Business leaders say Trump's promised immigration restrictions could impact Maine's workforce

MAINE PUBLIC • December 3, 2024

President-elect Donald Trump's immigration policies could have widespread economic impacts, especially on industries that rely heavily on immigrant workers. In Maine, some agricultural producers say their reliance on guest worker programs should insulate them from any potential crackdown. But other employers say they are concerned about their workers becoming targets for deportation. At Flood Brothers Farm in Clinton, farmer Jenni Tilton-Flood said she's bracing for an abrupt change in immigration policies, and fears that many people aren't considering the potential impact on farms and families.

Arizona’s Grijalva will step down as top Dem on key U.S. House panel on environment

MAINE MORNING STAR • December 3, 2024

Raúl Grijalva, the top Democrat on the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee, will not seek to remain in that position in the next Congress, he said Monday. The announcement from Grijalva, an Arizona progressive, has led Democrats on the committee overseeing environmental, public lands and tribal issues for a decade. Grijalva disclosed in April that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer. He returned to Congress last month. His Monday statement noted he would continue to focus on his recovery.

Opinion: Why does America still have lead pipes? Blame this trade group.

BLOOMBERG • December 3, 2024

In October, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a ruling mandating the removal of all lead pipes supplying drinking water in the U.S. Whether the rule will survive the incoming Donald Trump administration is an open question – one that could have serious, even life-threatening implications for the more than nine million or so homes that get their water by “lead service lines.” Given what we know about the dangers posed by lead-contaminated drinking water, it’s worth asking: What took so long? The answer lies with a now-defunct organization known as the Lead Industries Association, or LIA. Much like industry groups connected to the tobacco industry, the LIA tirelessly promoted the use of lead, despite the demonstrated public health risks. ~ Stephen Mihm, coauthor of “Crisis Economics: A Crash Course in the Future of Finance”

Opinion: Saudis brought the wrecking ball to climate change conference

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 3, 2024

When President Trump first took office in 2017, I was terrified he would withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement. Now I’m terrified he won’t. In November, I assumed my seat in the U.N. climate change meetings at COP29 in Azerbaijan. I once again found myself in an escalated firing line between those fighting for the continuation of their lives and those fighting for the continuation of their lifestyles. Saudi Arabia “came in like a wrecking ball.” Other members of the Like-Minded Developing Countries (LMDC) behaved similarly. ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods is one voice among many in the industry dissuading Trump’s withdrawal. Woods knows if the United States withdraws, it is effectively sidelined from the process. If the U.S. remains, it can singlehandedly dismantle the Agreement from within. ~ Susana Hancock, international climate scientist, Maine

Opinion: Small electric vehicles are affordable for many Mainers – for now

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 3, 2024

Electric vehicles (EVs) are the most effective way of greatly reducing gases that drastically change our climate. While the purchase of even a relatively inexpensive new small EV is still out of reach for most lower-income Maine households, there is great potential among higher-income households to purchase them. If you are wavering on buying an EV, now is the time. Generous income tax credits are available for EV purchases but are threatened by the upcoming Trump administration. ~ Ronald B. Davis, Orono, Citizens Climate Lobby and UMaine Climate Change Institute (retired).

Maine farmers hope research projects will save their contaminated fields

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 3, 2024

Two key developments may hasten a fix for dozens of farms in Maine contaminated with PFAS. In October, a second Maine factory began commercial production of biochar, a wood waste product that holds promise for absorbing and sequestering PFAS in soil, before it gets into crops. And the state’s $60 million PFAS Fund, established in 2022, is offering grants to study PFAS uptake in plants and how to minimize it. Both could potentially revitalize tainted farms in Maine, most of which are still operating but not at their previous capacity.

New rules for solar development make companies pay to put panels on certain farmland

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 3, 2024

Maine has adjusted its potential rules for the development of solar arrays on valuable farmland, and is now taking public comments on a second draft. Solar arrays based on the ground have been spreading in Maine since 2019, when Gov. Janet Mills signed a law that made it easier for the projects to be approved. The new draft removes the categories of forested land and land with local value it had suggested be protected, plus a few steps that would have made more work for developers. It also added blueberry barrens as a category that could become high value land. Maine is trying to manage preserving its remaining farmland while increasing solar energy use as part of the state’s climate change response plan. Those two goals can be at odds with each other, and at times divisive.

Nordic Heritage Center in Presque Isle closes

THE COUNTY • December 2, 2024

Presque Isle’s Nordic Heritage Outdoor Center is closed as of Sunday, Dec. 1, city officials said. The property was not yet gated on Monday afternoon, but no one was on site and a Pineland Farms truck and trailer sat at the facility. Portland’s Libra Foundation funded and built the facility in 1999, and continued to pay for its operation. Pineland Farms of New Gloucester owns the property. The closure marks the end of a 25-year gift from Libra to the city of Presque Isle. But it is up to the owners to do with the property as they see fit.

Coastal communities to host storm preparedness meetings

MAINE PUBLIC • December 2, 2024

The ferocity of storms that hit Maine’s coast last winter caught many people by surprise. Now a series of public forums hopes to bring together nearby communities to learn and share resources about how they are getting ready for future extreme weather. The 10 meetings are scheduled along the coast, from Machias to Kittery. Meetings are planned at the following locations:

• 5-7 p.m. Dec. 3, 2024, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, 350 Commercial St., Portland.

• 5-7 p.m. Dec. 5, 2024, Kittery Community Center, 120 Rogers Road, Kittery.

• 5-7 p.m. Dec. 10, 2024, Washington Academy, 66 Cutler Road, East Machias.

• 5-7 p.m. Dec. 12, 2024, Peabody Library, 162 Main St., Jonesport.

• 5-7 p.m. Dec. 16, 2024, Steuben Fire Hall, 49 Smithville Road, Steuben.

• 5:30-7:30 p.m. Jan. 29, 2025, Blue Hill Public Library, 5 Parker Point Road, Blue Hill.

Locations for meetings in the Mount Desert Island and Sullivan areas are yet to be determined.

Business groups ask state to pause regulatory process in new recycling rules

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 2, 2024

Business groups urged Gov. Janet Mills to pause action on a new law designed to reduce packaging waste in order to bring Maine’s proposed rules into line with other states that have enacted similar laws. The law is designed to make corporations cover the cost of disposing of hard-to-recycle packaging by reimbursing municipalities for disposal costs and investing in recycling infrastructure statewide. However, the leadership at a half-dozen groups, including the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, said the board’s latest set of proposed rules could create uncertainty and undue hardship for businesses.

National land trust purchases 44,000 acres near Jackman

MAINE PUBLIC • December 2, 2024

A national land trust has acquired more than 44,000 acres of land near Jackman and plans to conserve the areas working forest and recreational access. The Conservation Fund purchased the property from the Hilton family for $44 million, said Tom Duffus, vice president and Northeast representative. The property is currently used for timber and sap harvesting for several maple producers, as well as hunting and recreational activities.Duffus said the organization is working with the local community to find the best ways to conserve the property, while maintaining the many uses of the land.

Maine game wardens offer $2K each for information on 2 illegally killed moose

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 2, 2024

Maine game wardens in cooperation with Operation Game Thief are offering a $2,000 reward for each of two moose that were found illegally shot in Washington County. The last opportunity to legally shoot a moose in the Washington County wildlife management districts was in October. There is no open moose season anywhere in Maine at this time.

With outages an increasing concern, Midcoast officials emphasize emergency prep

TIMES RECORD • December 2, 2024

With the 2025 storm season around the corner and the increased intensity of storms, Midcoast authorities and emergency officials are urging residents to take caution and prepare in advance for severe weather — and the inevitable power outages that come with it.

Blue states prepare for battle over Trump’s environmental rollbacks

MAINE MORNING STAR • December 2, 2024

President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to slash federal climate, clean air and clean water regulations during his second term — an agenda that could target rules governing everything from auto emissions to power plant pollution to drinking water standards. Business groups and many Republican leaders are cheering Trump’s plan to weaken environmental protections. But in states that have focused on tackling climate change and pollution, attorneys general and lawmakers are preparing to fight back by filing lawsuits, enacting their own regulations or staffing up state environmental agencies.

Texas-based construction corporation acquires the owner of Thomaston cement plant

MAINE PUBLIC • December 2, 2024

Heidelberg Materials North America announced over Thanksgiving that it would acquire Giant Cement Holding, Inc. and its subsidiaries, which include the Dragon Products Company. Last fall, Dragon Products announced the Thomaston plant would stop operations and lay off 65 workers by 2025. Earlier this year, Thomaston officials said the plant would be used as a distribution and storage hub for cement that had been imported from Spain. It's unclear what the sale might mean for the Thomaston plant specifically, which has a long history of safety and environmental violations.

Watchdog wants more info from utilities about Mainers overcharged for electricity

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 2, 2024

Utility customers in Maine who sign up for competitive electricity providers continue to pay more than they would if they stuck with the state’s standard offer, a new report released Monday found. The findings from the Electric Ratepayer Advisory Council’s annual report for 2024 are part of the reason why the 13-member group and Public Advocate Bill Harwood are calling on lawmakers to authorize greater access to data that could reveal disparities in terms of lower-income consumers and communities paying more than they need to for electricity.

Electric buses continue to cause problems for Maine schools

KENNEBEC JOURNAL • December 2, 2024

Electric school buses supplied through a federal grant to several Maine school districts continue to have problems. The debate over the safety of the buses came up again at Winthrop Public Schools, which has four of the vehicles, after the Canadian manufacturer  Lion Electric recalled a part on the buses. It’s the latest issue the buses have had, as over the past year the Maine Department of Education urged the schools to sideline the buses. However, because of the conditions of the grant, the school district must continue using the buses or may be required to repay the grant amount.

Arrowsic residents celebrate new public water access

TIMES RECORD • December 2, 2024

Arrowsic residents are celebrating the town’s first and only public access to tidal waters: Packard Landing. Located at 31 Indian Rest Road, the site opened this fall, offering hand-carry access to the Back River tidal channel, which connects the Kennebec and Sasanoa rivers. It boasts a dock, ramp, float system, pickup/drop-off site, six-car parking areas and a privy. Jack Witham, an associate scientist at the University of Maine’s Center for Research on Sustainable Forests, emphasized that canoes and kayaks can now navigate a waterway with nationally significant habitat and wildlife value, along with acres of salt marsh and permanently protected uplands. 

100 New National Parks for America, Dec 4

MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS • December 4, 2024

People in most American towns still do not have ready access to a large public park. Potential future parks are being lost to resource exploitation and development. Michael Kellett, executive director of RESTORE: The North Woods, will talk about New National Parks, a campaign of 100 proposed new national parks — at least one in each state. Hosted by Walden Woods Project. On Zoom, Dec 4, 7 pm, free, preregister.

Opinion: Maine must take a balanced approach to packaging law

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 2, 2024

As the head of the Retail Association of Maine, I represent businesses of all sizes, from multi-state retailers to small family-owned shops that have served our communities for generations. While we fully support the goal of reducing waste and protecting Maine’s environment, Maine’s extended producer responsibility (EPR) law for packaging has left many retailers deeply concerned about its complexity, timing and potential costs. Maine’s retail sector is the backbone of our economy. This law risks burdening retailers with new costs and regulatory complexities at a time when many are still recovering from the challenges of the pandemic and grappling with shifts in consumer behavior driven by inflation and online competition. Let’s take the time to craft a program that works for all Mainers – one that helps our environment without jeopardizing the small businesses that are the heart of our communities. ~ Curtis Picard, Retail Association of Maine