Drinking-water warning lifted in Lisbon; pump malfunction caused sludge problem

SUN JOURNAL • August 30, 2024

After roughly 24 hours without safe drinking water, Lisbon residents hooked to the public water system can now drink the water. A pump malfunction resulted in sludge getting into the system at the Lisbon Water Department’s filtration plant, according to a statement issued by the Water Department on Friday night. Because the Water Department could not confirm that levels of contaminants such as arsenic were safe, the state required it to issue the do not drink order out of precaution. The Water Department handed out water to people all day Friday.

Meet the man behind Maine's puffin resurgence

NEWS CENTER MAINE • August 30, 2024

Maine has a puffin population thanks to one determined researcher who hatched a plan more than 50 years ago. His idea was to take newly hatched puffins—also known as pufflings—from Newfoundland and bring them back to Eastern Egg Rock, an island off the coast of Maine where they had once lived, but over the years had been killed off by predators and humans. It was a wild idea at the time, but Dr. Stephen Kress thought maybe if they grew up on the island they'd come back to it as adults and keep breeding. Despite a successful regrowth now, more than 50 years later, it was a slow start to his so-called Project Puffin.

A Maine shellfish harvester has a guess why his town is losing its mud

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 30, 2024

The town of Penobscot’s shellfish committee has teamed up with a Massachusetts nonprofit and a New Hampshire drone operator to solve the case of Northern Bay’s disappearing mud. Manomet Conservation Sciences, a Massachusetts-based nonprofit that studies coastal ecosystems, contracted a New Hampshire-based drone operator to map the 1,000 acres of mudflats on Penobscot’s Northern Bay on Aug. 22. The drone’s multiple morning flights across the bay at the low tide will hopefully yield detailed maps that can provide insights into what is happening to the mud, researchers say.

It’s tough to build things in America. The Energy Permitting Reform Act could change that.

MAINE MONITOR • August 30, 2024

The U.S. added a record amount of energy from solar, wind and batteries to the grid last year – around 40 gigawatts. Another 63 gigawatts are planned for this year. But an analysis suggests that won’t be enough to meet our emissions reduction targets, which will require adding roughly 70 to 126 gigawatts of renewable electricity capacity each year between 2025 and 2030. If we don’t make it easier to build large infrastructure projects, particularly the transmission lines that are currently one of the primary hurdles to adding renewables to the grid, the analysts wrote, we likely won’t meet those goals. “The biggest barriers to deployment between now and 2030 are non-cost in nature—like siting and permitting delays, backlogged grid interconnect queues, and supply chain challenges.”

Lisbon Water Department giving out bottled water amid arsenic contamination

SUN JOURNAL • August 30, 2024

An “accidental release” of arsenic Wednesday has prompted Lisbon officials to continue a do-not-drink order for all residents on town water, and the Lisbon Water Department was making bottled water available to residents. Interim Water Department General Manager Shellie Reynolds said she could release no additional information about the source of the arsenic or its spread in the system. The Water Department is directing people not to consume the water at all. Boiling it will not make it safer.

From rails to trails: What’s the future of Midcoast railroad tracks?

TIMES RECORD • August 29, 2024

Some argue that a coast-to-coast bicycle route would better suit old train corridors that meander through the Midcoast landscape. Others see the potential for revitalizing steam locomotives to preserve the history, protect the environment and help people connect. The Midcoast Conservancy teamed up with Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Railway Museum in 2020. When the Sheepscot Narrow Gauge Railroad track was rebuilt, extending from the Alna Station over fields and forests in Trout Book Preserve, there was a chance for the two groups to collaborate and offer a rails and trails alternative: Ride the Rails to Hike the Trails. 

Opinion: Iberdrola proposal will affect grid, CMP customers

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 30, 2024

Iberdrola, the Spanish conglomerate that owns a majority interest in Avangrid, which owns Central Maine Power, proposes to increase its ownership share of Avangrid from 81% to 100%. Our electric grid will be totally owned by foreign investors. This has important implications for CMP customers. When there is a change in ownership and control of our electric utilities, there’s a requirement for a PUC review process to prove a net benefit to ratepayers. But Iberdrola says it already has “control” of Avangrid, so there’s no need for review. Accountability would be lost. To meet our state climate goals, we need to modernize, upgrade and invest in the grid. Regulators, lawmakers and the public need to have a close working relationship with our electricity providers. The Iberdrola proposal takes us a step away from what we need. ~ Sue Inches, Yarmouth

What happened after a dog ate rabies vaccine packets scattered in Houlton

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 30, 2024

Claude-E, a four-month old border collie, couldn’t resist the fishmeal coating pressed onto plastic packets he found scattered along a walkway in a downtown Houlton park on Aug. 21. The savory vaccine treats that Claude-E loved were actually meant for raccoons as part of a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Wildlife Services National Rabies Management Program aimed at preventing the spread of the viral disease. The oral rabies vaccine baits distributed in Maine cannot cause rabies and are safe if eaten by domestic dogs and cats, according to national program rabies field coordinator Jordana Kirby. Eating a large number of baits, like Claude-E did, may cause pets — particularly dogs — to have an upset stomach temporarily, but there are no long-term health risks.

Column: Bonapartes are the odd ducks in the gull world

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 30, 2024

Three gull species are common in Maine. Herring gulls are the most abundant. Enough said about them. Great black-backed gulls resemble a larger version of the herring gull, with a solid dark back and upper wing. Although they come inland, most hang around saltwater. Ring-billed gulls are slightly more interesting. In spring, they nest on northern freshwater lakes. Later, they move to the coast, and often into town. The Bonaparte’s gull is among the smallest gulls in the world, and one of the most unusual. While most gulls nest on the ground, Bonaparte’s gulls choose the trees adjacent to Canada’s northern lakes. In late summer, many invade Maine to winter here. ~ Bob Duchesne

Letter: The costs of climate change

SUN JOURNAL • August 30, 2024

Forget about the personalities at the top of the D and R tickets and consider an overriding issue — climate change. One party takes it seriously while the other plays lip service or dismisses it altogether, advocating drilling for more fossil fuel. Project 2025, being promoted by the Republican Party, would downsize the EPA and eliminate NOAA. States would be prevented from adopting stricter emission standards. The National Flood Insurance Program would be turned over to private insurers. Good luck in finding an affordable policy. The Inflation Reduction Act, which offers $350 billion for clean technology, would be repealed. Project 2025 would prevent the federal government from regulating greenhouse gas. What world are we leaving for our children and the generations that follow? ~ Edward Walworth, Lewiston

State, feds finalize agreement for nation’s 1st floating offshore wind power research lease

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 19, 2024

State and federal officials finalized an agreement Monday for an offshore wind research lease in the Gulf of Maine. The 15-square-mile wind array will include up to a dozen turbines floating nearly 30 miles southeast of Portland, and it is designed to test how ocean ecosystems and users – like shipping and fishing vessels – interact with floating wind farms. The Mills administration announced in February that it hopes to construct a port on Sears Island to construct and service the turbines. Eliza Donohue, executive director of the Maine Renewable Energy Association, said the site will “guide industry best practices” while creating opportunities for local businesses to engage with the renewable energy industry.

Healthy Maine Talks Podcast: #2 on PFAS: Dr. Gail Carlson, Colby College

MAINE PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION • August 29, 2024

On Monday, August 19th, more than a thousand gallons of AFFF fire fighting foam containing high concentrations of PFAS-- a class of "forever chemicals" associated with significant health concerns--was accidentally discharged at the Brunswick Executive Airport due to a malfunctioning fire suppression system. For this episode, Matt Wellington of the Maine Public Health Association interviews Dr. Gail Carlson, Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies at Colby College. Dr. Carlson's research focuses on chemical pollution in Maine, including PFAS.

What we know about the toxic foam spill in Brunswick

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 29, 2024

Last week, the fire suppression system at the Brunswick Executive Airport malfunctioned and released 1,450 gallons of firefighting foam containing toxic PFAS chemicals into a hangar and the surrounding environment. Cleanup efforts are ongoing, and a variety of agencies are continuing to monitor and do testing around the site. Meanwhile, many Brunswick-area residents have expressed concern about the health and environmental effects from the spill, and will be convening during a public forum at town hall at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. Here’s what we know about the spill so far.

Officials face packed town hall in Brunswick after toxic foam spill

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 29, 2024

More than 100 people from the Brunswick area attended a public forum Thursday night about the recent spill of more than 1,000 gallons of toxic firefighting foam. On Aug. 19, the fire suppression system at the Brunswick Executive Airport malfunctioned and released 1,450 gallons of the foam containing toxic PFAS chemicals into a hangar and the surrounding environment. Maine State Rep. Dan Ankeles, D-Brunswick, said at the meeting that this spill was the worst of its kind in Maine and one of the worst nationwide. The Brunswick Town Council will be pushing through a resolution to demand the cleanup of the foam at its meeting next week, and Ankeles said state representatives will be considering legislation regarding the removal of the foam and long-term PFAS disposal.

Many questions and frustrations, but few answers at special meeting about Brunswick chemical spill

TIMES RECORD • August 29, 2024

Concerns about the recent spill of toxic firefighting foam containing PFAS at the former Brunswick Naval Air Station drew more than 100 residents to a special meeting Thursday night, with many at the sometimes heated meeting voicing their frustrations over a lack of communication and information about the dangers posed by the forever chemicals. The meeting comes 10 days after a malfunctioning fire suppression system released 1,450 gallons of AFFF – a toxic firefighting foam that contains forever chemicals as PFAS – into Hangar 4 and surrounding areas. The fire suppression system in the hangar, which is owned by Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority, has since been shut down.

Reward doubled for info on illegal gillnet in Magalloway River

SUN JOURNAL • August 29, 2024

The reward for information leading to the conviction of those responsible for putting an illegal gillnet in the Magalloway River in the northern Oxford County territory was doubled Thursday. Operation Game Thief, working with the Maine Warden Service, is now offering a $2,000 reward. “The additional reward was donated by a concerned citizen in the area.” The Magalloway River is one of Maine’s premier native brook trout fisheries. The gillnet was about 36 feet long and 9 feet deep. Gillnets kill whatever becomes entrapped in them.

Brunswick residents with wells face testing barriers in wake of chemical spill

TIMES RECORD • August 29, 2024

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection said it will consider reimbursing homeowners up to $300 for one set of expensive PFAS well water tests near Brunswick Landing, but only if any PFAS levels resulted from this month’s major firefighting foam spill. The DEP will still test a select few wells east of the former Naval air base for PFAS in accordance to its still-developing sampling plan. How exactly residents can prove any contamination in their well is related to the recent spill and not preexisting is unclear.

Burning truck releases diesel into Long Creek, gravel wetland near Maine Mall

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 29, 2024

A tractor-trailer full of produce caught fire in a South Portland parking lot near the Maine Mall early Thursday, officials said, leaking roughly 70 gallons of diesel and requiring the use of firefighting foam to extinguish the blaze. Firefighters determined that the truck’s diesel fuel was burning, and they estimated that 70 gallons were released. Crews extinguished the fire with 47 gallons of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) – the same material accidentally released at Brunswick Executive Airport on Aug. 19 – which is known to contain PFAS “forever chemicals.” Firefighters also laid containment booms to try and catch fuel and foam that may have flowed into a gravel wetland and branch of Long Creek. Despite that effort, some diesel flowed into both areas. Officials are advising pedestrians to avoid the area.

Letter: Keep your cats indoors

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 29, 2024

Our neighborhood kitty, Buttons, has passed away from being hit by a vehicle on very busy Union Street in Bangor. Outside is no place for cats. They can’t survive wild animals, wild people or multi-ton vehicles. Keep them indoors. ~ Jane E. Deane, Bangor

Mainers may see more savings from using electricity during off hours

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 29, 2024

Maine regulators on Monday expanded their study of time-of-use rates that would bill customers depending on when they use electricity. The Public Utilities Commission studied the issue at the direction of the Legislature and reported in November that “carefully designed” rate changes are “likely to shift load, reduce peaks and thus meaningfully reduce overall costs for ratepayers.” Time-of-use rates encourage electricity use at off-peak times to give ratepayers an incentive to wait, for example, to charge their cars overnight rather than immediately after work when many utility customers typically use electricity. Switching to times of day when most utility customers don’t use much power also helps ease electricity loads on the Maine and New England grids.