MaineHealth to participate in major chronic Lyme study

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 17, 2024

MaineHealth is partnering with Tufts University for a new $20.7 million study that will research post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome – often called chronic Lyme – a condition that has puzzled scientists, doctors and patients for decades. Chronic Lyme, which is estimated to occur in 5% to 20% of Lyme disease cases, can persist for months, even years, after the patient becomes infected with Lyme disease. Lyme is a bacterial infection transmitted by the deer tick, and causes thousands of cases per year in Maine.

Column: Potential Kennebec dam sales offer creative solution

CENTRAL MAINE • October 17, 2024

It’s heartening to hear about a creative solution to a knotty, long-running controversy over four hydroelectric dams on the Kennebec River. The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has offered to buy the dams and is in serious talks with the owner, Toronto-based energy giant Brookfield. It gradually acquired most of Maine’s hydro capacity after paper company owners decided to liquidate assets before shutting down their mills. There is a problem, however. Full dam removal could force the Somerset Mill in Skowhegan to close, the only integrated paper mill in Maine operating under its original design. There are 700 unionized jobs with excellent wages; a $418 million expansion is underway. One can foresee an arrangement meeting the mill’s water needs while maintaining renewable power. ~ Douglas Rooks

Opinion: Let’s preserve what makes Scarborough special

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 17, 2024

Scarborough is growing – fast. In many ways, that’s good news. There are new residents, new homes and new jobs in our community. But the quick pace of change also puts a lot of pressure on open spaces, natural areas, beach access and our ability to maintain clean water. On Nov. 5, voters will have the chance to take action to protect those things and more. Scarborough Question 3 authorizes the town to issue bonds for up to $6 million to protect our community and the places that make it special. Question 3 funds Scarborough’s land acquisition reserve fund, which was created by voters in 2000. ~ Patrick O’Reilly

Bar Harbor asks voters to loosen cruise ship limits

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 17, 2024

Two years after voters passed a citizen’s initiative to sharply reduce cruise ship traffic — leading to an ongoing stream of legal complaints — Bar Harbor officials hope that another vote next month will bring the resulting lawsuits to an end. But voters will have to agree to repeal the limits they approved in November 2022 for that to happen. The question of how much the town should restrict cruise ship visits has embroiled Bar Harbor for more than two years, pitting residents opposed to the industry against the local business community, and ensnaring officials who find themselves enforcing and defending in court a voter-initiated limit that they don’t readily agree with.

Wilton board brainstorms ideas to gain access to ATV, snowmobile trails

SUN JOURNAL • October 16, 2024

Selectpersons brainstormed ideas at Tuesday’s workshop on how to link trails and roads for riders that could bring economic development opportunities to businesses and residents. They plan to get the public’s input on what roads they would like to see open to ATV travel. They are also looking at developing parking for ATVs and snowmobiles.

Opponents of Belfast fish farm welcome early findings of new border survey

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 16, 2024

Opponents of the stalled-out project to build a land-based fish farm in Belfast are welcoming the preliminary findings of a surveyor whom the city recently hired to identify the boundaries between it and the neighboring town of Northport. Belfast used eminent domain in 2021 to secure access to intertidal land at the mouth of the Little River where Nordic Aquafarms aimed to install pipes for its project. But courts ultimately ruled that the eminent domain taking had relied on a defunct survey that confused a section of Northport for Belfast. Belfast councilors agreed to vacate the eminent domain action, and commissioned the new survey of the Belfast-Northport border. On Tuesday, surveyor Robert Yarumian II said that his preliminary findings were that, beyond the upper mouth of the Little River, the city’s boundary extends in a straight eastward line. In that intertidal area, he found that there is an area between the boundaries of Belfast and Northport that neither community has jurisdiction over. Opponents of the Nordic Aquafarms project were quick to celebrate the preliminary findings.

Boil water order issued for Gray Water District

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 16, 2024

The Gray Water District is directing customers to boil all water at least one minute before consumption or use in cooking. The district’s order says there is a “possibility of unsafe water” but did not elaborate on the specific risks or possible sources of contamination. Bill Gardner, superintendent of the water district, said a sample he collected Tuesday “got a hit for E. coli” above the safe threshold.

Electricity Maine ordered to refund $6 million to customers

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 16, 2024

Electricity Maine, a competitive electricity provider under fire from the state Office of the Public Advocate over its pricing, will refund $6 million to about 20,000 current and former customers – an average of $300 each – and pay a $315,000 penalty as part of a settlement approved Wednesday by state utility regulators.

Lewiston, Auburn break ground on $30 million stormwater project to protect Androscoggin River

SUN JOURNAL • October 16, 2024

Officials held a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday for what is dubbed “one of the most important projects of its kind in the state” for protecting public health and natural resources. The $30 million project will expand the treatment capacity and build a large stormwater holding tank at the Lewiston Auburn Clean Water Authority treatment plant in Lewiston, preventing polluted water from entering the Androscoggin River during rainstorms.

‘This will help a little bit’: Couple provide Sidney farmland for solar array to fight climate change

MORNING SENTINEL • October 16, 2024

A new solar array was plugged into the electric grid this month, delivering enough power for about 500 homes, after a local family, Carl and Janet Quirion, provided the farmland for a new community solar project to combat climate change in Maine. The 11-acre solar farm is expected to send all of the 3.2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity it generates annually back into the local grid. Carl Quirion said, “We’re just burning too much fuel, and this will help a little bit.”

Opinion: Solar energy policies are hurting Maine businesses

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 16, 2024

Since May, Maine’s utilities have incurred over $95 million in net energy billing costs as solar projects came online after the 2019 law creating the program took effect. The Maine PUC has also approved another $28.4 million increase of solar subsidy recovery, which many businesses are calling a “job-killing solar tax.” Solar subsidy cost increases range from 200 to 1,644 percent for some businesses. According to Maine’s public advocate the program will cost Maine ratepayers $220 million per year for the next 20 years. Legislative Republicans have been sounding the alarm about this for years. Our concern has never been about solar energy itself – diversifying our energy portfolio is a smart strategy done the correct way. Rather, our current solar energy policy has disproportionately harmed small businesses and led to higher costs for consumers. Now it threatens workers as companies must absorb these costs, cut back in other areas or close entirely. ~ Sen. Stacey Guerin

Invasion of the Pinkies in Freeport aims to spark climate conversations

TIMES RECORD • October 15, 2024

Late afternoon on Oct. 11, a pink-clad crowd gathered at Freeport Town Hall. Rooted with the birch trees near the parking lot entrance, three funky sculptures known collectively as the “Pinkies,” stand 9 feet, 11 inches tall, allowing admirers to filter between their legs, an amalgamation of miscellaneous fishing gear, nets and ropes. The year-long installation created by artist Pamela “Posey” Moulton aims to spark community conversation on the impact of climate change on marine ecosystems and working waterfronts. Some may recognize the Pinkies from Payson Park in Portland, where they lived for the past two years before disappearing early this summer. The creature-like installations are made from bits and pieces gathered from recycling centers and coastal cleanup efforts led by Maine fishermen, nonprofit organizations and volunteers.

Here’s where Maine’s CD1 candidates stand on offshore wind and electric vehicles

MAINE MORNING STAR • October 16, 2024

A longtime supporter of offshore wind, U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, the Democratic incumbent for Maine’s 1st Congressional District, said she is committed to pushing for even more federal support for renewable energy industries. Her Republican challenger, Ron Russell, does not support offshore wind. In fact, Russell said if elected he would do everything in his power to stop it. Maine has received millions of dollars from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to deploy electric vehicle charging stations throughout the state and pilot an electric ferry program. Pingree is proud of her part in helping pass that “landmark” legislation. While Russell sees electric cars as cost prohibitive, he said increasing access to electric buses and ferries would be a more cost efficient option. Independent candidate Ethan Alcorn declined to directly answer questions about offshore wind and electrifying transportation.

Senate candidates embrace clean energy, but split on how US should fund transition

MAINE MORNING STAR • October 16, 2024

Independent U.S. Sen. Angus King sees renewable energy sources as having the potential to free the United States from foreign oil markets. Democratic candidate David Costello said he would absolutely support efforts to further the development of offshore wind. He spoke of the industry’s potential to deliver not only clean and reliable energy, but also job opportunities and public health benefits. He believes Congress should expand the related tax credits and expedit the permitting process for necessary infrastructure. Republican challenger Demi Kouzounas criticized wind power for not being as clean as promised. Independent candidate Jason Cherry would support efforts to develop clean energy alternatives, but he’d like to see more collaboration with other countries.

Letter: A warning on Portland’s water

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 16, 2024

On Sept. 24, 2024, a court ruling stated that fluoridation of our water poses an “unreasonable risk” to the health of our children, specifically: pregnant women, formula-fed infants and young children. The EPA will now be forced to regulate fluoride in water. Portland currently fluoridates our water, but perhaps it’s time to rethink that. The level that is considered “optimal” currently in the U.S. is 0.7 parts per million, which is also the target in Maine. Unfortunately, this level has been cited to cause an unreasonable risk of reduced IQ in children. The EPA can no longer ignore this risk, and we shouldn’t either. ~ Kara Dooley, Portland

Don’t miss this Maine hidden gem on your leaf-peeping adventures

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 15, 2024

Quill Hill is a must see for serious leaf peepers. Quill Hill is a 2,638-foot knob about four miles off Route 16 between Eustis and Rangeley. There is signage at the entrance. It is a little busy this time of the year, but the dirt road to the top is wide and well groomed. Up on the top, there is a 360-degree overlook with picnic tables and story boards to help you identify all of the lakes and mountains that loom in the distance, making for a breathtaking panoramic view, not only of the color-dappled foliage but the sweeping grandness that is so much Maine.

Proposed Royal River dam removal sparks controversy over possible effects

FORECASTER • October 15, 2024

A proposal to remove most of two dams along the Royal River in Yarmouth to restore the river ecosystem prompted a broad range of questions and comments during an informational session, underscoring the complexity of the project and strong feelings about the future of the river. Concerns from residents of North Yarmouth, which has no direct control over the fate of the dams but would be affected by dam removal, have also featured prominently in recent discussions.

2025 Maine Teacher of the Year sheds light on her big focus: outdoor learning

TIMES RECORD • October 15, 2024

During the early years of her sons’ lives, Becky Hallowell watched them climb trees and play in the backyard. Coming from a family of educators and being a fourth-grade teacher at Wiscasset Elementary School herself, she believed that her boys’ “innate wonder” would be nurtured in the public school system. She plans to use her 2025 Maine Teacher of the Year platform to “demystify nature-based play,” emphasizing that one does not need a nearby river estuary to take students outdoors.

Letter: Context missing in rockweed story

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 15, 2024

Re: the recent Press Herald article discussing rockweed harvesting and conservation. Contrary to the claim that Seeley alone pushed for a conservation plan, it was actually the rockweed harvesting industry that proposed the development of the 2014 Fisheries Management Plan (FMP) for rockweed to the state. The industry has consistently supported sustainable rockweed management and advocated for regulations outlined in the FMP, including sector management, harvest quotas and closed areas. However, the unresolved issue of intertidal ownership, prior to Maine Supreme Court’s 2019 Ross decision, and the resulting decision from the Ross case to privatize a marine organism, hindered the state’s ability to manage the fishery effectively. ~ Jake Patryn, Maine Rockweed Fisheries Alliance, Machias

Annual food waste in Maine emits as much greenhouse gas as nearly 400,000 cars, study finds

MAINE MORNING STAR • October 15, 2024

The food wasted in Maine annually emits as much greenhouse gas as 398,235 cars driven for one year. That equates to 361,000 tons — or about 520 pounds for every person in the state — of wasted and lost food every year, based on a first-of-its-kind study. The majority of Maine’s food waste is generated in households, particularly in the southern part of the state. Aroostook County is the highest contributor of agricultural waste. Commercial food waste — largely from grocery stores and food manufacturing — makes up most of the rest. Seasonal industries and tourism drive up waste in the summer months. Maine’s population surges from 1.3 million to 15 million during that period bringing more people to feed and more waste. A draft version of the State’s updated climate plan published earlier this summer includes cutting food waste and loss in half by 2030. The study also provides more information for potential legislation.