MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS • January 1, 2024
There are many free national park entrance days in 2024:
• January 15: Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
• April 20: First day of National Park Week
• June 19: Juneteenth National Independence Day
• August 4: Anniversary of Great American Outdoors Act
• September 28: National Public Lands Day
• November 11: Veterans Day
Editorial: Percival Baxter’s new year’s resolution resonates more than 100 years later
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 1, 2024
A little over 100 years ago — on Jan. 1, 1922 — then-Gov. Percival Baxter issued a resolution outlining a vision for a more charitable Maine. In Maine, timber and paper were economic drivers, but concerns had emerged about the rapid pace of timber harvesting. The advent of marine engines was changing the state’s fishing industry and the communities that relied upon it. Most Mainers in the early 1920s still lived in rural parts of the state, although the growth of manufacturing drew people to the state’s cities, as was happening around the world. “Rusticators” were welcomed for their economic contributions to the state, but also viewed unfavorably as being “from away.” Against this backdrop, Baxter’s words at the dawn of 1922 sounded a hopeful message of trust, cooperation and tolerance.
Two men rescued from bog in Steep Falls wildlife area in Standish
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 31, 2023
Joseph Caroto, 48, of Limington, and Stacey Gain, 55, of Baldwin, were hiking Saturday in a remote bog in Standish with another person when they got turned around and could not find their way back. The three hikers were forced to spend the night in the woods. On Sunday morning, the third hiker, shoeless and cold, left the group, found the way to a home and asked for help.
Editorial: In 2024, Maine has to act on the painful lessons of 2023
MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • December 31, 2023
Local leadership will also be necessary to deal with the effects of the climate crisis, which is expected to bring regularly to Maine “100-year” weather events of the kind we saw just before Christmas. Maine has been a national leader in cutting carbon emissions, taking an important leading role in passing smart, responsible policy and showing the world it can work. Events of 2023 – including the extreme flooding in December – tell us there’s going to be much, much more of that work ahead.
Opinion: How to truly restore our power
MORNING SENTINEL • December 31, 2023
Cheers echoed everywhere as the lights flickered back to life in homes across Maine. It signaled the restoration of power for thousands who endured the storm on Dec. 18. This storm laid clear the need for advance weather warnings. Such warnings empower citizens to secure their safety and that of their loved ones proactively. To truly lessen this burden, how about a commitment to do better in the future? The state must acknowledge its role in promoting public safety by ensuring timely, efficient, and reliable dissemination of weather-related warnings. ~ Hilary Koch, Waterville
Letter: Future depends on offshore wind
MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • December 31, 2023
Building offshore wind capacity – indeed, building all available renewable energy capacity as quickly as possible – is absolutely non-negotiable if we are to have any hope of maintaining both a stable civilization and a human-friendly climate. These projects will bring incredible benefits to Searsport and all of Maine, even without the utter necessity of undertaking them, which brings to mind the old activist joke, “But what if they’re wrong, and we’ve made a better world for nothing?” Anything less will willfully sacrifice our children on the altar of capital, and neither they nor history will ever forgive us. ~ Celine Kelley, Searsport
Opinion: Legislature must address new PFAS regulations
SUN JOURNAL • December 31, 2023
Maine’s current statute banning all PFAS is overly broad, creates confusion and could inadvertently limit access to federally regulated applications — like inhalers or refrigerants for organs and medicines — that are critical for health care. These compounds are pervasive in many other mission-critical applications (like electric vehicles, cooling and heating houses, hospitals and nursing homes) and the reality is the unintended consequences of a broad ban to human health have not been fully studied or understood by state policymakers. Rather than a sweeping ban on the entire PFAS class, Maine should narrow the law’s scope and prioritize compounds with high-risk profiles. ~ State Rep. Mike Lajoie, Lewiston
Opinion: Lead is a danger to us and wildlife
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 30, 2023
A shooting sports foundation lawyer (“Ban on lead ammo unnecessary,” Dec. 26) tells us not to worry about toxic lead bullets in our environment. Speaking in support of lead bullets, the lawyer suggests using lead ammunition is a healthy way to manage wildlife populations and poses no ill health effects on humans, which is reminiscent of what the tobacco lobby said about cigarettes. Lead has been proven again and again to show its deadly and debilitating health effects on humans – including slowing brain development in children – and wildlife. It’s why lead is removed from paint and children’s toys. To say otherwise would be deceitful to families who eat deer or elk, and a vast array of wildlife that deserves our best protection. ~ Julie Marshall, Center for a Humane Economy, Washington, D.C.
Letter: Stop supporting the fossil fuel industry
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 30, 2023
This flood is really the beginning of an era of such disasters because of climate change, not a once-in-a-lifetime event. Our government and other governments are massively subsiding the fossil fuel industry. American taxpayers each pay about $2,000 a year to subsidize fossil fuels. This is wrong. Individually we need to change to renewables, if possible, and more importantly, everyone should tell their legislators to stop supporting the fossil fuel industry and move quickly to renewables. ~ Nancy Hasenfus, Brunswick
DEP official: Board to consider EV rules even as it urges Legislature to revise regulations
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 28, 2023
A Maine environmental official clarified on Thursday the state’s stance on a contentious proposal to expand electric vehicle use, saying that a regulatory board still will vote on the plan even as it asks the Legislature to consider revising state law so lawmakers can craft mandates in the future. The Board of Environmental Protection, a seven-member citizen board appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Legislature, “intends to vote” on proposed standards that would eventually require 82% of new vehicles sold to be considered zero emissions by the 2032 model year. A vote will be scheduled after a public comment period ends Feb. 5.
Maine farmers harvest fewer potatoes after rainy growing season
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 28, 2023
Maine potato growers harvested about 70 million fewer pounds of potatoes than in 2022, likely caused by the state’s unusually wet weather. Nearly everywhere in Maine, rain damaged crops like hay and increased pest activity. Potato farmers faced having to leave some overly saturated potatoes behind. Potatoes have reigned for decades as Maine’s No. 1 food crop, with a value of $258 million last year. Though the numbers were smaller this year, producers still gathered the third biggest crop in the last five years.
Letter: Mandating EV use will strain Mainers
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 28, 2023
The proposed adoption of the Advanced Clean Cars II plan by the Maine Board of Environmental Protection. Mandating that zero-emission vehicles constitute 43% of new car sales for 2027 models and a staggering 82% by 2032 seems overly ambitious and potentially problematic. The rapid push for such high percentages raises questions about the feasibility and potential repercussions on consumers, the economy and the automotive industry. Electric vehicles will be a strain on Maine and a strain on her people. ~ Vernon Dukes, Cumberland
Letter: EVs beg too many questions
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 28, 2023
Here are some questions that need to be answered before this is our only choice: Our electric grid cannot handle the need for power now, so how could it possibly supply it for everyone’s EV? What are these batteries made of and how do we properly dispose of them? If the battery life is just five-to-seven years, and they are expensive, how can retirees replace them on a limited income? How will discarding spent batteries in landfills affect future generations? There are too many unanswered questions remaining about electric vehicles to make using them a requirement. ~ Diane Holden, Pownal
Letter: EV impact goes beyond markets
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 28, 2023
I encourage Sen. James Libby (Opinion: “EVs need a detour,” Dec. 18) to look at the many actual ecologic and societal disasters an unrestricted free market has created in the past. Unrestricted capitalism has countless examples of societal and environmental harm that often benefit a small minority and leave the vast majority dealing with the consequences. Relying solely on the free market for positive change is naïve and short-sighted. Yes, there will be some increased costs associated with the move away from fossil fuels, but those costs should be measured against the costs of environmental and societal disasters as a result of fossil fuel use and climate change. ~ Donald Endrizzi, Scarborough
Letter: Maine is not California; do not adopt new EV laws
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 27, 2023
An article, (“Maine considering California-style incentives to encourage electric vehicle sales,” Dec. 13), says that state regulators are considering a proposal that would require 43% of new vehicle sales in Maine to have zero emissions by 2027, and 82% by 2032, to be like California. Maine is not California. The electricity to power/charge these vehicles is (at this time) primarily created by burning fossil fuels. Gas station closures and tank removal costs. Maine is a mostly rural state, and would have to install tens of thousands of additional charging ports. ~ Bruce Young, York
Letter: Listen to the economists on EVs
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 27, 2023
Sen. James Libby raises several good objections to rules that mandate the use of electric vehicles. A better way is a robust and gradually rising carbon tax will replace the need for various carbon regulations (and mandates). ~ Tony Barrett, Harpswell
Forecasters ‘surprised’ when Janet Mills claimed they failed to predict storm’s severity
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 27, 2023
In response to questions about the state’s response to the Dec. 18 storm, Gov. Janet Mills told reporters Wednesday that the agency did not predict up to 6 inches of rain or winds of up to 70 mph in any Maine community. But it did the day before the storm, issuing maps calling for up to 6 inches of rain in western areas and gusts of up to 70 mph along the coast. Mills’ office did not respond to Tuesday questions on the governor’s false characterization of the forecasts, which angered meteorologists across the country.
Maine State Park First Day Hike set for Jan. 1
KENNEBEC JOURNAL • December 27, 2023
The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry invites outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers to kick off the new year with fresh air and scenic walks during Maine State Park First Day Hike activities. The department’s Bureau of Parks and Lands has announced guided hikes and a collection of self-led hike resources, ensuring a special start to 2024 for participants of all ages and skill levels. Guided hikes at Camden Hills, Mount Blue and Two Lights State Parks, as well as at Holbrook Island Sanctuary. Self-guided hikes at Bradbury Mt., Camden Hills, Popham Beach, Reid, and Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Parks.
Maine’s proposed new limits for gas vehicles are delayed for a year
ASSOCIATED PRESS • December 26, 2023
The rollout of potential regulations to drastically cut gas-powered vehicle sales in Maine has been pushed back by a year because environmental regulators had to delay a key vote after a storm caused widespread power outages. The Board of Environmental Protection postponed its Dec. 21 vote and won’t reconvene before year’s end. The delay means the proposed rules must be amended to go into effect for vehicles in the 2028 model year instead of the 2027 model year, and must also be reopened for public comment. The original proposal would eventually require 82% of new vehicles sold to be considered zero-emission by the 2032 model year. Critics of the environmental regulations were happy to get a second chance to weigh in. Additional public comments are allowed through Feb. 5.
Letter: Future generations won’t forgive climate inaction
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 26, 2023
As the 40-year-old parent of a young child, I want there to be an environment conducive to stable civilization on this planet when she is grown. Some things we cannot control, but continuing to treat the atmosphere as an endless aerial sewer by burning fossil fuels is one thing we can. I think building offshore wind capacity — indeed, building all available renewable energy capacity as quickly as possible — is non-negotiable if we are to have any hope of maintaining a stable civilization and a human-friendly climate. ~ Celine Kelley, Searsport