part of Maine’s forest industry ‘since forever’

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 15, 2026

Forest industry watchers were surprised on Friday as news unfolded of a fire inside a Robbins Lumber facility in Searsmont. Still owned by the same family that founded it on the St. George River in 1881, Robbins Lumber is well respected and well known across the forest industry. Authorities said the explosion and fire, which killed one firefighter and injured at least 10 other people, drew a large emergency response. Robbins Lumber employs more than 200 people. The family-run company has also been involved in advocating for the industry. Former president Jim L. Robbins, whose grandchildren help run the company today, had at one point presided over the Maine Forest Products Council, the New England Lumberman’s Association and the Northeastern Loggers’ Association.