Toxic foam that spilled at Brunswick airport was due for removal next month

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 21, 2024

The U.S. Navy had been planning to remove thousands of gallons of PFAS-laden firefighting foam from Brunswick Executive Airport next month, when a large portion of that foam was instead released during a spill on Monday that sent some of the toxic chemicals into the environment. During a news conference held by state and local officials on Wednesday afternoon, Kristine Logan, executive director of the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority, said that the navy is still planning to come to Brunswick on Sept. 16 to remove the remaining foam from the airport that wasn’t part of the accidental dump. Because of health and environmental concerns surrounding PFAS, which can cause cancer, birth defects and other health issues over long periods of exposure, the U.S. military is required to remove PFAS-containing firefighting foam from airports by October of this year.

Solar and wind developers must pay extra to build on farmland. The question is, how much?

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 20, 2024

If developers of solar and wind projects want to build on Maine farmland, they soon will have to pay an extra fee. A state law enacted last year requires such developers to pay into a fund that helps mitigate the environmental impacts of the project or conserve farmland elsewhere in Maine. It’s meant to protect agriculture while also advancing the state’s clean energy goals. Now, officials are trying to decide how much developers should pay. The Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry has drafted rules detailing how the law will be enforced, establishing a permitting structure for renewable energy developments built on “high-value agricultural land.”

Toxic foam spreads to pond in wake of Brunswick chemical spill

TIMES RECORD • August 20, 2024

The local water district has shut down a public water source near the site of Monday’s chemical spill at Brunswick Landing and will not reopen it until tests show the levels of harmful forever chemicals in the drinking water fall within allowed regulatory limits. The discharged firefighting foam is believed to contain forever chemicals, or PFAS. Even trace amounts of some PFAS, which are used in many common industrial and household products, are now considered a public health risk.

Foam spill spews dangerous forever chemicals at Brunswick airport

TIMES RECORD • August 20, 2024

A fire suppression system malfunctioned inside a large airport hangar at the former Brunswick Naval Air Station early Monday morning, resulting in the accidental discharge of 1,600 gallons of firefighting foam concentrate that contains dangerous “forever chemicals.” The spill has alarmed neighbors and Brunswick residents who serve on the advisory board that oversees the environmental cleanup at the former military base, which closed and is being redeveloped as a result of a federal base realignment action in 2005. “The worst fears that we have had have happened,” said Suzanne Johnson, a Brunswick attorney who is co-chair of the Restoration Advisory Board

‘Our worst nightmare’: Brunswick officials grapple with hazardous chemical spill

TIMES RECORD • August 19, 2024

The scale of the damage caused by Monday morning’s chemical spill at Brunswick Executive Airport is still being weighed, as Brunswick officials assess the fallout and eye a costly, potentially hazardous cleanup process. The Brunswick Town Council convened Monday night, about 11 hours after a fire suppression system malfunctioned and released 1,600 gallons of firefighting foam stored inside Hangar 4. “The deployment today was our worst nightmare to have happened,” said Kristine Logan, MRRA executive director. Brunswick Fire Chief Ken Brillant says that the cleanup of a firefighting foam spill is in motion, while council members, civilian groups and residents alike express concerns about contamination.

Milo factory may close after being hit with new $6K solar subsidy charge, manager says

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 19, 2024

A new $6,000 solar subsidy charge in the monthly Versant Power electricity bill for Milo Chip may force the factory to close, its office manager said. The factory, which employs four people and produces sanitary paper products in Milo, has been breaking even with surging labor, fuel and insurance costs, office manager Isabelle McKenna said. Prior to this new charge, an average monthly Versant Power electric bill was less than $5,000 for the factory, McKenna said. That additional monthly $6,000 is a cost the business cannot absorb.

Bugs, hallucinations, dark thoughts: New Sharon man talks about being lost for 4 days

SUN JOURNAL • August 18, 2024

Michael Altmaier's rescue highlights the increasingly important role played by Maine's search and rescue teams as more people seek the outdoors and officials deal with Silver Alerts. The Game Warden Service is statutorily tasked with organizing search and rescues when someone is lost, missing, stranded or drowned on inland waters or in the woods. Search and rescues are two separate operations — though sometimes a rescue is necessary when a person has been located after a search. When someone does go missing, often wardens will push a Silver Alert to the public, asking people to report if they have seen the missing person. So far this year, 18 Silver Alerts have been issued, mostly for older adults. In 2021, state legislation changed, expanding who a Silver Alert can be issued for, which is basically anyone over 18 now.

Planning to venture into the wilderness? Here are some safety tips from a game warden

SUN JOURNAL • August 18, 2024

The first thing anyone who is planning a hiking, camping, canoeing or other type of trip should do is let someone know what their plans are. Bring a cellphone in case you need to call 911 for an emergency. Once you’ve realized you’re off a marked trail just sit down and relax. If you become injured in the woods stay calm and try to assess your injuries. Carrying some sort of first aid kit is always strongly recommended.

Column: As summer springs forward, next hunting season can’t get here soon enough

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • August 18, 2024

For hunters, it’s a glorious time of year. The season we’ve waited for is close at hand. It’s time to tend bear baits, practice your bow shooting, tune up the moose calls and mend decoy lines. ~ Bob Humphrey

Column: Muskrats in the pond are not a nuisance

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • August 18, 2024

Caving the common name “muskrat” doesn’t do it any favors, since “rat” carries its own pejorative meanings, and “musk” refers to the smell coming from its musk gland. Then there is the often mis-association of muskrats with their larger (and quite distant) cousins, the North American beaver. Beavers, despite being one of the most fascinating and important ecosystem engineers, are often disliked for their ability to impact environments by cutting down trees and damming waterways. Muskrats are essentially the best of both animals: small enough (but bigger than a rat) to not do too much “damage,” and a native species that provides many benefits to an ecosystem. ~ Maine Audubon Staff Naturalist Doug Hitchcox

Where to get free wood chips in Maine and how to use them

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 18, 2024

The simplest option for getting “arborist chips” delivered might be ChipDrop, a site for both tree companies and gardeners. You can sign up, pay an optional donation to cover delivery costs and wait for chips when they become available. It isn’t for everyone, the company warns. On social media posts, some Maine users praised the service, while others said they’ve waited for years. When a drop arrives, you could end up with a large quantity of chips dumped on your driveway without warning. It might not be the cleanest or the most finely chopped either. But, it’s free.

Watch Maine’s big cats on the move

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 18, 2024

The warm temperatures may have kept many animals, including the Canada lynx, in the thicker, cooler brush this summer, but with moderation in the weather comes more activity. BDN contributor Allie Ladd said he hasn’t seen the lynx cross the water on this log since April, but he shows this one from two different camera views.

Leaders celebrate opening of national monument visitor’s center

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 17, 2024

In 2016 President Barack Obama designated Katahdin Woods and Waters a national monument, made up of 13 parcels donated by Elliotsville Plantation Inc. and Roxanne Quimby, founder of Burt’s Bees. Since then, the Elliotsville Foundation, the National Park Service, and representatives of the independent Native Nations that constitute the Wabanaki Confederacy — Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, Mi’kmaq Nation, Passamaquoddy Tribe at Motahkomikuk and Sipayik, and Penobscot Nation — worked to build a visitor’s center. About 150 people on Saturday gathered for Tekαkαpimək’s unveiling and to hear the stories of the land and the Wabanaki people.

Seal Island sees record number of breeding puffins

MAINE MONITOR • August 17, 2024

Seal Island, which sits 21 miles off Rockland, was once home to the largest Atlantic puffin colony in the Gulf of Maine. It was the second island that Audubon’s Project Puffin restored puffins to after a century’s absence spurred by hunting in the late 1800s. The first was Eastern Egg Rock, six miles off Pemaquid Point. Both islands were seeded with puffin chicks brought from Newfoundland. Puffins began breeding anew on Eastern Egg Rock in 1981 and Seal Island in 1992. This summer, despite the long-term warming of the Gulf of Maine and long-term increase in the severity of weather events, conditions were so uneventful that Seal Island set a record for breeding puffins.

Opinion: There are no positive effects of climate change – especially not in Maine

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 17, 2024

As someone with a master’s degree in environmental science and a history of working with NASA Earth Science missions focused on monitoring the Earth and ocean, I’m here to tell you: There are no “positives” to the changes that our climate is going through – especially when it comes to life in Maine. The climate changes to winter and destabilization of air masses has actually caused more weather extremes – including colder than normal extremes – which can negate “heating bill savings.” Economically, the impact of warmer winters to Maine’s winter-based economy and tourism is a huge negative to many jobs and stakeholders in outdoor recreation. The snow reserves that build up each year are the water stores that feed nature in the spring – filling lakes and reservoirs. Less snow equates to starting off the season on a wetness deficit, which has consequences to natural cycles, fishing, farming, fire risk and more. ~ Carla Lauter, Lisbon

View from Away: Generative AI is an energy hog and that could hurt progress fighting climate change

CENTRAL MAINE • August 17, 2024

Artificial intelligence is one of the world’s fast-growing technologies, and that is raising alarm that AI data centers’ thirst for electricity will increase planet-warming emissions and strain the electrical grid. Google AI takes 10 times as much electricity to process a result as a regular Google search. Meeting the demand will put pressure on the U.S.’ aging electrical grid and, since 60% of electricity still comes from fossil fuels, increase planet-warming carbon emissions. We have to make sure this rapidly expanding technology doesn’t undermine climate goals. ~ Los Angeles Times editorial

Opening of Wabanaki welcome center near Katahdin delayed, but public will get a peek

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 17, 2024

The opening of a welcome center at Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument has been delayed while contractors and others put finishing touches on displays and other features. Tekαkαpimək Contact Station, which had planned to open in late August, is now expected to open fully in the fall. But visitors can get a first glimpse inside this weekend. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland is scheduled to join federal, state, Wabanaki and other community members for a ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday morning. Members of the public can stop by after that from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Visitors this weekend much register in advance.

Letter: Bruce Bryant supports conservation

SUN JOURNAL • August 17, 2024

I am supporting Bruce Bryant as a candidate for Senate District 18. Bruce previously served in the Senate and, in 2008, supported the Land for Maine’s Future funds to purchase land. Through his support and the generous voter approval of LMF funds, the town of Woodstock purchased 700 acres known as Buck’s Ledge Community Forest. The trails are free and available for anyone. ~ Jane Chandler, chair, Woodstock Conservation Commission

After early doubts, locals warm to Maine national monument

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 17, 2024

Katahdin area residents’ attitudes have softened in the two decades or so since Burt’s Bees founder Roxanne Quimby began buying land next to Baxter State Park and eventually donating it to the National Park Service for what became the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. When Quimby first announced her plans, local sportsmen, timber workers and even some state and federal lawmakers opposed the endeavor. Visitor tallies to the national monument quadrupled in 2017 now topping 40,000 annually. Those numbers, along with the recent construction of a 7,900-square-foot visitor center atop Lookout Mountain, have led many in the region to say the more than 87,000-acre monument is bringing a much needed economic boost to the area.