The most comprehensive online source of conservation news and events in Maine and beyond, edited by Jym St. Pierre
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 7, 2023
The recent report from the Maine Climate Council mentioned that Maine is falling short in transitioning to electric vehicles (“Maine Climate Council reports progress in fight against climate change,” Dec. 1). EVs will help reduce emissions, but I’d like to see more from the council on improving public transportation options so people don’t need to drive as much at all. ~ Erica Bartlett, Portland
ASSOCIATED PRESS • December 6, 2023
A budget signed by Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey this week will allow utilities to raise rates to make up for hundreds of millions of dollars in additional costs to complete a transmission line to bring Canadian hydropower to the New England electricity grid. The head of Central Maine Power Co.’s corporate parent, Avangrid, has said the cost of the $1 billion project grew to $1.5 billion as litigation delayed construction and inflation caused prices to creep upward. Avangrid partnered with Hydro-Quebec on the New England Clean Energy Connect to supply 1,200 megawatts of hydropower to meet green energy goals in Massachusetts. The 145-mile transmission line will stretch from Lewiston to the Canadian border.
ASSOCIATED PRESS • December 6, 2023
U.S. offshore windpower has hit a milestone. An 800-foot tall turbine is now sending electricity onto the grid from a commercial-scale offshore wind farm on pace to be the country’s first. Danish wind energy developer Ørsted and the utility Eversource announced Wednesday the first electricity from what will be a 12-turbine wind farm 35 miles east of Montauk Point, New York. The project has also overcome objections from fishermen and some environmentalists.
ENERGY PORTAL EU• December 5, 2023
This article explores the various ways in which the state of Maine supports local farmers’ markets. It delves into the initiatives, programs, and policies implemented by the government and non-profit organizations to promote and sustain these markets. By highlighting the benefits of farmers’ markets and the efforts made to bolster their success, this article sheds light on Maine’s commitment to supporting local agriculture and fostering vibrant communities.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 6, 2023
The Brunswick Town Council on Monday unanimously approved ambitious emission reduction targets that officials said will fight climate change, help the town access state and federal funds, and serve as an example to other communities. The council approved townwide emission reduction targets of 65% by 2030 and net zero by 2050. They also approved a net-zero reduction target for municipal operations, including schools, by 2040. Councilor Dan Ankeles said the town should explore things like zoning reform, retrofitting buildings, universal curbside composting, electric vehicle charging stations, e-bike rebate programs and land conservation.
MAINE PUBLIC • December 6, 2023
Central Maine Power and Maine’s Public Advocate are at odds over the utility's spending to restore power after several storms last year. The public advocate argues that the utility's storm restoration costs are "excessive" and "imprudent," and believes that regulators should prohibit CMP from recovering about $53 million from ratepayers. But at a public hearing Tuesday, a few business owners and municipal officers came to CMP's defense. They argued that they depend on the utility to quickly restore power. CMP says the public advocate misinterpreted its emergency restoration plans.
KENNEBEC JOURNAL • December 6, 2023
The Winthrop Planning Board is close to wrapping up a draft ordiance ordinance to regulate mining after a proposal for a quarry on Turkey Lane faced backlash, ultimately leading to a moratorium that expires early next year. But residents have raised concerns about a lack of community engagement and transparency in the process.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 6, 2023
One of the remarkable ways in which the forests of Maine and the Gulf of Maine are connected is through the water cycle. The rivers and streams that flow through the forested landscapes of Maine ultimately reach the Gulf of Maine. They carry with them essential nutrients that contribute to the health of both terrestrial and marine ecosystems. The Gulf of Maine owes some of its ecological richness to the nutrients delivered by these freshwater sources. As we appreciate the benefits of Maine’s forests and the richness of the gulf, let’s give thanks to the critical relationship between these two iconic natural systems and the importance of comprehensive ecological stewardship. ~ Karin R. Tilberg, Forest Society of Maine
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 6, 2023
Versant Power wrongfully claimed more than $2 million of renewable energy credits from a hydroelectric dam, a lawsuit alleges. Bangor-Pacific Hydro Associates, which owns the West Enfield Dam on the Penobscot River, is accusing Versant of illegally taking its renewable energy credits for six years and selling them for “significantly more than” $2 million.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 6, 2023
At a time when nearly half of Maine households can’t cover basic living expenses, the state remains one of the nation’s top markets for second homes. York and Cumberland counties were ranked third and fifth, respectively, in a roundup of the 10 U.S. markets that saw the biggest increases in second home transactions from 2022 to 2023. Maine, which is dealing with an affordable housing crisis driven by a lack of supply, was the only state to appear twice on the top-10 ranking.
MAINE MONITOR • December 5, 2023
The Midcoast Forum on Foreign Relations recently hosted professor John Deutch, who spoke about the challenges to future climate policy. Deutch is an emeritus institute professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where has held various roles since 1970 including chemistry department chair, Dean of Science, and Provost.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 5, 2023
I’ve observed more than 120 species of birds on the Sears Island. The island is a very special place to me and to the other birders, hikers, dog-walkers and others who have memories connected to the island. And it’s not just a nice place for a walk; it is one of the best areas to go birding in the area, as it serves as a stopover point for migrating birds and monarch butterflies in the spring and fall. I believe this place is far too precious to lose to offshore wind development. ~ Wesley Hutchins, Swanville
SUN JOURNAL • December 5, 2023
Councilors conducted second readings Monday night on several highly debated ordinance changes in the Lake Auburn watershed, including the rezoning of 60 acres along the lake to a General Business zone, updated septic design standards and an increase in minimum lot size for developments in the watershed. Councilors approved the ordinance rezoning some 60 acres off Gracelawn Road to a General Business zone, shifting southerly boundaries. Fred Hollar, a 47-year resident at his West Auburn Road home, spoke out against the move. “It’s pretty obvious that the citizens of Auburn regard this as a threat to the lake, a threat to their drinking water.”
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 5, 2023
Last year, I asked the sustainability lead for one of the world’s biggest oil companies, “You have two young kids. How do you sleep at night?” “The best would be if we all die in some sort of crash before they are old enough to understand my job,” he replied. How is it that, in 2023, with everything we know about climate science, corporations are still headstrong on convincing the world’s population that petroleum not only has nothing to do with environmental change but is even a net positive? Leaked documents show that the United Arab Emirates intended to use its COP28 presidency to broker deals supporting its oil industry with 20 countries, including the U.S.. On Nov. 17, the world topped +2°C for the first time. And it did again the next day. Will the COP28 presidency keep the foot on the gas (literally), plowing through any phaseout of fossil fuels? ~ Susana Hancock, an international climate scientist and polar explorer living in Maine
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 5, 2023
Here’s a suggested version of a Maine Climate Restoration Resolution that you could copy and send to your senator and/or representative in the Maine Legislature. “…Resolved…that the Senate formally recognizes the obligation to future generations to restore a safe climate, and declares climate restoration, along with achieving net-zero and net-negative CO2 emissions, a climate policy priority…” If each of you cut out this article and passed it on to your legislators, whether or not you voted for them in the 2022 election, it could make a big difference. ~ Peter Garrett, PhD
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 5, 2023
The accounting firm that audited a Canadian company seeking to develop a mineral mine in northern Penobscot County said Wolfden’s consolidated financial statements cast “significant doubt” about its ability to stay in business. During October public hearings, the Maine Land Use Planning Commission asked Wolfden officials for an audited financial statement, which was subsequently filed with the commission by the Nov. 2 deadline. The Toronto auditor, Grant Thornton, said that Wolfden has no source of operating cash flows, has not yet achieved profitable production and had accumulated losses of $40,834,518 as of Dec. 31, 2022.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 4, 2023
Versant Power customers in northern Maine will not benefit from a transmission line connecting wind power generated there to the New England grid, yet will still be required to pay for it, the utility told state regulators in the only public comments on the closed-door negotiations for the project. In a filing Friday with the Maine Public Utilities Commission, Versant said it is not “fair or reasonable” to require the utility’s more than 35,000 Maine Public District customers in Aroostook County to pay the costs associated with the Aroostook Renewable Gateway project and Longroad wind farm northwest of Houlton. The 140- to 160-mile transmission line proposed by New York-based LS Power would not interconnect Versant’s Maine Public District with the New England grid, the utility said.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 4, 2023
Proposed state regulations would allow any commercial farm with elevated levels of harmful forever chemicals – regardless of the source of the contamination – to apply for financial assistance from Maine’s first-in-the-country PFAS relief fund. In the past, Maine has focused its time and money on PFAS contamination caused by a now-defunct state Department of Environmental Protection program that used wastewater sludge as fertilizer on hundreds of farms across Maine dating to the 1970s. The new rules would allow commercial farms tainted by other sources of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances to tap into the state’s $60 million PFAS Fund, including the PFAS-laced foam used by firefighters, airports and the military to douse high-intensity fires.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 4, 2023
The agricultural industry must learn whether “forever” chemicals contaminate pesticide containers, an expert warned during a Monday conference in Presque Isle. “We have to get our hands around contaminated containers,” said Pam Bryer, a toxicologist with the Maine Board of Pesticides Control, part of the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. “It was such a surprise, this container issue. Nobody saw this coming.”
TIMES RECORD • December 4, 2023
While Merrymeeting Bay is considered an estuary by oceanographers because technically it does have a very small presence of salt, biologists generally consider it tidal riverine because it is primarily freshwater and tidal. Geologists, on the other hand consider the bay, at the junction of six rivers, an inland delta, Friends of Merrymeeting Bay’s latest presentation in its 27th annual Winter Speaker Series will cover the geologic history of Merrymeeting Bay, highlighted by marine geologist Joe Kelley. The presentation is set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13, via Zoom. The link can be found at the top of the group’s website, fomb.org.
