Board of Environmental Protection considers new rules for electric vehicles

MAINE PUBLIC • August 17, 2023

A proposed rule to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles drew a standing-room-only crowd to a Board of Environmental Protection hearing in Augusta Thursday. The hearing came after several environmental groups petitioned the board to set cleaner emissions standards for new vehicles by incorporating an amended version of California's Advanced Clean Cars regulations. This would require a growing percentage of new cars sold in Maine to be zero emission vehicles, with a goal of 82% by model year 2032. A separate petition sets standards for trucks. Jack Shapiro of the Natural Resources Council of Maine said the proposal would significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions, and save Mainers money on gas. And he told the board there's a need to act quickly. People are fleeing California because of ridiculous ideas like this," said Republican State Representative Joshua Morris of Turner. He said the rules would impose financial burdens on his constituents, and that electric cars aren't suitable for Maine winters.

Town hosts first sustainable Scarborough Day on Oct. 1

SCARBOROUGH LEADER • August 17, 2023

The Town of Scarborough is hosting its first ever Sustainable Scarborough Day on Sunday, Oct. 1, bringing together everyone from the environmentally conscious to the eco-curious for a day of learning and fun. The inaugural event will be held from 10 a.m.-2: p.m. at Wentworth School. Meet with experts, local businesses, nonprofits, and enthusiasts on topics ranging from sustainable living, efficient homes, transportation, landscapes, recreation, waste management, land conservation, and climate action.

Proposal would require 82% of new vehicles sold in Maine be emissions-free in 10 years

SPECTRUM NEWS • August 17, 2023

A proposal designed to help Maine reach its climate goals would require 43% of new vehicles sold in Maine to be zero emission by the 2027 model year, increasing to 82% by 2032. Nearly 90 people signed up to testify Thursday on the proposal put forward by the Natural Resources Council of Maine, which used a little-known provision in state law to bring forward the idea with signatures from more than 150 Mainers. NRCM presented the rule to the Maine Board of Environmental Protection Thursday, saying it’s necessary to help Maine meet its climate goals. Those goals include reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by 2030 and 80% by 2050, said Jack Shapiro of NRCM.

Packed hearing shows Maine’s divide on phasing out gas-powered vehicle sales

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 17, 2023

AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine Board of Environmental Protection wanted feedback on petitions for the state to phase out the sale of gas-powered cars and trucks, and it got plenty Thursday. Supporters of the petitions, led by the Natural Resources Council of Maine and other environmental groups, have said Maine will not only cut air pollution and make needed progress toward climate goals but see a cumulative $21 billion in benefits by 2050 in the form of improved public health and lower utility costs if the state goes all-electric by 2035. Opponents say the free market should dictate EV adoption and the mandates are too much too soon while not considering Maine’s harsh winters along with how rural areas lack charging infrastructure. As of May, Maine had more than 900 charging ports, the vast majority of which are in the more populous southern part of the state, according to one estimate.

Column: You’ll need to work hard to see these migrating birds

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 17, 2023

Birds are odd. Migrants bust into the state in spring, full of song and exuberant courtship. In autumn, they slip away quietly. This is already happening. Even though southbound birds tend to be quiet and less boisterous, there are nonetheless some epic flights. Shorebird migration is peaking in Maine right now. It will continue apace until Labor Day, then taper off throughout September. ~ Bob Duchesne

Mother drowns trying to rescue son at popular New Hampshire waterfall

ASSOCIATED PRESS • August 17, 2023

Melissa Bagley, 44, was part of a family of six from Lynn, Massachusetts, visiting Franconia Falls in the White Mountain National Forest along with a friend Tuesday afternoon. She drowned trying to rescue her 10-year-old son as he was pulled by the current at the popular waterfall in New Hampshire. Two other children jumped in to help their brother and mother. They were able to get the child out of the water. An older son who jumped in to help became lodged in boulders and was rescued by his father.

Opinion: Too hot to ignore – much more action is needed to fight climate change

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 17, 2023

If we fail to move quickly enough to reduce global carbon emissions, the impacts of climate change on our environment and many of our planet’s inhabitants are likely to be devastating. President Biden, Gov. Mills and many state and federal legislators “get it” but we need to do more. We need to employ stronger regulations and incentives to ensure that we come very close to zeroing out our greenhouse-gas emissions by 2050, and we need to draw down significant amounts of carbon from our atmosphere for many years thereafter. We need to ensure that our communities, farms and businesses have effectively planned and prepared for the risks and costs associated with extreme weather, flooding, sea-level rise, wildfire and other detrimental impacts of climate change. To accomplish this, we need to immediately develop and implement an aggressive national, science-based climate action plan. ~ David Costello, candidate for the 2024 Democratic U.S. Senate nomination, Brunswick

What has the Inflation Reduction Act done for Maine’s climate so far?

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 16, 2023

A year after the adoption of the Inflation Reduction Act, the single largest government climate change investment in U.S. history, Maine and other states are still waiting for the bulk of those promised federal dollars to hit the streets. The biggest benefits provided to Mainers by the landmark law so far are the federal electric vehicle and heat pump tax credits that became available in January.

$35 million in grants will upgrade Maine culverts to allow water – and fish – to pass

ASSOCIATED PRESS • August 16, 2023

The Biden administration on Wednesday announced nearly $200 million in federal infrastructure grants to upgrade tunnels that carry streams beneath roads but can be deadly to fish that get stuck trying to pass through. Maine is getting $35 million.

Column: Moon’s positioning affects more than the tides

TIMES RECORD • August 16, 2023

Every year at this time, I look forward to seeing the Perseid meteor showers. However, it has either rained or been cloudy nearly every evening. So, I have yet to see them. The moon’s impact on the tides makes sense: when the sun, moon and Earth are all in alignment at both the full and new moons, the gravitational pull is the strongest and tides are the largest. Why it impacts weather is less clear. An article in the 2024 Farmers’ Almanac mentions the importance of noticing patterns. Phenology, or the study of cyclic patterns in nature, can provide clues. The big idea is that by studying a place over time and its various aspects, you can learn about the whole system. This is what led me to not be surprised when the clouds came in with the new moon, because I had noticed it many times before. ~ Susan Olcott

Lamoine approves temporary pause on “glampground” application

MAINE MONITOR • August 16, 2023

Lamoine became the latest Maine town to pause a big development, putting a temporary halt on proposed luxury “glampground” less than 10 miles from Acadia National Park. Voters at a special town meeting on Tuesday overwhelmingly supported a moratorium ordinance that halts Lamoine’s issuance of permits and application approvals for glampgrounds, hotels, motels and other resorts for the next 180 days. The ordinance’s approval comes just a week after Arizona-based company Clear Sky Resorts met with members of the Lamoine Planning Board to further review the company’s application to develop a glampground on Partridge Cove. The moratorium would put a hold on any additional consideration of Clear Sky Resorts’ application for the six-month period. In Tremont, a six-month moratorium adopted in November 2021 stopped all campground developments after a controversial 154-site luxury campground was proposed near Goose Cove.

Maine Gets Grants to Fix 27 Fish Culverts

MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS • August 16, 2023

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration today announced a total of $35 million going to state and tribal governments to advance 27 projects in Maine. The grants are part of a $196 million package going to 59 Tribal, state, and local governments that will fix or remove 169 culvert barriers to improve fish passage.

Have you seen a blue crab in Maine? Researchers want to know where

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 16, 2023

Blue crabs, usually associated with coastal Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay, have been showing up more often and in larger numbers in the Gulf of Maine over the past few years. To better understand the shifting population, scientists are now asking fishermen and members of the public to report their sightings through an online survey. Jessie Batchelder, a fisheries project manager with Manomet, said the information submitted by lobstermen, clam harvesters and others who are frequently on the water is key to getting a better picture of the blue crab population.

Commentary: Conservation can help nature weather forces of change in Maine

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 16, 2023

An exceedingly rare opportunity has arisen to conserve a large undeveloped, contiguous forested parcel within the town of Greenville. The Scammon Ridge Headwaters Project spans a ridge between Lower Wilson Pond in the Penobscot River watershed and Prong Pond in the Kennebec River watershed. The project will permanently conserve 3,000 acres, including nearly two miles of shoreline on Prong Pond and the entire shoreline of Little Mud Pond. A permanent conservation easement will allow careful forest management to continue and since the land will remain privately owned, the property will remain on the local tax rolls. ~ Karin R. Tilberg, Forest Society of Maine

Commentary: Proposed California rule ignores need for technology to meet business consumers’ demands

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 16, 2023

In June 2020, California adopted an Advanced Clean Trucks regulation, which requires 40% to 55% of all heavy trucks sold by 2035 in California to be electric. Now, the Maine is considering adopting portions of that regulation after a petition was submitted by the Conservation Law Foundation, Sierra Club and Natural Resources Council of Maine. The problems are numerous. It is not practicable for the construction or logging industries to invest in certain heavy-duty zero-emission trucks when those trucks have no way to recharge at their remote job sites in gravel pits and in the north Maine woods. Furthermore, the use of accessory equipment like snowplows, dump bodies, and cranes, reduces battery life. Zero-emission vehicles are part of the future of transportation, but we cannot rush their adoption. Let the market evolve naturally. ~ Tom Brown, Maine Auto Dealers Association, and Kelly Flagg, AGC Maine

EPA Selects Four Educational Organizations in New England to Receive Funding to Support Environmental Projects

EPA NEWS • August 15, 2023

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that four organizations in New England will receive $346,000 in grants to help address career development, water and air quality issues, climate change and environmental justice. The Gulf of Maine Research Institute is getting $96,000 to partner with 8 middle schools from a range of communities reaching approximately 800-1,200 students from across Maine. The work will connect those schools with schools across New England engaged in related hemlock investigations and monitoring efforts. The Maine Campus Compact's Energy Maine project is getting $90,000 to support environmental education efforts that address climate change/air quality and energy efficiency stewardship through problem-based curriculum and activities for Maine elementary school students in underserved communities.

Montana climate decision heartens young activists in Maine

MAINE PUBLIC • August 15, 2023

This week, a Montana judge sided with 16 young plaintiffs in their landmark court case against the state over its climate policies. Young climate activists in Maine say they're encouraged by the ruling. In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs argued that the state's fossil-fuel based energy system violated provisions of the state constitution guaranteeing a right to a clean and healthful environment. The State of Montana intends to appeal the decision to the state supreme court.

Letter: Pine Tree Power would be good news for Maine

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 15, 2023

CMP and Versant have neglected Maine’s power grid, leaving Maine with some of the most frequent power outages in the U.S. I think Pine Tree Power will be a trusted partner. With a nonprofit utility at the helm, our money could stay in Maine to make the investments required to substantially reduce outages. ~ Penelope Andrews, Hermon

Running of the Alewives

MAINE PUBLIC • August 15, 2023

The running of the alewives is one of Mother Nature's great spectacles. These small anadromous fish power upstream to reach their spawning grounds, and thousands of people flock to streams to witness the drama every spring. This first Borealis story explores the 11 mile pilgrimage Maine alewives take from the salty Gulf of Maine to Highland Lake. Zachary Whitener of the Gulf of Maine Research Institute explains why these fish are crucial to land and sea ecosystems, and how conservation efforts in the last few decades have helped the population recover. Plus, Deb and Mark Wilson talk about the "fish ladder" at Damariscotta Mills and how alewife harvests are crucial to the local economy.

State orders permanent closure of Bucksport landfill

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 15, 2023

The state has ordered the permanent closure of a Bucksport landfill that it says has been relatively dormant in recent years and has not been properly maintained. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection notified AIM, the mill’s owner, that the landfill is in violation of its operating permit. The state agency also said that AIM must develop a plan to permanently close the landfill and provide to the state a schedule for completing the work. The landfill was owned by a series of companies that operated the former local paper mill, which ceased operations in 2014. American Iron and Metal bought the property to demolish the mill and sell off the scrap, and at the same time acquired the landfill.