MAINE PUBLIC • May 13, 2022
Four climate change activists, including three from Maine, were sentenced by a New Hampshire judge Friday for temporarily blocking a coal train in 2019. The train was on its way to New England's last remaining coal plant, which has faced repeated calls for closure. During their sentencing, the activists said the urgency of the climate emergency cannot be overstated and that government and regulators have failed to respond adequately. Judge Andrew Schulman disagreed. Schulman ordered the four to stay away from railroad property and to refrain from participation in climate activism and civil disobedience for several years. He also ordered them to pay several thousand dollars worth of fines and restitution to the railroad company. All four were given suspended sentences of 6 months or less in jail.