Brunswick passes unprecedented PFAS resolution calling for action after spill

TIMES RECORD • September 3, 2024

Brunswick Town Council called for action from the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, adopting an unprecedented resolution Tuesday night. Just days after MRRA came under fire in a special public meeting, the Brunswick Town Council voted unanimously to call on MRRA and the Maine DEP to take several steps, including moves to safeguard human health and the environment as well as accountability measures, such as taking a statewide inventory of the toxic firefighting foam known as AFFF that was spilled on Aug. 19.

Brunswick council passes resolution to require cleanup of toxic foam

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 3, 2024

The Brunswick Town Council unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday night to require the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority to immediately remove and dispose of the remaining toxic foam at Brunswick Executive Airport, over a thousand gallons of which spilled over two weeks ago. On Aug. 19, a malfunction with the fire suppression system at hangar 4 in the airport caused the release of 1,450 gallons of PFAS-laden firefighting foam, which led to the contamination of nearby bodies of water and outcry from the public. But this wasn’t the first spill of this foam from the airport. In fact, it’s the third known to the public since MRRA took over the airport in 2011.

Dead whale found along Belfast Harbor

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 3, 2024

A 22-foot dead minke whale washed up on the shore of Belfast Harbor sometime in the past few days. Maine Marine Patrol took researchers from Allied Whale, which is part of College of the Atlantic, to take samples of the whale when it was floating in the harbor on Friday. There was no evidence the whale had gotten tangled in fishing gear, but no other information was yet available about the time and cause of its death. At least four other dead whales have been found in or off Maine so far this year, including humpbacks located near Cape Elizabeth, Harpswell and Wells. Another dead minke whale was also found in Harpswell in late August.

Mainers can now apply online for home heating help

MAINE PUBLIC • September 3, 2024

Mainers can now apply online for heating assistance. The state has unveiled a new online application for benefits through the Home Energy Assistance Program. Community action agencies around the state should now be able to process benefits applications more quickly, the Maine State Housing Authority said. Demand for home heating help has jumped by 20% over each of the last two winter seasons, MaineHousing said. Last year was the first time that Maine ran a waiting list for heating assistance due to high demand. The state received about $41 million last heating season and provided assistance to roughly 50,000 households. State officials said Maine is expected to receive a similar amount of federal funds for benefits this year.

Column: We want to see the world. Does the world want to see us?

SUN JOURNAL • September 1, 2024

From Provincetown to Portofino, locals are angry about the impact of mass tourism on their daily lives. Too hot in Rome? How about Bar Harbor, Maine, with its cooling breezes? That thought has already occurred to the multitudes. Not long ago, mega cruise ships were disgorging as many as 4,000 passengers a day into this small town of about 5,200. The voters subsequently capped the number of cruise visitors to 1,000 a day — over the howls of local tourist-dependent businesses. We get that tourism is the main source of income for many of these places. But residents should get a say. The travel industry is hustling us. Don’t let it. ~ Froma Harrop

Mainers could see significant savings on energy bills in the next two decades, report finds

MAINE PUBLIC • September 3, 2024

A report published last week estimates that new appliance efficiency standards from the Biden administration could save Maine businesses $9.5 million per year over the next two decades. The Energy Department’s new standards could also save the average Maine household $147 per year on energy costs, according to the report.

Maine lobster predicts an early winter

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 3, 2024

Passy Pete, a lobster pulled from the waters off Belfast, delivered his forecast Monday at Heritage Park. The Belfast Area Chamber of Commerce, which hosted the event, said that Pete predicted an early winter. He then returned to the waters of Belfast Bay. During the ceremony, Pete selects one of two scrolls, one bearing a poem about summer and the other one about winter. If he selects the first, we’re supposed to get six more weeks of summer, while if he selects the latter, winter will descend early. The Bangor Daily News took a look at nearly a decade of Pete’s predictions and found he had about a 22 percent success rate. But Pete has been more successful at forecasting an early winter than a longer summer.

Rockland to welcome several additional large cruise ships this fall

MAINE PUBLIC • September 3, 2024

Rockland will welcome several additional large cruise ships this fall, after the Rockland City Council approved an increase in the number of visits from vessels carrying more than 500 passengers a year ago. Beginning Sept. 8, in addition to ongoing visits from American Cruise Lines, the Queen Mary 2, Holland America and Celebrity Cruise Lines will dock in Rockland for a total of seven port calls in under 30 days.

Cruise ships back on the ballot for Bar Harbor voters this November

MAINE PUBLIC • September 3, 2024

Cruise ships will be on the ballot once again in Bar Harbor this November. The town council voted 6-1 to approve an ordinance that sets a new daily limit sets a new daily limit of 3,200 ship passengers a day. The town would also set a monthly cap that varies by season. But it won't go into effect unless Bar Harbor residents vote to repeal the original 1,000-passenger limit in November.

Some crying ‘fowl’ after rehabilitated loon from Maine is moved to Massachusetts

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 3, 2024

After being sent to a rehabilitator by volunteer rangers, a loon chick from Little Sebago Lake was translocated out of state. Sharon Young, who has overseen the Little Sebago Loon Monitoring and Conservation Program since 2018, said, “That chick would have been dead in a very short period” had the volunteers not stepped in. Young was shocked when the rehabilitator told her last week that the loon would not be returning to Little Sebago and would instead be relocated to a lake in Massachusetts as part of an effort by the Biodiversity Research Institute to restore that state’s once-thriving loon population. “We’re trying very hard to take care of our population,” Young said. “So, to lose one like this, it’s infuriating, and it isn’t something that we can get over.”

Sizzling success: New England Hot Sauce Fest raises thousands for ocean conservation

SEACOAST ONLINE • September 2, 2024

With sunny skies and a vibrant crowd, the 3rd annual New England Hot Sauce Fest, presented by The Spicy Shark, sizzled with excitement in Hampton, NH. The festival raised $17,942 for two Seacoast organizations dedicated to preserving ocean ecosystems. Attendees flocked to Smuttynose Brewery, where over 35 hot sauce companies showcased their spiciest creations, while festivalgoers enjoyed a wide variety of culinary offerings and family-friendly activities.

Maine's national parks added $750 million to the economy last year

MAINE PUBLIC • September 2, 2024

About 3.9 million people traveled to Maine's national parks last year, and spent roughly $479 million while visiting. Overall, visitation to Acadia National Park and Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument generated $752 million to the Maine economy last year, according to a new report from the U.S. Interior Department. National park tourism also trickled down to benefit other businesses that service the outdoor recreation economy, and generated more than $330 million last year. Together, both parks support more than 6,800 jobs in Maine.

Opinion: The Perkins Homestead deserves National Monument designation

SUN JOURNAL • September 2, 2024

Frances Perkins was an amazing woman and an amazing leader. She was the first woman to ever serve as a cabinet secretary for a US president. As President Franklin Roosevelt’s secretary of labor for 12 years, she was responsible for the creation of Social Security, which helps people retire with dignity. She helped to create the minimum wage and the 40-hour work week. She led the fight to end child labor, and forced through important workplace safety reform. Her homestead in Newcastle deserves to become a national monument managed by the National Park Service. That’s why the board of directors of the Frances Perkins Center in Newcastle has launched an effort to have the Frances Perkins Homestead National Historic Landmark designated as a national monument. ~ State Sen. Peggy Rotundo

Opinion: Investments in resiliency can help Maine communities weather climate change

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 2, 2024

As Maine’s beautiful coastline faces escalating threats from coastal erosion and rising sea levels, our small coastal communities and local businesses are at a crossroads. The looming challenges demand action, and one lifeline making its way through Congress could provide the necessary investments Maine needs to combat the increasing impacts of a warming climate. By supporting the Reinvesting in Shoreline Economies and Ecosystems Act (RISEE), we can protect Maine’s cherished coastlines, safeguard our local economies, and build a more diverse energy future. Fortunately, both Maine senators, Susan Collins and Angus King, recognize the need for innovative funding solutions as co-sponsors of this bill. Congress now needs to follow suit. ~ Owen Casas, former town administrator, South Thomaston

New labor report traces long arc of Maine's workforce changes

MAINE PUBLIC • September 2, 2024

A new report from the Maine Department of Labor documents decades of change in the state's workforce, and how those changes have impacted the economy. Mark McInerney, director of workforce research at the DOL, said the report also illustrates the state's transition away from manufacturing, toward an economy driven more by health care, social assistance and business services. He said that shift in industry has also lead to a geographic reconfiguring of the state's economy, as many towns and cities in northern Maine lost their manufacturing businesses.

Commentary: Workers are bearing the brunt of extreme heat

TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY • September 2, 2024

Every year, tens of millions of U.S. workers in both indoor and outdoor settings face the dangers of extreme heat. Climate change means rising global temperatures and also increased humidity, which interferes with the evaporation of sweat, the body’s natural cooling mechanism. And because temperatures are also now higher at night, it’s more difficult for workers to recover by resting up and cooling down after long hours. The consequences are severe. Public Citizen projects that extreme heat kills about 2,000 workers annually, and another 170,000 suffer heat-related injuries and illnesses. These numbers are certainly an underestimate. As we observe Labor Day, a holiday intended to honor American workers, it’s clear that we need basic heat protections. ~ Jessica E. Martinez

Letter: Portland’s predicament: Preserving scenic views, but at what price?

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 2, 2024

Andrew Marsters’ Aug. 22 op-ed (“Views are intrinsic to the Portland park experience”) supports preserving “significant views” for future generations. However, for there to be future generations of Portlanders, we need to avoid layering restriction after restriction on our ability to build the housing those generations will so desperately need. None of us have the right to dictate that the current version is the only proper or correct state. We should not try to freeze it in time like a mosquito trapped in amber. That mosquito may look pretty, but it is still dead. We must acknowledge that what we love about our city attracts others, and we need to make reasonable accommodations for our future friends and neighbors. ~ Nathan Miller, Portland

Mars Hill boy shoots big bear he had nicknamed ‘pie plate’

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 2, 2024

Deklan Taylor, 12, and his grandfather pursued a large bear the youth nicknamed “Pie Plate” for four years. They monitored game cameras to figure out his movement patterns, and bemoaned that he liked to show up between midnight and 1 a.m. But Deklan of Mars Hill finally had success this year on his birthday, and brought down the 392-pound boar that made pie plate-sized paw prints. It’s not Deklan’s first special bear. Last year he killed a 360-pound sow and the year before the state pulled a tooth from his bear and aged it at 32 years old.

A Maine city’s biggest pedestrian square is getting less friendly to cars

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 2, 2024

Last week, Portland announced a new set of measures aimed at keeping vehicles out of Monument Square while also beautifying the space. Portland’s Parks, Recreation and Facilities staff has installed new street furniture and giant planters filled with flowers throughout the core of the square. The additions are lovely and will make it much harder for cars to negotiate the space. Also, the city has promised to start actually ticketing vehicles that park in the brick-lined square.

There’s more to Aroostook farms than potatoes

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 1, 2024

Aroostook County is famous for potatoes, and rightly so, because it grows 90 percent of the state’s crop. But northern Maine’s 305,000 acres of farmland grow plenty of other crops. Statewide, agricultural products were worth $870 million in 2022, and a third of that — $291 million — came from The County, according to the most recent census. In fact, Aroostook turned out most of Maine’s soybeans, nearly all of the state’s grains and more hay than any other county.