The Maine roots of modern environmental policy

MAINE MONITOR • October 18, 2024

Unlike climate change, acid rain is a calamity that my generation largely hasn’t had to contend with, thanks to legislation passed in 1990. Last week, I was reminded of the distinctly Maine origins of that legislation by one of the architects themselves, former U.S. Sen. George J. Mitchell. At an event commemorating the 10-year anniversary of the Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions at the University of Maine, Mitchell commended his mentor and predecessor, Rumford-born Sen. Edmund S. Muskie, and outlined the paths to their trailblazing environmental work.