Commentary: Is public power impossible in Maine? Not so fast.

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 22, 2023

Public power advocates cannot win over political leaders and editorial writers who seem to prefer the impossible – a fully developed proposal that answers all possible objections, including the real cost of the change. Without leadership in understanding the issues, voters left in doubt vote “no.” These factors discourage public power. But the vote could serve as the start of a longer-term effort. There is a way to try again while overcoming problems Pine Tree Power could not surmount. Take it in steps. Issues could be studied and decided locally in concrete terms. Changing just a few words in Maine law, leaving approval to the PUC but without a utility veto, would make it possible for Maine municipalities to make their own choices. Small local utilities work and have lower rates. The other way to keep public power moving forward is to form a non-governmental action group. ~ Gordon L. Weil

Letter: Zambia’s mining history makes me wonder about Maine

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 22, 2023

Copper was mined sustainably in Zambia for millennia. Yet, while conducting a multi-year study in mining communities there, I saw how some modern industrial practices did long-term damage to towns and the countryside. Effects included stunted vegetation; large sludge pools; huge areas scoured of everything but crushed rock; and acrid air. What changed? An economic system that reduces air, water and land to monetary value now dominates. Supporters of the Wolfden proposal cite the need for jobs. Would Wolfden establish a training system for Mainers to learn necessary skills? ~ Elizabeth C. Parsons, Author, “What Price for Privatization?” Portland

Top Maine Democrat wants to rein in strict heat pump rebate rules

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 21, 2023

Lawmakers will consider rolling back strict new rules requiring Mainers to disconnect fossil fuel-burning furnaces and boilers to claim the largest heat pump incentives. A proposal from Senate President Troy Jackson, D-Allagash, would “seek to find some middle ground” by removing some of the new rebate rules on installing whole-home heat pump systems in specific areas of the state based on temperatures.

EPA offers $2B to clean up pollution, develop clean energy in poor and minority communities

ASSOCIATED PRESS • November 21, 2023

The Biden administration is making $2 billion available to community groups, states and tribes to clean up pollution and develop clean energy in disadvantaged communities in what officials called the largest-ever investment in environmental justice. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan called the grant program unprecedented and said it “has the promise to turn disadvantaged and overburdened areas into healthy, resilient and thriving communities for current and future generations.”

100 Mile Wilderness stream restoration will benefit salmon and trout

MAINE PUBLIC • November 21, 2023

A river restoration project in Maine's Pleasant River watershed will allow Atlantic salmon and brook trout to access several miles of a cold brook in the 100 Mile Wilderness. Marian Orlousky of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, says a culvert that prevented fish from swimming upstream has been removed. "So we took the culvert out and we built what is called a clear-span bridge and we restored the streambed underneath that bridge so that it facilitates fish movement upstream," she said. Orlousky said this will allow brook trout and juvenile Atlantic salmon to freely access more than three miles of Henderson Brook, a tributary of the West Branch of the Pleasant River that flows right next to the Appalachian Trail.

Malaga Island added to National Register of Historic Places

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 21, 2023

Malaga Island, a 42-acre island about a 40-mile drive up the coast from Portland, is these days a public preserve visited by hikers and nature lovers. More than a century ago, it was home to a small community that historians believe was settled by free Black Americans around the time of the Civil War. In late 1911, during the administration of Maine Gov. Frederick W. Plaisted, several islanders were committed to the Maine School for the Feeble-Minded. The state then bought Malaga Island from a local family and ordered the remaining residents to vacate. The island, located in the tiny town of Phippsburg, was formally listed on the national register on Sept. 19. The Maine Coast Heritage Trust acquired the island in 2001 and manages it as a preserve.

City council gives initial proposal to zoning changes in Lake Auburn watershed

MAINE PUBLIC • November 21, 2023

Several ordinance changes that would allow increased development in the Lake Auburn watershed received initial approval from the Auburn city council Monday night. One would shrink the watershed boundary, which is supported by Maine's Drinking Water program. Another would rezone 60 acres from an agriculture resource protection zone to general business. Councilor Richard Whiting was one of two councilors who voted against that proposal. Whiting said, “Suburban residential allows a developer a substantial opportunity to develop in a safe manner that is less intense. And given the public's horror and reaction to the rezoning we did in the past, and even with the line change, it's excessive and I won't support it."

State wants to raise roadways to prevent flooding on Route 1, Pine Point Road in Scarborough

FORECASTER • November 21, 2023

The state has preliminary plans to prevent flooding of Route 1 and Pine Point Road in Scarborough by raising sections of those roads by 4 feet. The low-lying sections abutting the Scarborough Marsh – about one mile of Route 1 from the Admiral Inn to Haigis Parkway and three-quarters of a mile of Pine Point Road/Route 9 from Primrose Lane past the Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center – frequently flood and are sometimes impassable in heavy rain storms. The project remains a few years away. Other projects on the horizon include conserving more land so the marsh “has more room to move as sea levels rise” and identifying other vulnerable road crossings.

Commentary: Maine has a golden opportunity to raise the bar for mining

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 21, 2023

Here come the miners! To meet EV demand, worldwide lithium production must at least quadruple by 2030. Maine is among a half-dozen states with potentially large lithium reserves. One deposit in Newry is estimated at 11 million tons of ore. Scientists have found other rare elements in northern Maine. How can we move toward a low-carbon future without making life worse in low-income countries? We should stop exporting environmental and social problems. We also need to admit that there are places where mining can be done well. In Maine, we have a golden opportunity to raise the bar for mining. ~ Robert Wasserstrom, PhD, worked in the international energy industry for 35 years

Opinion: We need to focus on lower energy costs, not climate goals

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 21, 2023

it’s time to start looking at what is driving electricity costs. First, rather than focusing solely on affordability, the Legislature has put into law in the PUC’s statement of purpose arbitrary greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Instead of concentrating on what is best for Mainers’ pocketbooks, the utilities commission now has the added focus on politically driven climate goals. I introduced a bill last session that would remove the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from the basic purpose of the state’s utility regulatory system. Next, the utilities commission should increase transparency by making the actual cost and source of energy clear on everyone’s electric bill. If we do not implement these changes, I fear the burden our energy costs will be more than Mainers can bear. ~ Rep. “Jack” E. Ducharme, III, R-Madison

Over 18 acres lost to Monday afternoon blaze in Hartford

SUN JOURNAL • November 20, 2023

Over a dozen fire departments responded Monday afternoon to a fire on Davenport Road near Mountain View Drive which likely claimed around 18 acres of woods. Buckfield Fire crews were dispatched at 1:42 p.m. to 115 Davenport Road and were met by a landowner who did not want to allow crews access to the scene, but Oxford County Sheriff’s deputies were able to detain the homeowner and secure the scene in 10 to 15 minutes. The Sheriff’s Office did not identity the homeowner or say whether the person was arrested and charged.

Deer have built-in detection systems that make hunting a challeng

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 20, 2023

As most hunters are aware, Nature has blessed the whitetail deer with a danger detection system that is remarkably keen and effective. Experts differ on which of the big three, smell, hearing or vision, play the most prominent role in helping our November quarry steer clear of predators, humans among them. If you had to pick one from among the deer’s trifecta of danger-avoidance mechanisms, which would you choose?

Five picketers reportedly arrested outside Baileyville mill

MAINE PUBLIC • November 20, 2023

Striking workers at the Woodland Pulp mill in Baileyville say that five picketers were arrested on Monday. Dan Loudermilk, with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, says that local and county law enforcement arrived at the picket lines early on Monday and arrested five strikers, including four from Bath Iron Works Local S6. Loudermilk says the reasons for the arrests weren't immediately clear. Brendan Wolf, Woodland's director of human resources, says that he and other staff called law enforcement to report trucks being blocked by picketers. "People that were on the picket line weren't just walking, per their constitution rights. They were actually stopping and blocking vehicles.

Commerce report says Maine’s outdoor recreation economy grew 16.5% in 2022

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 20, 2023

Maine’s outdoor recreation economy grew by 16.5% from 2021 to 2022, according to a new report by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis. Collectively, outdoor recreation – which encompasses a variety of activities, including fishing, hunting, skiing and RVing – generated $3.3 billion in 2022. That’s nearly 4% of the state’s gross domestic product. Only five other states had higher percentages. Overall, the outdoor recreation industry supported approximately 32,000 jobs in 2022, a 7% increase over 2021. “Outdoor recreation is the heartbeat of our state’s economy,” said Jenny Kordick, executive director of Maine Outdoor Brands.

This is how far behind the world is on controlling planet-warming pollution

NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO • November 20, 2023

The hottest year on record is coming to a close, emissions of planet-warming gases are still rising globally, and the most ambitious climate goal set by world leaders is all but impossible to meet, according to a new analysis by the United Nations. The annual report from the U.N. Environment Programme lays out how far behind the world is on controlling planet-warming pollution, most of which comes from burning oil, gas and coal. Between 2021 and 2022, global greenhouse gas emissions grew about 1%, the analysis finds. Emissions need to fall as quickly as possible to avoid catastrophic climate impacts.

Maine’s summer tourist season was a mixed bag, with modest food and lodging gains

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 20, 2023

It was a good summer for some Maine businesses that rely on tourist dollars, but not so great for others that saw foot traffic diminish amid too many rainy weekends. Still, restaurant sales averaged $429 million per month in June, July and August – a 4.9% increase over the summer-month average in 2022, Maine Revenue Services reports. The $302 million monthly average for lodging sales during the same period increased a more modest 1.9% year over year. Meanwhile, the state is seeing a trend toward fewer day trippers, while people who choose to vacation here are staying longer.

Commentary: Maine can incentivize CMP, Versant to do the right thing

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 20, 2023

We deserve a 21st century grid to meet our goals outlined in Maine’s ambitious climate action plan “Maine Won’t Wait” and a future of a decarbonized, decentralized and democratized electrical grid that works for everyone. The urgency of climate change and the economic benefits of a clean energy economy necessitate swift and decisive action. Our regulatory structure is our means of local control; our immediate priority is to underscore the need to fully exercise that control through regulatory reforms that address ratepayer concerns. Enhanced performance-based ratemaking (PBR) can help us shape a utility sector that actively drives our climate goals forward while keeping costs as low as possible. ~ Rep. Gerry Runte (D-York), member of Maine Climate Council; Kay Aikin, Dynamic Grid, a Portland-based utility controls company; Rebecca Schultz, senior climate and clean energy advocate, Natural Resources Council of Maine

Letter: Maine Mall is the answer to PWM parking crunch

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 20, 2023

The plan to build new surface lots at the Portland International Jetport is a shortsighted. Today, most of these mall lots sit empty as the anchor stores struggle to stay put. Meanwhile, demand for jetport parking is at an all-time high. The most cost-effective – and environmentally friendly – solution would be for these two entities to work together and use the existing parking infrastructure. PWM could purchase a small fleet of shuttle buses that could complete the 2-mile trip at regular intervals, and even construct a small bus shelter for customers on the mall’s premises, all for much less cost than excavating a wooded area and paving it over with new asphalt. ~ Scott Whiting, Biddeford

Senator Angus King asks federal government to consider mass timber in construction projects

MAINE PUBLIC • November 19, 2023

Senator Angus King is asking the General Services Administration to integrate mass timber into the procurement process for the construction and renovation of federal buildings. Mass timber is engineered in layers, and King and other senators say the move would reduce the carbon footprint of federal buildings as well as reduce construction costs. Pat Straugh, Executive Director of the Maine Forest Products Council, said, "I would say that what Angus is helping us to do is build the market and demand so we can get over the top and draw investment in Maine.

Column: Do birds have a poor sense of smell? Not all of them

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • November 19, 2023

We know that birds have remarkable vision and hearing. However, the received wisdom from ornithology texts is that birds have a poor sense of smell. This claim is based in part on the rather unimpressive size of the olfactory lobes of a bird’s brain. There are a few groups of birds that do have remarkable senses of smell, including albatross, petrel, turkey vulture, chickadees. ~ Herb Wilson