Bingham plywood mill moves closer to opening with promise of 110 jobs for economically challenged region

MORNING SENTINEL • June 28, 2024

Charlie Martin is trying to resurrect an old mill that’s been vacant for more than a decade and turn it into a plywood factory. When it opens, Maine Plywood USA is expected to employ about 110 people. It would be the only plywood manufacturer in New England, and the only one in North America making its specific product. And it could expand domestic manufacturing of a product that today is largely imported from Asia. Through millions of dollars in investments — a combination of his own savings and support from several state and regional public-private partnerships — Martin has pieced together most of the equipment he needs to open the plant.

Island Explorer buses on MDI to go electric with help from $23 million federal award

MAINE PUBLIC • June 28, 2024

The federal government is awarding Maine more than $23 million to buy electric buses and charging equipment for the company that operates the propane-powered Island Explorer buses at Acadia National Park and other locations on Mount Desert Island. Downeast Transportation Executive Director Paul Murphy says the buses should improve the air quality on the island. "Comparing to fossil fuel buses, they are dramatically cleaner and they're also quieter and they don't smell as bad as fossil fuel buses, although propane is pretty clean."

EPA funds secured to help prevent China Lake algae blooms

MORNING SENTINEL • June 28, 2024

Plans to prevent algae blooms in China Lake are underway after the town secured thousands of dollars in federal grants this week. Local volunteers aim to raise China Lake’s water quality by reversing shoreline erosion and replanting vegetation near the lake. The more than $100,000 in funding from the federal Environmental Protection Agency will be used in the decadeslong push to stop the algae blooms.

Opinion: South Portlanders understand hard reality of rising sea levels

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 28, 2024

Earlier this week, the city of South Portland conducted a design charrette over a hypothetical development plan for a portion of Ferry Village nestled between the crude oil tanks of Portland Pipeline and the Coast Guard station. The folly of contemplating new development in flood-prone areas in the face of rapidly rising seas seemed obvious. Developers may garnish their projects with green technology and engineering, attempting to safeguard their own high-end constructions. Meanwhile, the world burns and floods as the flow of capital that motivates development mostly translates to consumptive lifestyles at the very top that are themselves the drivers of climate change. ~ Eben Rose, geologist and former South Portland city councilor

Letter: NYC has it all over Portland for biking

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 28, 2024

You’re better off biking in New York City than Portland, Maine. There are bike paths on every avenue and street. The bike path along the Hudson River, from one end of the island to the other, is a site to behold. Beautiful plantings, landscaped parks, benches, clean bathrooms and water fountains are all along the dedicated paths for bikers and pedestrians. It’s easy to get from point A to point B in NYC on a bike. It makes no sense that at least Congress Street, the main thoroughfare through downtown Portland, has no dedicated lane for biking. Carbon neutral? ~ Claire Oppenheim, Portland

Column: Trip to see puffins reminded me of dangers of deflated balloons

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 28, 2024

Stonington introduced a new event last week, Puffin Passages, which featured talks, tours and an Atlantic puffin-themed cocktail party. The idea was to experiment with a small multi-day event ,which could become a full-fledged Stonington Puffin Festival next year. The event succeeded, mostly. The highlight was three puffin cruises to Seal Island. On the way back to port, we learned about yet another human-caused threat to sea life. Capt. Garrett Aldrich slowed and spun the boat around. He idled over to a mylar balloon floating on the water, and deftly pulled it out with a gaff hook. Balloons kill. During a season of graduation parties, parades and fairs, here’s a simple rule for releasing balloons. Don’t. ~ Bob Duchesne

Reacting to debate, Gov. Mills outlines what’s at stake for Maine in presidential election

MAINE MORNING STAR • June 27, 2024

Gov. Janet Mills spoke at a Democratic watch party for the first presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. The governor criticized Trump for deploying what she called mudslinging, name calling and “just so many fibs.” Mills highlighted how the Biden administration assisted Maine on a range of issues, including climate change, health care and education. “The Biden administration is helping us fight PFAS, fight the rising seas and the terrible storms we’ve encountered,” Mills said, referring to the eight disaster declarations she’s requested over the past two years. “It was quite a change in tone and change in level of assistance when President Biden came into office.” 

20-year-old man drowns off Bar Harbor

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 27, 2024

A 20-year-old New Hampshire man drowned on Thursday in waters off Bar Harbor on Mount Desert Island. Multiple government agencies went to Clark Cove after an eyewitness report at 3:30 p.m. of a man swimming and in distress, the Maine Department of Marine Resources said in a news release. At 6 p.m. the Maine Marine Patrol / State Police Underwater Recovery team recovered the body of Gregory Taylor.

Greater Lovell Land Trust names conservation director

SUN JOURNAL • June 27, 2024

Rhyan Paquereau has been named conservation director at the Greater Lovell Land Trust. He will oversee the management of the more than 7,500 acres under conservation: developing plans for the management and improvement of Trust properties for public access, stewarding conservation easements. Paquereau served as interim executive director of the land trust for the past year. With the return of Erika Rowland as executive director, Paquereau will shift focus to his areas of conservation expertise.

Pingree, other lawmakers draw attention to fast fashion’s toll on the environment

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 27, 2024

U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, wearing a pastel green thrift store sweater and floral scarf, stood outside the U.S. Capitol on Thursday to introduce the Slow Fashion Caucus, a congressional effort to draw attention to how mass-produced garments contribute to climate change. “Often, people don’t understand the role that fashion is playing today in our climate crisis. We’ve developed these dual habits in our country – keeping up with every single fashion trend and purchasing cheap, poorly made clothing,” the Maine Democrat said in a speech, flanked by other members of Congress and supporters. “And they have become drivers of yet one more issue in our climate change crisis. In fact, the fashion industry is responsible for more carbon emissions than all international flights and maritime shipping combined.”

Shipping, boating industries ask for delay in ship speed limits aimed at protecting right whales

MAINE PUBLIC • June 27, 2024

Conservation groups said they're waiting on the federal government to finalize long-delayed ship speed limits, which are aimed at preventing collisions with critically endangered North Atlantic right whales. But industry groups are now asking Congress for a five-year delay. The new speed rules were proposed by NOAA nearly two years ago. Since then, the outdoor recreation and maritime shipping industries have argued that new speed restrictions would harm their businesses. The industries are advocating to delay the implementation until at least 2030 and instead establish a grant program to deploy technologies aimed at reducing right whale vessel strikes. Congress has already approved a pause on new rules aimed at reducing the risks of fishing gear entanglement on right whales through 2028.

‘We can have both’: Development, nature at center of debate over Brunswick logging effort

TIMES RECORD • June 27, 2024

Early this year, Joel Fitzpatrick of Wyley Enterprises purchased 24 acres in Brunswick, adjacent to Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust’s Crystal Springs Farm trails, Thornton Oaks retirement community and Arrowhead Drive. In early June, he hired a company to start logging parts of the land to make way for a potential development project slated for 2025. While the project is being done legally and up to code, according to town officials, it has raised concerns among neighbors about habitat fragmentation and increased potential for flooding. Residents are focused on monitoring development regulations to ensure wildlife buffers and water management plans are in place. They are also planning to call for possible “environmental reparations,” such as rewilding, stressing the responsibility of both the developer and the community. 

This may be why Somes Sound looks green right now

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 27, 2024

The recently greenish waters of Somes Sound have inspired many questions and an occasional joke amongst visitors and residents on Mount Desert Island. Kevin Lachapelle, a Maine Department of Marine Resources specialist, says microbiologist Brianna King has “taken a look under the microscope for phytoplankton and she thinks we may have seen evidence of a bloom of coccolithophores along with unsurprising amounts of some of our usual suspects (pseudonitzschia, scripsiella, dinophysis).”

Simultaneous leg injuries tie up rescue workers on MDI

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 27, 2024

Two hikers fell and suffered leg injuries in Acadia National Park at about the same time on Tuesday, requiring separate groups of rescuers to carry each person out of the woods. At around 12:30 p.m., a 71-year-old woman fell and broke her leg on the summit of South Bubble Mountain. Fifteen minutes later, a 60-year-old man fell and injured his knee on Gorham Mountain Trail.

Acadia swimming area closed because of high bacteria levels

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 27, 2024

Swimmers have been advised to avoid Sand Beach Lagoon in Acadia National Park because of unsafe bacteria levels. The water there was tested Tuesday, and the results revealed 404 bacteria colonies per 100 milliliters of water, which exceeds the threshold of 61 colonies per 100 milliliters set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Scientists find another way we’re exposed to ‘forever chemicals’: Through our skin

WASHINGTON POST • June 27, 2024

A first-of-its-kind study has found that “forever chemicals” – toxic compounds found in everyday beauty and personal care items like sunscreen, waterproof mascara and lipstick – can seep through human skin and enter the bloodstream. In early April, the Environmental Protection Agency set its first-ever limit on these “forever chemicals” in drinking water, following mounting evidence that chemicals in contaminated water can pose a health risk to people at even the smallest detectable levels of exposure. Known as “forever chemicals,” PFAS can persist in the environment for centuries.

Maine State Aquarium draws a crowd when it reopens after a 4-year hiatus

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 27, 2024

As sunny skies and blue ocean waters made for a picturesque Maine day in the village of West Boothbay Harbor, bubbling fish tanks, rare blue lobsters and interactive exhibits brought visitors of all ages to the Maine State Aquarium, which reopened Wednesday for the first time since it closed in 2020. Maine’s only aquarium reopened during Boothbay Harbor’s Windjammer Days Festival after the four-year closure that began because of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and was extended after officials discovered damage to walls, floors and electrical systems. It has seen just over $1 million in renovations in that time, which included adding new displays, repairing walls and floors and improving pumps and filters in the tanks.

People are being warned of an aggressive bird in Bangor

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 27, 2024

A protective songbird has people ducking for cover at the courtyard of a Bangor business. Bangor Savings Bank put signs outside its building on Hamlin Way to warn employees and visitors of the bird, which made a nest in a tree at a nearby entrance. This is the first year bank employees reported seeing the bird. The bird is believed to be a northern mockingbird that’s protecting a nearby nest, according to Bob Duchesne, who pens a weekly bird column.

Maine’s tiny coastal cottages are turning into million-dollar properties

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 27, 2024

Marcus Groff bought his cozy Ogunquit cottage 10 years ago for $315,000. Earlier this month, Groff listed the property for $825,000. That trend has rendered the neighborhood largely unrecognizable in just a decade, he said. The value of a typical Ogunquit home soared by nearly 132 percent from 2014 to 2024, which was among the largest increases in the area. In May, that typical value sat at $915,000. It’s a similar situation in Saco. An 870-square-foot home on Ferry Beach is on the market for $829,000, even though it can only be used for three seasons. It was built in 1951 and last sold in 1994 for only $113,000.