Opinion: Maine Trails Bond will protect state’s most precious resources

KENNEBEC JOURNAL • June 28, 2023

Why does the Maine Trails Bond (L.D. 1156) legislation deserve our support? L.D. 1156 is the catalyst we need to help establish and maintain the infrastructure Maine needs to meet the demand of its adventure seeking residents and visitors. Data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis shows that Maine is in the top five states with the highest percentage of GDP value coming from outdoor recreation. Maine’s outdoor recreation economy brings in $3 billion annually, employs tens of thousands of people and has been one of the only industries in Maine to grow nearly 20% in the wake of COVID-19. Maine has always been and will increasingly become the place to play for much of the Northeast. This is a call to action to pass the Maine Trails Bond Act. ~ Matthew L. Foster, director of parks and recreation, Farmington

Letter: Another way of thinking about Pine Tree Power

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 28, 2023

The Pine Tree Power proposal urges Mainers to support the purchase and consolidation of Central Maine Power and Versant Power into a single consumer-owned nonprofit entity governed by a fiduciary board of members with relevant business and technical expertise. Management would be no less disciplined if consumer demand for better service replaced shareholder demand for dividends. There is no logical reason why consumers can’t or shouldn’t own and operate electricity delivery infrastructure in Maine. ~ Richard Parisen, Kennebunkport

Wild animals that do not need rescuing are taking up valuable space and time

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 28, 2023

Animal rescue and rehabilitation facilities around the state are seeing a spike in the numbers of critters coming in this summer, experts say. But many of those animals did not need to be rescued in the first place and are taking up space and resources needed by those who really do need help. That often means the volunteers running rescue facilities need to scramble to make last minute accommodations for those babies. Or temporarily stop accepting the animals altogether.

Bus and Low- and No-Emission Grant Awards

MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS • June 27, 2023

The Federal Transit Administration’s FY23 Low- and No-Emission and Bus and Bus Facilities programs will provide nearly $1.7 billion from the Infrastructure Law for transit projects in 46 states and territories. This funding invests in more than 1,700 American-built buses that will be manufactured with American parts and labor. In Maine, Bangor's Community Connector will receive nearly $7.9 million to rehabilitate its bus storage facility.

Town of Raymond asks court to force Auburn businessman to restore Sebago Lake properties

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 27, 2023

The town announced Tuesday that it has asked Cumberland County Superior Court to order the restoration of two properties on Sebago Lake at the center of a series of shoreland zoning violations involving Auburn businessman Donald Buteau. In October 2021, the shoreland in front of the homes at 18 Fernwood Road and 28 Whitetail Lane was transformed in two weeks from its natural landscape of towering trees, native vegetation and rocky shore to an open landscape of at least 400 linear feet of riprap — rock — lining the shore. The town and Maine DEP investigated and discovered no permits were filed for the work.

Maine Calling: Tips for Water Safety this Season

MAINE PUBLIC • June 27, 2023

With warm weather finally here, many will head out for some relaxation on or in the water. Get tips on staying safe whether on a boat, paddling, or going for a swim in the ocean, lakes or pool. Panelists: Lt. Jason Luce, Boating Law Administrator for the State of Maine; Jeff Wren, longtime swim coach.

Column: The Dead River never gets old

TIMES RECORD • June 27, 2023

My initial descent of the Dead River was in June 1986. It was love at first paddle. In the intervening years, I’ve returned with friends and family over 200 times. The excitement and allure of the Dead never gets old. Beginning in small lakes and ponds in western Maine, the north and south branches of the Dead converge at Flagstaff Lake in Stratton. What currently constitutes the lake was once a calm section of the Dead River that meandered circuitously for 20 miles, hence the name “Dead.” In 1950, Long Falls Dam was built, forming the lake. 18 planned releases from the dam varying from 1,300-6,000 cubic feet per second (CFS) provide whitewater throughout the dry summer months. As a result, the Dead has become a mecca for enthusiastic boaters in search of paddling thrills and spills. ~ Ron Chase

Column: The impact food has on climate

TIMES RECORD • June 27, 2023

What we eat can make a large difference in reducing climate warming. Shifting our meat choices to animals that are produced with less feed — and therefore take much less energy — reduces the amount of greenhouse gas emissions, land use and heating of the atmosphere. Twenty-five percent of all world agricultural lands are used to produce grain, hay and pasture just to produce beef for human consumption. If this land were used to grow rice, wheat or corn to feed people directly, it could feed over 10 times the number of people. ~ Nancy Chandler

Opinion: Want to fight inflation? Try using clean, efficient renewable power

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 27, 2023

Two of the best ways to fight inflation and strengthen Maine’s economy are to get efficient and go solar. Not only do investments in efficiency and sustainable energy pay economic dividends, but they also protect our health and environment by conserving resources and preventing pollution. There is no good reason to pay someone to frack, pump, pipe and burn natural gas to produce electricity for you when there is literally free energy streaming down from the heavens to Maine every day. ~ Fred Horch, On the Pathway to Clean Energy

Letter: Maine shouldn’t destroy rail for ill-defined trail

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 27, 2023
In truth, how many people will be commuting 20 or 30 miles on a bicycle or other exposed transit modes in the snow, rain or ice? Who will maintain the trail? Who will police the trail? Before destroying transit options, visualize using the existing rail system that allows expansion of commuter and tourist growth without adding to highway congestion. Rail transit (with room to take your bike) is real transportation. L.D. 406 is a rail-use vision plan that does not destroy options before making decisions. Maine needs viable and practical transportation options. ~ Peter Cole, Topsham

Letter: Eliminating Metro bus fares cannot be the answer

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 27, 2023

A recent letter claiming that Metro buses mostly run empty is false. Ridership on Metro’s transit system exceeded 2.1 million boardings in 2019, which was a level of use not seen since the 1980s. Metro’s post-pandemic ridership recovery is nearing 90% of the 2019 high. Research shows that service improvements build ridership better than eliminating fares. A series of service improvements coming this year and next, we predict, will lead to strong ridership gains. Eliminating fares entirely would create a $2.4 million budget gap, requiring either service cuts or new taxpayer funding. ~ Greg Jordan, Greater Portland Metro

June will be one of Maine’s rainiest in a quarter century

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 27, 2023

The damp, unsettled weather is slated to continue all week as one of the rainiest Junes on record comes to an end. If it doesn’t rain another drop, June 2023 will go down as the ninth rainiest June in recent memory for Portland. The city’s wettest June ever, since records started in 1871, was in 1917 when 10.86 inches of rain were recorded. Likewise, to date, Bangor has seen 4.89 inches of rain this year, which is well above its total monthly June average of 3.24 inches. Maybe summer will start in July this year.

Letter: All can chip in to keep Lewiston clean

SUN JOURNAL • June 27, 2023

On Earth Day a couple colleagues and I cleared trash from several Lewiston streets, resulting in 13 bags of trash weighing over 250 pounds. There was a sense of accomplishment while doing something positive. A couple weeks later, the same streets were filled with litter. It is a shame that our community can’t be kept clean. I don’t expect a single letter will make a difference, but if all homeowners picked up any trash that lands on their lawn, and if the offenders could just place trash in receptacles, we could be proud of our city. ~ Pete Geiger, Lewiston

Gov. Mills vetoes bill to attract offshore wind development, citing labor requirements

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 26, 2023

Gov. Janet Mills has vetoed a measure to establish visual impact standards for future offshore wind projects, which originated from her own office. Mills said she vetoed L.D. 1847 because the Legislature failed to recall the bill at her request after it was amended to require that all projects have project labor agreements, which she does not support. She also pointed out that no other New England state requires labor agreements for offshore wind development projects.

EPA takes a step forward in $17 million cleanup of Windham Superfund site

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 26, 2023

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Monday that it’s moving forward with a proposal to clean up a polluted mill site in Windham that has been awaiting remediation for over 20 years. The EPA is estimating it will take two to four years and $17 million to demolish the building at the Keddy Mill complex and clean up the soil and debris contaminated with potentially toxic materials such as PCBs. The site has been home to a variety of mills for grist, pulp, box-board manufacturing and steel production from the mid 1700s through 1997. 

Mills vetoes offshore wind bill over labor agreement requirements

MAINE PUBLIC • June 26, 2023

Gov. Janet Mills has vetoed a bill that aimed to streamline the permitting process for a facility to build massive wind turbines. Mills actually sponsored the bill, LD 1847, as a way to set "visual impact standards" for a port where businesses would manufacture the turbines needed for offshore wind power projects. The bill was cruising through the Legislature. But then Democrats changed the measure to add a "project labor agreement" requirement for any port construction jobs and related manufacturing facilities. In a letter to lawmakers last week, Mills warned that she would veto the bill unless the project labor agreement language was removed. Supporters of the PLA language criticized Mills’ veto of the legislation.

Northern Maine power line project moves forward, slowly

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 26, 2023

Plans for a major renewable energy project that would connect Aroostook County to New England’s electric power grid are inching forward. Last week, legislators and Gov. Janet Mills signed off on a bill for construction of a high-voltage transmission line that would bring wind-generated electricity from northern Maine to the grid. The proposed King Pine wind farm, built by a power developer from Boston, would comprise 179 wind turbines, making it the largest onshore wind project east of the Mississippi River. The precise route of the corridor, its width and its potential environmental impact have not yet been made public. But the state’s approval is just the first step of what is expected to be a years-long process requiring permits from multiple regulatory agencies.

How freight shippers are trying to get greener

BLOOMBERG • June 26, 2023

Shipping is the backbone of the global economy, carrying more than 80% of traded goods. But it also accounts for about 3% of man-made carbon dioxide emissions, with the overwhelming majority of the world’s fleet running on fossil fuel. If the sector is to decarbonize in line with the 2015 Paris agreement on climate change, it needs to move beyond oil. Last year, for the first time, the majority of gross tonnage ordered was capable of running on alternative fuel, including liquefied natural gas. Maersk has ordered 25 ships that are capable of running on methanol, with the first making its maiden voyage this year, and it’s not alone.

Canada’s explosive wildfires have damaged a forest carbon offset project

BLOOMBERG • June 26, 2023

Canada’s explosive wildfire season has already pumped millions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Some of that carbon is coming from vegetation burned at a carbon offset project, highlighting the fragility of a tool the world is relying on to fight catastrophic climate change. With Canada facing what’s on track to be its worst wildfire season on record – and climate change fueling ever more destructive blazes – climate experts and offset developers are concerned it could be a harbinger of what’s to come.

Maine Gov. seeks federal disaster for spring storm damage

WMTW-TV8 • June 26, 2023

Gov. Janet Mills Monday asked President Joe Biden to declare a Major Disaster for parts of Maine affected by a severe storm from April 30 to May 1 that brought heavy rain and wind that created flooding, caused thousands of power outages and nearly $3 million in infrastructure damage. That storm brought a lot of flash flooding to the area.In a letter to the President, Mills said that the impacts of the storm resulted in public infrastructure damage that is beyond the State’s capability to address. The Governor requested that the President issue a Disaster Declaration for Franklin, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Oxford, Sagadahoc, Somerset, and Waldo Counties.