Phippsburg supports new grant proposal for Center Pond River fishway

TIMES RECORD • September 21, 2023

The Phippsburg Select Board signed a letter of support Wednesday night for a federal grant that would go toward the construction of a fishway leading from the lower Kennebec River into Center Pond. The current fishway — which allows alewives, a species of herring, to pass through a shallow tidal stream into the pond to spawn in freshwater — is only effective for about 47% of the tidal cycle. The other 53% of the time, fish are either unable to enter the pond to spawn or are stranded on shallow rocks to die. With the extension of the tidal stream, proposed by the Center Pond River Herring Committee, alewives will be able to pass through during 85% of the tidal cycle.

Maine’s PFAS reporting law needs to take a risk-based approach

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 21, 2023

The state has delayed implementation of the first-in-the nation PFAS reporting law. More conversations are needed for the program to be successful. As lawmakers move forward with implementation, a discussion around a practical risk-based policy is sorely needed to sustain Maine’s economic progress and effectively address environmental contamination issues that create public health concerns. Maine’s current approach treats thousands of different PFAS compounds the same. If everything is a priority, then nothing is prioritized. Equally important, a blanket ban on all PFAS fails to recognize the role some PFAS compounds play in essential industries such as clean energy production, life-saving medical technologies, or aerospace manufacturing. Allowing for risk-based reporting would most effectively target reporting to the most harmful compounds. ~ Rep. Jim Dill, D-Old Town

Mills among governors joining national push for more heat pumps by 2030

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 21, 2023

Maine’s Janet Mills was among a group of governors and national climate leaders in New York Thursday to announce a goal of installing 20 million heat pumps in U.S. homes by 2030. Mills is co-chair of the U.S. Climate Alliance, a coalition of almost exclusively Democrat-led states that formed in 2017 after then-President Donald Trump pulled the country out of the Paris Agreement, a global accord to combat climate change. Over the last six years, the alliance has encouraged policies that reduce carbon emissions and reliance on fossil fuels, but Thursday’s announcement was the group’s most ambitious yet.

Letter: Threat of Lee hammers home need for price on carbon

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 21, 2023

While the state of Maine and many individuals are stepping up to tackle climate change, it is disheartening to read about countries like India and China that are not; or about individuals who recklessly contribute to climate change with extravagant lifestyles. There is something the U.S. could do. Called a carbon fee and dividend, it would put a “fee” on fossil fuels at their source, to reflect their damage to our climate. People whose lifestyles have less impact on the environment – that is, almost all middle- and lower-income families who consume less – would get more money back than they expended on higher prices.As for India and China (and similar countries), they would be penalized with a border carbon tax. Faced with such fees, they would be incentivized to adopt their own effective carbon fees. Let’s take action that ensures that everyone is doing their part before the next “Lee” comes through. ~ Marcia Harrington, Brunswick

Bethel ‘trail angels’ earn their wings giving rides to AT hikers

BETHEL CITIZEN • September 20, 2023

“Well, y’all are trail angels now,” Appalachian Trail hiker Griffin Nakovich said when my husband, Michael, and I pulled over at the Rusty Lantern Market on Mayville Road to take him and his friends to Grafton Notch. Lately, AT hikers are all around Bethel it seems. On the trails there is ‘a bubble,’ the hikers explained. The slow walkers who started early and the fast walkers who started later are all in Maine at the same time. When I handed three whoopie pies through the window, Corndog responded, “Oh my god, you guys really are angels.”

Aroostook County could be sitting on a tourism treasure

THE COUNTY • September 20, 2023

A St. John Valley roadway and a bike route connecting Bangor to Allagash could bring tourism gold to Aroostook County if more people knew about them. The St. John Valley/Fish River National Scenic Byway and the U.S. Bike Route 501 were federally designated about two years ago. The byway pays tribute to northern Maine’s Acadian and Native American culture, while the bicycle route aims to give cyclists a safe and pleasant trip north. Winter recreation activities, like snowmobiling and skiing, bring abundant visitors and a huge economic boon to The County. The roadways were touted as a way to boost tourism in other seasons. But the Aroostook community needs to get the word out to make that work.

Stolen fuel truck driver eludes spike mats in Oxford while leading officers on multicounty chase

KENNEBEC JOURNAL • September 20, 2023

Paul Hatch, 37, of Waterville, was arrested Tuesday after he stole a truck from a Winthrop fuel company and hours later led police on a multicounty chase that ended when the vehicle flipped onto its side while making an abrupt turn, according to officials. At the time of the crash, the stolen vehicle was carrying about 1,100 gallons of kerosene and No. 2 fuel oil, posing a significant hazard.

The Maine news media landscape is changing

MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS • September 20, 2023

The news media landscape in Maine is changing. The Maine Trust for Local News is the state’s largest network of independent news and media outlets. It recently bought up the Portland Press Herald, Sun Journal in Lewiston, Kennebec Journal in Augusta, Morning Sentinel in Waterville, and Times Record in Brunswick, plus 17 weekly news papers in southern and western Maine. The Maine Monitor, a project of The Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, “delivers independent, citizen-supported, nonpartisan journalism that informs Mainers about the issues impacting our state and inspires them to take action through investigative and in-depth stories.” The Maine Morning Star, “an independent, nonprofit and nonpartisan news site covering state policy and politics,” went live online today. The Beacon, "a website and podcast created by the Maine People’s Alliance to highlight the experiences of everyday Mainers,” delivers left-leaning news and opinion. The Maine Wire, a project of the Maine Policy Institute “dedicated to holding power people and institutions accountable,” delivers right-leaning news and opinion. The Portland Phoenix, an independent weekly news and arts publication covering Greater Portland, took wing in 1999, crashed in 2019, rose from the ashes later that year, but finally folded in July 2023. The for-profit Bangor Daily News, which is now the only independent, family-owned daily paper in Maine, takes donations but still relies on traditional revenue streams. In addition to the legacy newspaper founded in 1889, it encompasses Fiddlehead Focus, The County, St. John Valley Times, Aroostook Republican, Houlton Pioneer Times and Star Herald (in Aroostook County), Penobscot Times (in Penobscot County), Piscataquis Observer in (Piscataquis County), and Bangor Metro magazine. Maine Environmental News, a project of RESTORE: The North Woods, has provided "the most comprehensive source of conservation news and events in Maine and beyond” since 2009.

Maine mosquitoes test positive for another disease that causes brain swelling

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 20, 2023

Mosquitoes in a York County town have tested positive for a disease that can cause brain swelling. Eastern equine encephalitis virus was found among a population of mosquitoes in Lebanon recently, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The illness hasn’t been confirmed in any Mainers so far this year. Not all people infected with the virus will show symptoms of the virus. Common symptoms include fever and a flu-like illness, while in severe cases the virus can cause brain swelling and meningitis.

A hike on the Ice Caves Trail triggers unexpected panic

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 20, 2023

The Ice Caves Trail is nestled in the Debsconeag Lakes Wilderness Area, which contains the highest concentration of pristine, remote ponds in New England. The abundance of glacial erratics along the trail is truly impressive. Numerous large boulders are scattered along the trail, forcing you to walk around them and marvel at their size. Depending on summer temperatures, ice can be present well into the summer, usually melting entirely sometime in August.

Gov. Mills urges Mainers to vote against Pine Tree Power, declaring formal stance ahead of election

MAINE MORNING STAR • September 20, 2023

Gov. Janet Mills urged Mainers on Wednesday to vote against a proposal to create a statewide consumer-owned utility, the Pine Tree Power Company, announcing her formal stance on the question that will be one of several on November’s ballot. Question 3 asks Mainers whether to initiate a public takeover of the state’s two investor-owned utilities, Central Maine Power and Versant, which together service more than 96% of Maine’s electric demand. Mills questioned whether the change would lead to lower electricity costs and said the switch could cost Maine people as much as $13.5 billion in borrowed money, raised concern about the proposed governing board, and warned court battles could stall progress on modernizing Maine’s electric grid.

Column: Proposed mine in Katahdin region would harm cherished trout, salmon fisheries

KENNEBEC JOURNAL • September 20, 2023

I am writing to express my strong opposition to Wolfden Resources’ proposed mine near Picket Mountain in the Katahdin region. I can speak from extensive personal experience when I state that these waters have been and continue to be some of the best brook trout and landlocked salmon fisheries I have experienced since my boyhood adventures growing up in Aroostook County in the 1950s and 1960s. So, it is inconceivable to me that we would consider threatening this special place with a mine. That is why I have continually expressed deep concerns regarding Wolfden’s rezoning application currently before the Land Use Planning Commission. I encourage other Mainers across the state who value the experience of fishing in our crystal-clear waters to join me in writing to LUPC. ~ Rep. Bill Bridgeo, member of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee

Janet Mills opposes utility takeover on Maine’s November ballot

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 20, 2023

Gov. Janet Mills used a Wednesday radio address to formally oppose Question 3, the November referendum that would replace Maine’s two largest utilities with one governed by an elected board. The Democratic governor’s opposition is no surprise: Mills vetoed legislation in 2021 to create a consumer-owned utility, a step that led to this year’s referendum, which she criticized earlier this month in a Maine Public interview as “a simple solution to a very complex problem.” The referendum, if approved by voters, would have the state buy out the infrastructure of Central Maine Power Co. and Versant Power and create a new Pine Tree Power Co. that would be overseen by seven elected board members and six appointed experts.

Facing pushback over tourism, Bar Harbor council eliminates cruise ship committee

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 20, 2023

In a move aimed at reducing tourism’s negative effects on Bar Harbor, the town council on Tuesday eliminated the town’s cruise ship committee. While some members of the council defended the purpose of the committee and the efforts of those on it, they acknowledged it had outlived its purpose, which was to make recommendations to the town on how to manage the cruise industry’s growth in Bar Harbor. With a majority of residents chafing at how the number of annual cruise ship visits to Bar Harbor has increased over the past 30 years — and with the town dealing with a federal lawsuit over the matter — the council unanimously agreed that the town should change its approach.

Biden is unveiling the American Climate Corps, a program with echoes of the New Deal

NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO • September 20, 2023

The White House on Wednesday unveiled a new climate jobs training program that it says could put 20,000 people to work in its first year on projects like restoring land, improving communities' resilience to natural disasters and deploying clean energy. The American Climate Corps is modeled after a program that put millions to work during the Great Depression. President Biden's climate policy adviser Ali Zaidi told reporters that the program has broader goals beyond addressing the climate crisis.

After years-long effort, farmworkers in Maine may soon gain minimum wage protections

MAINE MORNING STAR • September 20, 2023

This summer and fall, a committee created by Gov. Janet Mills is tasked with coming up with a policy to establish a minimum wage for farmworkers in Maine, as agriculture laborers are currently only covered by the lower federal minimum wage and generally don’t receive overtime protections. The effort comes after Mills, a Democrat, vetoed a bill in July that would have made farmworkers subject to the state minimum wage — currently $13.80 an hour compared to $7.25 on the federal level — while also granting them limited overtime protections. The governor’s rejection of the measure prompted an outcry from farmworker advocates, unions and progressive groups, who argued that having access to such safeguards is a matter of fundamental fairness. 

Opinion: Maine’s biotech sector shows our economy the way forward

MORNING SENTINEL • September 20, 2023

Tourism is undoubtedly an important piece of Maine’s economic puzzle. Millions of people flooded the streets of Portland, natural attractions, and other areas during the summer months, bringing their hard-earned dollars with them. According to new research, visits to Acadia National Park alone add hundreds of millions of dollars to the state economy. But there is more to Maine’s economic fortitude than our tourist attractions. There are more than 151,000 small businesses in Maine (99.2% of all businesses), employing hundreds of thousands of workers. Take the biotech sector as a case study. Between 2016 and 2021, life science job creation in Maine grew by more than 40%, totaling nearly 10,000 new careers. ~ Virginia Templet, Puritan Medical Products,Guilford

Yarmouth Town Council hears updates on climate change initiatives

FORECASTER • September 19, 2023

Climate change was on the agenda this month as the Yarmouth Town Council received updates on work to mitigate it at the state and local levels. “We had some big wins this year,” Rep. Art Bell, D-Yarmouth, told the council Sept. 7. Three bills related to climate change were signed into law, LD 1895 will open the doors for federal money to come into Maine to tap into the offshore wind energy opportunities on the Gulf of Maine. LD 1986 will create a more targeted and transparent solar energy storage program. LD 1909 will modernize Maine’s bottle redemption program and continue to reduce litter while increasing recycling. At the local level, the Yarmouth Climate Action Task Force hopes to deliver a draft of a climate action plan to the council in November.

Maine lobstermen and environmentalists welcome $82 million investment in right whale recovery

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 19, 2023

Maine’s lobster industry welcomes the federal government’s $82 million investment in the recovery of the North Atlantic right whale because it believes improved research, technology and tracking will prove its fishing gear doesn’t pose a threat to the critically endangered species. The whales, which have dwindled to fewer than 350 in number, are following their food into colder offshore waters as they swim between Cape Cod and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, said Virginia Olsen, the Maine Lobstering Union’s political director. They no longer congregate where Maine lobstermen fish.

Pine Tree Power supporters sell hope while detractors lean on uncertainty at industry forum

MAINE MORNING STAR • September 19, 2023

Dozens of Mainers rose early Tuesday morning to attend a debate over the merits of Question 3, a measure that — if approved by voters this fall– would create the nonprofit Pine Tree Power to provide service to most of the state and push two for-profit utilities, Central Maine Power and Versant, out of business. Supporters of Pine Tree Power doubled down on now familiar messaging that the current investor-owned utility structure does not work for consumers– pointing to poor customer service, reliability issues, the urgent need for a transition to renewable energy, and CMP and Versant’s corporate, for-profit structure. Meanwhile, opponents invoked the many unknowns, arguing that Maine residents are better off using the legislature and utility commission to hold CMP and Versant accountable to consumers.