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See which Maine towns have the most toxic firefighting foam

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 29, 2026

Fire stations across Maine are sitting on thousands of gallons of toxic firefighting foam, creating environmental hazards in dozens of communities. Survey results from the State Fire Marshal show at least 9,100 gallons of aqueous film-forming foam owned by 120 fire and emergency management departments. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are called forever chemicals because they don’t break down in nature and build up in the body. Long-term exposure is linked to high cholesterol, liver damage, developmental delays and cancer. The DEP estimates cleanup of all known municipal stockpiles would cost under $500,000. That’s much lower than the $5 million originally estimated. State Rep. Dan Ankeles, D-Brunswick, is drafting a bill that would earmark state PFAS settlement money for collection and disposal.

Don’t eat fish downstream from Keddy Mill on Presumpscot River in Windham, EPA warns

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 28, 2026

Officials are warning the public not to eat fish caught on a stretch of the Presumpscot River in Windham downstream from a former mill site that is undergoing cleanup. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is advising residents not to eat fish caught between the Little Falls Dam and Mallison Falls Dam in South Windham, downstream from the former Keddy Mill site. The former mill, which has been dormant since the 1990s, was determined to be a source of contamination of soil, sediment, groundwater and fish in the area.

Climate comedian aims to break through eco-anxiety, start conversations

MAINE PUBLIC • October 28, 2026

On a recent evening in Waldoboro, comedian Forrest Shaw is doing a stand-up routine. The classic advice for a budding comedian is "write what you know." For Shaw, that would be science. While he's been in the comedy biz for 15 years now, he's only recently tapped into his climate background for material. “I was a marine biologist for almost a decade and a half, and I saw firsthand how difficult it was to get people to be emotionally connected to habitat destruction or climate change or plastic pollution," he said. He felt the planet was doomed. He was surprised to find that writing and performing this show has changed his mind. “It's crazy to think that in making this show that I thought would be depressing, I would have more hope," he said. "I'm excited to tell people that."

South Portland gets some long-awaited answers on air quality

MAINE PUBLIC • October 28, 2026

Representatives from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Maine CDC met with South Portland residents Tuesday night to discuss findings from a six-year air monitoring study prompted by concerns about dozens of oil tanks. The DEP study follows years of complaints from residents over strong smells, nose and throat irritation and other health concerns for those living near the oil tank facilities. The results show slightly elevated levels of benzene, a known human carcinogen, near at least two of the monitoring sites in the city. Other sites showed levels below the state-recommended thresholds. The World Health Organization states there is no safe level of benzene exposure.

Maine backs off eliminating emerald ash borer quarantine

MAINE PUBLIC • October 28, 2026

A ban on freely transporting wood from areas of Maine infested by emerald ash borer will remain in effect after tribal governments and conservation groups protested a state plan to ease restrictions. State Horticulturist Gary Fish said a proposal to end a quarantine aimed at slowing spread of the invasive insect attracted more than 80 public comments. Nearly all urged the state to keep the quarantine. Emerald ash borer was first discovered in Maine in 2018. The insect tunnels into native ash trees, cuts off water and nutrients and can kill a host within five years.

USDA grants $8M to Portland Water District to sustain water quality in Sebago Lake

MAINE PUBLIC • October 28, 2026

The federal government is granting $8 million to the Portland Water District in the second phase of an effort to sustain water quality and improve aquatic habitat in the Sebago Lake watershed. The USDA funding will combine conservation easements on 2,000 acres and manage 4,000 acres of forests that filter water before it reaches the watershed. According to Sebago Clean Waters, a coalition of organizations dedicated to the health of the watershed, half of the award will be used for reconnecting streams and rivers for organism and fish passage. The remainder will fund forest management and conserve acreage.

Citgo plans to reduce emissions at South Portland tanks

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 28, 2026

Citgo Petroleum Corporation on Wednesday announced a plan to reduce emissions for its South Portland Terminal and fund expanded air monitoring. The move came a day after many South Portland residents urged the city to take action to protect public health at a packed City Council meeting, and more than a month after a report from the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention found that residents living near the more than 100 petroleum tanks in the city could be at higher risk of cancer and other chronic health issues as a result of long-term exposure to carcinogenic emissions.

Law Court To Begin Hearing Appeal in Nordic Title Case

MIDCOAST VILLAGER • October 28, 2026

Oral arguments are set to begin Thursday, Nov. 5, in the damages appeal by Jeffrey Mabee, Judith Grace and the Friends of Harriet L. Hartley Conservation Area in their long-running slander of title lawsuit against Nordic Aquafarms. The Maine Supreme Judicial Court has scheduled oral arguments to begin in the Cumberland County Courthouse. Mabee, Grace and the Friends are appealing a lower court ruling that rejected their claim for damages, reimbursement of litigation expenses and attorney fees. In its effort to develop a $500 million land-based salmon farm in Belfast, Nordic claimed an ownership interest in a strip of intertidal mudflats the Norwegian company needed to lay its industrial intake and effluent pipes to Penobscot Bay. Nordic, which left town in January 2025, used release deeds it secured from third parties to support its ownership claims.

Skowhegan Outdoors settles in at new location on Island Avenue

CENTRAL MAINE • October 28, 2026

The Skowhegan Outdoors Basecamp Gear Library plans to hold a grand opening Thursday, Nov. 19, at its new location at the former fire department on Island Avenue. The library offers free gear lending of bikes, kayaks, tubes, skis, camping gear and other items. The organization is working to add a reception area, a consignment department, retail shop and gear repair shop.

Trump says he’s ending restrictions on climate-warming methane from oil drilling

ASSOCIATED PRESS • October 27, 2026

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that his administration is “terminating” a Biden-era rule that aimed to cut planet-warming emissions of methane from oil and gas drilling. Trump said during a campaign rally in Texas that the change would save companies and consumers billions of dollars and unlock 210 million barrels of oil. That’s equivalent to about 10 days of U.S. petroleum consumption. The move aims to encourage more domestic drilling as Trump faces criticism over high fuel pricesamid the war in Iran. Methane is responsible for about a third of planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions, scientists estimate.

York’s unofficial Lorax speaks for a beloved tree

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 27, 2026

James Kences, York’s town historian, has been leading an effort to save a honey locust that’s slated to be cut down as part of a long-awaited revitalization plan. Officials have described it as a visual hazard, causing further confusion at an already perplexing intersection. The most efficient and affordable option to make the intersection safer, is to take down the tree, which is not native to Maine. Kences thinks there are better solutions, like carefully excavating its roots to relocate it. Kences also thinks that killing the honey locust will pave the way for developers to build structures that would destroy the old-town charm of York Village.

GrowSmart Maine Summit 2026, October 29

MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS • October 27, 2026

Across the state, communities bring the knowledge, values, and care needed to navigate change. Through the Building Community Strength initiative, GrowSmart Maine connects towns to learn from one another while delivering the tools that make action possible, and supporting communities on their own terms. Summit 2026 was conceived in that spirit, bringing people together from every corner of Maine to exchange proven strategies, spark new partnerships, and celebrate local resilience.

National Park Free Entry October 27 not for everyone

MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS • October 27, 2026

Entry to US national parks is fee-free on October 27, Theodore Roosevelt’s Birthday. But it applies exclusively to U.S. citizens and residents. This is a first. Previously, free entry days were open to everyone regardless of nationality. Now, under President Donald Trump, visitors aged 16 and over may be asked to show identification. International visitors also need to pay a $100 per-person non-resident surcharge at Acadia and ten other national parks.

Fact brief: Does Biddeford prohibit camping in city parks?

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 27, 2026

Biddeford’s parks ordinance prohibits overnight camping, including tents and other temporary shelters. Erecting any tent or shelter requires a recreation director’s permit. City parks generally close at dusk, and unauthorized structures may be removed. The ban predates the city’s recent efforts to address homelessness.

What Maine’s latest loon count revealed

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 27, 2026

Maine Audubon estimates that 2,770 adult loons and 276 chicks were on lakes in southern Maine this summer, down from the previous two years. The estimates are based on the organization’s 43rd annual Loon Count, held July 18. A record 1,861 volunteers surveyed 438 lakes statewide.

What should you do with art supplies that have toxins?

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 27, 2026

Reports of undisclosed chemicals in hundreds of art products and toys have left Maine parents and educators questioning whether it is safe to keep using the markers, clay and fingerpaints in their homes and classrooms. Public health advocates say there are no easy answers. While using up the supplies, parents and teachers should increase room ventilation, stop children from drawing on their bodies and enforce hand-washing immediately after craft time. The Portland-based group Defend Our Health is calling on Crayola to remove the carcinogen from its products and give Maine buyers full refunds or nontoxic replacements.

7-year-old shoots first buck. It was bigger than most shot in Maine.

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 27, 2026

Waylon Bourgoin is only 7 years old, but he already has a 225-pound deer to his name. The young hunter shot his first buck Saturday evening during Maine’s youth hunting days while hunting with his father, Tyler Bourgoin.

Aroostook potato farm brings spooky spuds to Halloween

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 27, 2026

Daniel J. Corey Farms of Monticello rolled a large green tractor and the graveyard experience into historic Market Square in 2025 for an innovative spooky spuds adventure. The immersive event really took off. Working alongside the town’s Community Impact Alliance, Ben Corey and Chloe Wheeler helped kids capture almost 900 bags of potato chips for their Halloween treat. The increasingly popular Trick-or-Tater, which involves handing out potatoes alongside the usual fun-size candy, started five years ago on social media, according to Kayla Vogel, manager of community engagement and influencer partnerships for Potatoes USA, the national marketing and research organization for potato farmers.

Column: Why can’t we hunt mourning doves in Maine?

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 27, 2026

I have never hunted doves, but I would like to. I’ve often wondered if my wingshooting abilities are still good enough to match their speed. I would like to find out, but I can’t because Maine is one of just nine states that ban dove hunting or do not list doves as a legal migratory game bird. Up to 350,000 resident and nonresident hunters pursue doves in Texas each year. Like Sunday hunting, bear baiting and some other topics, dove hunting would no doubt prove controversial and spark a firestorm of protests from anti-hunting groups and birdwatchers in Maine. ~ Al Raychard