Feds reject Maine’s $456 million request to build wind port at Sears Island

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 22, 2024

Federal officials have rejected Maine’s application for $456 million to build an offshore wind port at Sears Island, dealing a blow to the state’s efforts to enter the offshore wind industry. Commissioner Bruce Van Note said Tuesday, “We believe the result is a reflection of the fiercely competitive nature of this program and that it does not reflect, or undermine, the widely recognized need for this port, the strong merit of Maine’s plan, or the vast economic and environmental benefits associated with port development.” The Mills administration applied for the funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation in May to build the port on Sears Island, in Searsport. Opponents instead favor nearby Mack Point, which already is industrialized and offers port facilities. The Sears Island site is undeveloped and is popular with hikers.

Portland firefighters are phasing out foam containing PFAS

CBS 13 • October 22, 2024

By the end of the month, Portland firefighters will no longer use firefighting foam containing “forever chemicals.” Fire officials say firefighters will be trained on how to use the new foam, which the department already has. The old foam will be sent away to be destroyed. All the trucks will be cleaned, and new foam will be added to them. The change comes after a massive toxic foam spill at the Brunswick Executive Airport that spread into nearby waterways.

2023 was a better year for right whales, but 2024 offers a 'sobering' outlook

MAINE PUBLIC • October 22, 2024

The number of North Atlantic right whales increased slightly last year, offering a glimmer of positive news for the critically endangered population. There were 372 right whales counted, according to new data from the New England Aquarium and the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium. Philip Hamilton, a senior scientist with the aquarium's Anderson Cabot Center, said the increase from 2023 reflects the birth of 12 whales. But it's not a complete picture. "The news for 2024 is much more sobering, with nine deaths, 13 injuries," Hamilton said. One right whale died from an entanglement in Maine fishing gear; three others were struck by boats. Another died from an unknown cause. And though 20 calves were born this year, a handful have already disappeared.

Midcoast Maine isn’t easy to get around without a car. That could change.

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 22, 2024

The midcoast, like the rest of Maine, is mostly rural. And for those who don’t have access to a personal vehicle, or would prefer to leave theirs at home, there are few other options for getting around. It’s a particular challenge for some employers, whose workers may not have cars but also can’t afford to live in the increasingly pricey midcoast. For that and other reasons, a group of state and regional agencies are now working together to develop a plan for improving transit from Brunswick to Belfast.

Feds deny Maine’s request for $456M to help build offshore wind port

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 22, 2024

The federal government turned down Maine’s request for a $456 million grant that would cover most of the cost of building an offshore wind port on Sears Island, officials confirmed Tuesday. Following protests from environmentalists, tribes and Republicans, the state picked Sears Island over nearby Mack Point earlier this year for the staging area of the offshore wind port and said the project will cost $760 million. Transportation Commissioner Bruce Van Note said Tuesday the application was not successful. It is a notable setback to a project eyed for completion in 2029, but the state is seeking another $130 million from a separate federal program to help. Federal regulators have designated 2 million acres off the Maine coast for wind development.

Column: Time well spent in the conservation Band-aid brigade

CENTRAL MAINE • October 22, 2024

Some conservationists spend years in school learning how complex conservation issues can be. But anyone with any lived experiences in nature can help. A lot of conservation work is common sense fueled by passion and desire. If you have hours to spare, you can attend training sessions to learn how to spot invasive aquatic species or learn how to inspect boats, trailers, and vehicles to prevent invasive aquatic plants and animals from spreading in our lakes. My favorite conservation story is about two young teen girls in a canoe. Once every summer they paddled around Little North Pond in the Belgrade Lakes. Using a long-handled fishing net, they’d scoop up the bottles and cans littering the pond bottom. We are grateful for any amount of time you can spend conserving natural resources. ~ Doug “Woody” Woodsum volunteers for 7 Lakes Alliance

These ladybug imposters are trying to get into Maine houses

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 22, 2024

Overnight, ladybugs seem to have appeared in swarms around Maine houses, covering the windows and trying to get inside. But they’re likely invasive multicolored Asian lady beetles, a different species from storybook ladybugs. They look similar from a distance, but the Asian beetles also come in shades of orange, and a dark “M” shape on their heads sets them apart. Three other similar species live in Maine, and all try to head indoors for the winter after the first frosts of the season.

Here’s another reason to hate ticks

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 21, 2024

To successfully reproduce, the female tick needs a male tick to fertilize her eggs, a full meal of blood and a spot under the leaf litter to spend the winter in a dormant state. The female tick can survive the entire winter without a host. The Lyme disease-carrying black legged ticks feed on large forest mammals such as deer, moose, raccoons or foxes. Typically the female ticks lay several hundred eggs in a small cluster or mass, but they can lay up to 2,000.

Bangor breaks high temperature record

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 21, 2024

The temperature in Bangor on Monday broke the record high set nearly a century ago, according to the National Weather Service. The 75-degree high topped the 72-degree record for Oct. 21 set in 1936, the weather service’s Caribou office said. Weather records in Bangor began in 1925. Millinocket also broke its high temperature record Monday. The high was 73 degrees, exceeding the previous high for Oct. 21 of 71 degrees, set in 1903, when weather records in Millinocket began.

Blue-sky flooding in the Old Port is a preview of the future

MAINE PUBLIC • October 21, 2024

Despite sun and clear skies, in the old Port this weekend, some rolled up their pants or donned rain boots to wade through eight inches of water to grab lunch near Commercial Street on the Portland Pier. This weekend high tides were roughly one and a half to two feet higher than average. This part of Portland, and other salt marshes, beaches and areas along Maine's coast can expect to see more instances of 'blue sky flooding' this fall, and in the coming years. It's due in part to the effects of climate change, like changing current patterns from a warming ocean.

Regulators delay lobster size limits for six months

MAINE PUBLIC • October 21, 2024

Fisheries regulators have given the lobster industry a brief reprieve by delaying new size limits for six months. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission said increasing the minimum lobster size by fractions of an inch will help rebuild stocks affected by troubling declines in young lobsters. The commission's lobster board argue increasing the minimum catch size will let younger lobsters live longer and reproduce more. Board members voted overwhelmingly Monday to delay the rules during the commission's annual meeting. The restrictions were supposed to go into effect at the beginning of the year. But regulators hope that a delay will give the lobster industry time to adjust. It also gives extra space for Canadian regulators to add matching size restrictions.

Heat pumps were supposed to transform the world. But it’s not going as planned.

WASHINGTON POST • October 21, 2024

Adoption of heat pumps, one of the primary ways to cut emissions from buildings, has slowed in the United States and stalled in Europe, endangering the switch to clean energy. Heat pump investment in the United States has dropped by 4% in the past two years. Experts point to lags in construction, high interest rates, and general belt-tightening from inflation. In 13 European countries, heat pump sales dropped nearly in half in the first half of 2024, putting the European Union off-track for its climate goals. Heat pumps – essentially air conditioners that can also work in reverse, heating a space as well as cooling it – are crucial to making buildings more climate-friendly. Maine met one of its key climate plan goals two years early, installing 100,000 heat pumps by 2025.

New Sandpiper apartments bring eco-friendly living to Brunswick Landing

TIMES RECORD • October 21, 2024

The Sandpiper Residences, hailed by officials as the most eco-friendly apartment complex in Brunswick, is complete after years of planning and construction. The $18 million project, described as an “eco-house” and spearheaded by property developer Dave Holman and Jason Lord, came to fruition this summer and was celebrated last Friday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new building. The new complex adds 63 units — 13 of which are priced affordably — to Brunswick’s limited housing stock.

Frances Perkins Was the First Woman to Serve in a U.S. Presidential Cabinet. It’s No Coincidence She’s Having a Moment

TIME • October 21, 2024

In August 2024, the Biden Administration signaled plans to designate the Maine homestead of former Labor Secretary Frances Perkins — the first woman to serve in a presidential cabinet and a key architect of the New Deal — as a national monument. Perkins did little to cement herself in the historical record. She was more interested in her work and her family’s personal safety than in being remembered. Now, the rise of female politicians is helping to reinsert her in our historical memory in a way that is long overdue. During her 12-year tenure at the Department of Labor, Perkins became the longest-serving labor secretary, and a force behind some of the most significant New Deal legislation, including the National Labor Relations Act, the Social Security Act, and the Fair Labor Standards Act. Female lawmakers have supported a national monument honoring Perkins, and the excitement and buzz created by the potential for the first female president may push the proposal across the finish line.

Rumford ski area receives $1.2 million in grants for improvements

RUMFORD FALLS TIMES • October 21, 2024

Black Mountain of Maine has received a $1.2 million grant that will enable the ski area to make snow faster and hopefully lengthen their ski season, according Roger Arsenault, chairman of the board of directors. The mountain received $483,000 from Northern Borders Regional Commission to purchase 14 new snowmaking guns. The second grant was $775,000 from Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS). The ski area is also going to at least double the size of the snowmaking pond.

Millions watch UMaine grad’s videos debunking pseudoscience

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 21, 2024

Milo Rossi, who grew up outside of Boston and graduated from UMaine in 2022 with a degree in environmental science and anthropology, is now arguably the most popular archaeology content creator on social media, with more than 2 million followers. Rossi will give a free talk at his alma mater at 7 p.m. Tuesday, “Combating Archaeological Pseudoscience with Social Media,” at the Collins Center for the Arts. “Milo has combined a background in archaeology, a deep understanding of the difference between science and pseudoscience, and a compelling screen presence to become the most viewed real archaeologist today,” said Daniel Sandweiss, the UMaine anthropology and climate studies professor who taught Rossi. Rossi said. “There’s an oversaturated market for BS on social media. I’m trying to put the real information out there.”

Letter: Communication issues plague offshore wind project

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • October 20, 2024

As a member of the Offshore Wind Port Advisory Group (OSWPAG), MDOT told us we’d receive its alternatives analysis as soon as it was available. On Oct. 11, I learned indirectly that the alternatives analysis could be found at https://www.maine.gov/mdot/projects/searsport/windport/. Later that day, I learned that MDOT posted this extensive document, encompassing hundreds of pages with attachments, a week before. Thousands of people have expressed interest in this matter. Shame on MDOT if that public intere st isn’t overwhelmingly apparent to them. ~ Steve Miller, Islesboro

Scientist warns that increased shipping could turn Casco Bay into ‘bioinvasion hotspot’

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • October 20, 2024

A Maine scientist is raising the alarm that Casco Bay could become a “bioinvasion hotspot” after finding three new invasive species in three years. Thomas Trott, a marine ecologist who lives in Biddeford, in a recent study tied their arrival to an increase in international shipping. And while the three species in question don’t spell ecological disaster, Trott believes they’re a harbinger of damage that could befall the bay if more ships come to Portland and there aren’t better safeguards in place.

Column: The variety of species in Maine includes natives and those from away

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • October 20, 2024

The bird checklist for Maine currently stands at 475 species which includes resident birds who grace us with their presence all the year. Over 100 species are migratory breeding birds, moving from wintering areas to our south to nest here and then departing before winter sets in. Some species on the Maine list are irruptive species, northern species that move south to winter in Maine when their food at high latitudes is hard to find. The remainder are vagrants, birds that only occur rarely and unpredictably in Maine. There are also 107 species in Maine that have been sighted five or fewer times. The sighting of such a bird leads to an onrush of birders anxious to see one of these out-of-range birds. But how did they get here in the first place? ~ Herb Wilson

Column: Conservation organizations shift from protecting to connecting

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • October 20, 2024

In recent years, a movement has gained strength among Maine conservation organizations to learn the true, complicated history of colonialism in this region, to grapple with conservation’s role in it, and to incorporate those lessons into our work. This has meant learning to listen to Wabanaki voices on the power of Indigenous-led conservation. From preserving biodiversity to addressing climate change, the best, most durable conservation outcomes are only possible when we have strong relationships with people and communities. Indigenous communities have the longest connection to the lands and waters where we live and work. ~ Betsy Cook, Trust for Public Land; Kate Dempsey, The Nature Conservancy in Maine; Kate Stookey, Maine Coast Heritage Trust