How off-the-charts global warmth may have strengthened Hurricane Otis

WASHINGTON POST • October 26, 2023

Off-the-charts warmth in the world’s oceans, so widespread and so far beyond anything ever observed, has stunned climate scientists and meteorologists for months. It set the stage for deadly floods and put Earth on track for a record-warm year. Research published last year found that “extreme rapid intensification” of tropical cyclones is occurring more frequently. And in a study published last week, researchers said they found intensification has become more likely and is occurring more rapidly in the Atlantic basin.

Subdivision planned in Kittery with 13 houses, public access to Kittery Land Trust trails

SEACOAST ONLINE • October 26, 2023

A residential and conservation subdivision has been proposed on Andys Lane, which would include public access to nearby Kittery Land Trust walking trails. The Kittery Planning Board will continue its review of the 13-lot “Twin Oaks Subdivision” plan on Thursday at 6 p.m. after first hearing the pitch in September. All of the units would be single-family homes, though none will be marketed as affordable housing, according to the proposal. “The applicant has expressed interest in donating some of the open space on the property to the Kittery Land Trust; this is a private matter and not purview of the Planning Board until confirmed but is being mentioned as the plan set shows a proposed parking lot between lots 9 and 13 to provide public access to (Kittery Land Trust) nature trails,” a project description states.

Letter: Juniper Ridge landfill is an accident waiting to happen

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 26, 2023

In 2022, the state passed L.D. 1639, which closed a longstanding loophole in state trash law that allowed out of state trash to be combined with Maine trash at waste processing facilities and then disposed of in Maine landfills. This loophole allowed Massachusetts to dump toxic materials in the Juniper Ridge landfill in Old Town. Much of this responsibility falls on ReSource Lewiston, which dumped hundreds of thousands of tons of trash over the past decade. While this loophole is closed and out of state trash is no longer being landfilled, there was still a significant amount of time that most of the trash being dumped was from out of state. In the event of any negative environmental effects from this trash, ReSource Lewiston and any other company from Maine or other states should be responsible for the cleanup. It has become evident that this landfill is a ticking time bomb packed with dynamite from out of state. ~ Jackson Giumarro, Freeport

Letter: Can all of the parties opposed to Pine Tree Power be wrong?

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 26, 2023

Republicans, Democrats, independents. Gov. Mills and former Gov. LePage. Unions and business groups. The Sportsman Alliance of Maine, along with three Maine newspapers, all opposed to Pine Tree Power. Can they all be wrong? Vote “No” on 3. ~ Dick Rogers, Retired CMP worker and business manager, IBEW and MAE consultant, Scarborough

Carbon removal isn’t just for corporations. Individuals are paying for it, too.

BLOOMBERG • October 25, 2023

To keep the climate within livable limits, United Nations-backed scientists say that the world will have to cut emissions dramatically while also pulling billions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere annually by mid-century. That’s a far cry from the industry’s current capability to gather up thousands of tons of CO2 a year. Individuals have had the option to purchase carbon offsets for years, but buying removal services is different. Traditional carbon credits focus on funding renewable energy projects or financing forest protection. While several companies offer customers the chance to purchase these types of offsets, the projects they help fund often fail to deliver on their promise to reduce CO2 emissions. In comparison, carbon removal startups are promising to take CO2 from the atmosphere and permanently store it.

Collins, King Announce Funding to Support Planning Initiatives in Rural Communities

MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS • October 25, 2023

U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that GrowSmart Maine has been awarded $304,636 through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Community Development Initiative grant program. This funding will support GrowSmart’s program training recipients in 10 Maine towns on land use planning processes that will address critical issues including farmland protection and farm viability, affordable housing, and climate change prevention and mitigation.

Yes, the American bird population is in decline

NEWS CENTER MAINE • October 25, 2023

Yes, the U.S. bird population is declining, and largely because of humans. The bird population in the U.S. has been in decline since the 1970s, according to reports by major conservation organizations from the last 14 years. Researchers attribute the decline to human-related factors such as habitat destruction, pesticides, climate change and even hunting by domesticated cats. The most recent report from the U.S. North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) Committee, a coalition of government agencies, private organizations and bird initiatives, in 2022, concluded there are 3 billion fewer birds in the U.S. and Canada than there were 50 years ago.

Climate Desk The Maine Board of Environmental Protection is considering clean car rules

MAINE PUBLIC • October 25, 2023

The Maine Board of Environmental Protection is considering so-called clean car rules. Environmental groups have petitioned the board to set more stringent emissions standards for new vehicles by incorporating a version of California's Advanced Clean Cars regulations. At their meeting in Augusta Tuesday, the board debated questions about climate benefits, charging infrastructure, cost, and impacts to car dealers. Jack Shapiro of the Natural Resources Council of Maine says the rules will help Maine meet its climate goals. And he says if Maine and other states adopt similar standards, manufacturers will build more EVs, and the price will come down. The rules would require more new cars sold in Maine to be zero emission vehicles, aiming for 80% by model year 2032. A separate petition sets standards for trucks.

MCV Environmental Scorecard is available

MAINE CONSERVATION VOTERS • October 25, 2023

The Maine Conservation Voters Environmental Scorecard is out. This year, 91 lawmakers earned the title of "Conservation Champion" having scored a full 100% on every vote MCV scored. Unfortunately, 66 lawmakers scored ZERO — voting against bills that protect our environment, democracy, and communities. See how your lawmakers scored in 2023.

New Open Burning Law In Maine Requires Permits For Larger Campfires

MAINE GOVERNMENT NEWS • October 25, 2023

To enhance fire safety and prevent wildfires, the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) is implementing a new law that mandates burn permits for larger campfires. The law, LD 24, goes into effect on Wednesday, October 25, 2023, and will impact fires that exceed 3 feet in height and 3 feet in diameter that are not for debris disposal. Permits for burning brush and wood debris remain unaffected and are still required under the existing regulations. The new law also makes it unlawful for burning outdoors during red flag warning days.

Water flows freely in Freeport after local organizations remove three dams

NEWS CENTER MAINE • October 25, 2023

The waters of Frost Gully Dam in Freeport are now free-flowing for the first time in over a century thanks to Maine Water Company. The organization removed three constricting dams this week, after determining they were negatively impacting wildlife. Maine Water partnered with Trout Unlimited, the Freeport Conservation Trust, and several other federal, state, and local agencies and organizations to remove the dams that were originally used for water supply purposes.

Brunswick-Topsham farmers market named best in Maine a second time

FORECASTER • October 25, 2023

The Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust Farmers’ Market has been operating in award-winning style for the second year in a row. The market was awarded “Best Farmers Market in Maine,” given as part of the National Farmers Market Celebration hosted by the American Farmland Trust and the Farmers Market Coalition. The Saturday market at Crystal Spring Farm in Brunswick empowers vendors from around the state to sell a variety of products and educate people about the values of home-grown agriculture.

Letter: Stop heavy metal mining near Mount Katahdin

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 25, 2023

I feel lucky to live in a state with such a wealth of natural beauty. It is our responsibility to maintain and protect these natural resources for the future of our state. I was shocked to learn of the Canadian Wolfden Resources mining company’s renewed efforts to site a heavy metals mine only 20 miles from Mount Katahdin. This mine’s operation would irreversibly pollute Maine’s waterways, destroy protected wilderness and harm wildlife, all for minimal employment or material gains. I encourage people to voice their concerns through email at wolfdenrezoning.LUPC@maine.gov. The comment period is open until Nov. 2. ~ Della Huntley, South Portland

Maine board supports new rules to boost electric car sales despite lingering concerns

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 24, 2023

A state board decided Tuesday to advance — but not yet adopt — rules that environmentalists proposed to quicken Maine’s transition to electric vehicles and largely phase out the sale of gas-powered cars while not supporting similar rules for trucks. The Maine Board of Environmental Protection agreed to have Department of Environmental Protection staff move forward with preparing rules spelled out in a petition submitted earlier this year by the Natural Resources Council of Maine, along with allies including the Sierra Club and Conservation Law Foundation.

Portland company enters deal with Shell to generate renewable energy from Mississippi River currents

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 24, 2023

A Portland renewable power company announced Tuesday that it has a deal with energy giant Shell for a Mississippi River demonstration project to generate electricity from river currents. ORPC signed a contract with the Shell Technology-Marine Renewable Program for the purchase of the Maine company’s two next-generation Modular RivGen devices. They will be deployed next year as a technology demonstration at a Shell facility on the lower Mississippi River. “We believe this is a real opportunity to scale our business rapidly and also be a point of excitement for our industry,” CEO Stuart Davies said.

Inside Poland Spring’s Hidden Attack on Water Rules It Didn’t Like

NEW YORK TIMES • October 24, 2023

When Maine lawmakers tried to rein in large-scale access to the state’s freshwater this year, the effort initially gained momentum. The state had just emerged from drought. Then a Wall Street-backed giant called BlueTriton stepped in. BlueTriton owns many of the nation’s biggest brands, including Poland Spring, which is named after a natural spring in Maine that is no longer commercially viable. Maine’s bill threatened BlueTriton’s access to the groundwater it bottles and sells. The legislation had already gotten a majority vote on the committee and was headed toward the full Legislature, when a lobbyist for BlueTriton proposed an amendment that would gut the entire bill. After learning about BlueTriton’s proposed 45-year contract at its Lincoln facility, a neighbor led calls for a public hearing, arguing that deals were being cut behind closed doors and that Poland Spring would be paying too little for millions of gallons of water. The hearing she sought is now scheduled for next month.

New gate more than doubles length of popular Piscataquis County hike

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 23, 2023

Gates that block vehicle access to logging roads owned by Pine State Timber near Katahdin Iron Works have changed how people can get to a popular trail that goes to the peak of White Cap Mountain. The White Brook Trail, owned by the Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust, is a 3.3-mile stretch that provides relatively easy access to the mountain. Until the gates were erected, hikers drove close to the trailhead and parked in a nearby gravel pit. With a gate blocking access, hikers must walk the 3.6 miles to the trailhead before hiking the 3.3 miles up White Cap Mountain.

Biden Administration designates Maine's largest cities as forest bioproducts hubs

MAINE PUBLIC • October 23, 2023

The Biden Administration has designated Maine's largest cities as one of the nation's thirty-one regional tech hubs. The Forest Bioproducts Advanced Manufacturing Tech Hub is comprised of the cities of Portland and Bangor, plus the Lewiston-Auburn and Augusta-Waterville metropolitan areas. Heather Johnson, the Commissioner for the Maine Department of Economic Community Development, says the designation aims to cement Maine as a global leader in the production of wood-extract substitutes for plastics and other fossil fuel-based materials.

Unions say Woodland Pulp has hired temporary workers to cross picket line

MAINE PUBLIC • October 23, 2023

The three unions representing workers at Woodland Pulp in Baileyville say that the mill has hired about two dozen temporary workers to cross the picket line and replace those on strike. Dan Loudermilk, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers official representing those at the mill, said the company's action has further motivated those on strike. Loudermilk said union members are not worried about the possibility of the temporary workers becoming permanent, as they were hired through a Minnesota-based company. About 80 union members at the Woodland mill have been on strike since Oct. 14.

Forecasters: Maine electricity rates could fall — or rise — in response to global conflicts

MAINE PUBLIC • October 23, 2023

A dip in natural gas prices from last year could moderate Maine electricity rates, but regulators caution that the war between Israel and Hamas threatens that trend. Natural gas prices are currently running about 25% less than they were a year ago, when Russia's invasion of Ukraine sent prices soaring.Maine ratepayers felt that spike acutely because electricity generation here is heavily reliant on natural gas. Public Utilities Commission chairman Phil Bartlett told the state's revenue forecasting commission Monday that he's hopeful that the current drop in natural gas will provide some relief in electricity rates, just as it has for some other states in the region. However, Bartlett said the conflict in the Middle East could send prices back on the upswing, especially if the war between Israel and Hamas widens.