Advocacy group launches database of products made with 'forever chemicals'

MAINE PUBLIC • July 23, 2026

The Maine-based nonprofit Defend Our Health has launched a searchable database of products that contain PFAS and other harmful chemicals. While the state of Maine has already banned the sale of most consumer products containing the "forever chemicals" earlier this year, Defend Our Health President Emily Carey Perez de Alejo says the directory will hold companies accountable and be useful for other states. "It's hard to figure out exactly which item does or does not have PFAS on your own," she said. "So putting together this searchable directory should help to avoid these materials." PFAS — which have been linked to harmful health effects in humans — have been used for decades in household products like cookware, makeup and fertilizers.

Fact brief: Did the mortality rate of monitored Maine moose calves exceed 70% this year?

CENTRAL MAINE • July 22, 2026

Yes. Maine moose biologist Lee Kantar said 72% of the state’s GPS-collared moose calves died before reaching their first birthday in 2026. Kantar told Maine Public the monitored sample was fairly representative of Maine’s broader moose population, although conditions vary by location. Annual mortality among collared calves has ranged from anywhere between 8% and 87% since monitoring began in 2014. Winter ticks caused this year’s high death rate. 

Sale of Kennebec River dams clears 1 hurdle, faces another

CENTRAL MAINE • July 22, 2026

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has agreed to put a pause on relicensing the Shawmut dam and the license amendment process for the Weston, Hydro-Kennebec and Lockwood dams while FERC continues to consider a request from Brookfield Renewable to transfer the licenses for the Weston, Shawmut and Lockwood hydroelectric stations to newly created holding companies. The entities were created to facilitate their transfer to The Nature Conservancy, which in turn plans to give ownership of the dams to a new nonprofit, the Kennebec River Restoration Trust. The paper mill says it relies on the Shawmut impoundment. The Nature Conservancy has said it is “100% committed” to developing a solution for Sappi’s operations.

Rangeley Logging Festival returns with weekend of logging, forestry events

SUN JOURNAL • July 21, 2026

Despite gray skies, the Rangeley Logging Festival drew crowds over the weekend to take part in a variety of activities from Main Street in Rangeley to the Maine Forestry Museum grounds in Dallas Plantation. This year, the museum marked 45 years of celebrating the logging festival. This year, there was a presentation called the “Working Forest Tour.” Other demonstrations featured on Friday included an educational session about local wood creatures and their habitats by Rangeley Wild, a historic two-man chainsaw demonstration and a lecture on forest mapping. On Saturday, local families and businesses took part in the Logging Parade.

Food, fertilizer, sport: What to do with the invasive green crab?

MAINE PUBLIC • July 21, 2026

At Wolfe's Neck Farm & Campground in Freeport, a group of 30 volunteers are tromping through the mud flats at low tide, buckets in hand. Their goal is to get as many green crabs out of the environment as possible in one hour. It's called a "green crab derby." Volunteers flip over rocks and rake through seaweed with their bare hands. Rachel Wheeler, who is up from North Carolina camping with friends, brought her young daughter along. There will be prizes for biggest crab, most crabs, and most soft-shell green crabs found. The specimens collected will be disposed of or composted.

Maine plans major energy storage buildout

MAINE PUBLIC • July 21, 2026

The Maine Department of Energy Resources is seeking regulators' approval for a major buildout of energy storage on the state's electric grid. The department filed a petition with the Maine Public Utilities Commission this week to start competitive bidding to develop up to 360 megawatts of large-scale batteries, which can store electricity when demand is low, then deliver it to the grid at periods of high need. A total 360 megawatt buildout could provide enough power for 15% of Maine's total electric load. Maine has a goal of adding 400 megawatts of energy storage by 2030.

Maine Calling: Squid

MAINE PUBLIC • July 21, 2026

The octopus is in vogue now, thanks to books and films featuring this sea creature. But its cephalopod cousin, the squid, is just as fascinating. Their jet propulsion makes them the fastest marine invertebrate; their huge eyes work like a camera; they can glow and flash to communicate with other squids. Find out about the kinds of squid in the Gulf of Maine, what researchers are learning, how and why people fish for squid, and what the potential is for a commercial squid fishery in Maine. Panelists:
Michelle Staudinger, Darling Marine Center, University of Maine; Owen Nichols, Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown, Mass; Jessica Blaylock, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration.

Opinion: Maine’s aging water systems face a growing funding gap

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 21, 2026

Maine’s aging water systems face a growing funding gap that could translate into sharply higher customer bills. After years of deferred maintenance, some rural districts across Maine have raised rates by more than 20% — and in some cases as much as 75% — to pay for long overdue needs. At Portland Water District, water main replacement is one example. Recent assessments indicate we should replace about eight miles of water main each year at an estimated cost of $40 million, compared with roughly $11 million spent today. Without increased investment, aging pipes will continue to deteriorate, and water main breaks are likely to become more frequent, disruptive and expensive. The U.S. Congress is uniquely well positioned to help us close the financing gap. ~ Scott Firmin, general manager of Portland Water District

Opinion: The tragedy of the ‘posted’ commons

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 21, 2026

I am constantly in awe of this land, of this seeming sanctuary of greenery, rivers, beaches, and mountains. Maine’s tradition of public access to land fosters collective appreciation of these gifts. Landowners have a right to determine who comes and goes on their own land, but I applaud every private landowner who commits to honoring this tradition. When the dreaded “Posted” signs pop up in a place that was previously accessible, it has a real and tangible impact on everyone in the community. I hope Mainers recognize how fragile this endowment of natural beauty is, and that the danger is not sudden change but rather the slow erosion of access, heralded by simple signs that read “Posted.” ~ Dan Rhodes, volunteer, High Peaks Alliance

Amazon’s revised proposal in Gorham gets public hearing

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 20, 2026

Amazon has revised some aspects of its controversial plan to build a warehouse and distribution facility near the Gorham town center, but opponents say plans to reduce traffic, noise, lighting, pollution and other environmental impacts aren’t enough.

Freedom wants to curb partying at popular swimming spot

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 20, 2026

Freedom’s select board is trying to crack down on rowdy behavior at a placid pond. At a meeting on Monday night, the Select Board discussed how to address problems at the boat launch and swimming spot on Freedom Pond, also known as Sandy Pond, where residents have complained about partying, drug use, nudity, fighting and people having sex in cars. Earlier this month, the board announced it would restrict access to the pond to Freedom residents and property owners. But the move caused an uproar on social media, with many people from surrounding towns lamenting that they would no longer be able to swim at the pond.

Maine wants to end emerald ash borer quarantine

MAINE PUBLIC • July 20, 2026

Maine officials want to eliminate quarantine rules imposed to stop the spread of invasive emerald ash borer, arguing the continued spread of the destructive beetle make the restrictions ineffective. "The reality is that we knew all along that it would come to this eventually, that there was no way for us to stop it," said state horticulturist Gary Fish, with the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. "All we could do is slow it down and we've probably slowed it down as much as we can," Fish added.

A midcoast lobster wharf is back under local ownership

HARPSWELL ANCHOR • July 20, 2026

The owner of the Mackerel Cove wharf Glen’s Lobsters has bought the Angie’s Lobster wharf next door, a move that brings a piece of Bailey Island’s working waterfront back under local ownership. Shawn Baumgartner said he plans to do some repairs to the Angie’s dock and buildings and keep that wharf operating for the foreseeable future. The Angie’s wharf last changed hands just four years ago in 2022, when an Arizona-based fast food restaurant bought it.

Fact brief: Does Monsanto v. Durnell bar Maine from adding differing health warnings to pesticide labels?

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 20, 2026

Yes. Monsanto v. Durnell bars all subnational entities, including Maine, from adding health warnings to pesticide labels different from the federal government’s. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 7-2 vote that under federal law states cannot impose labeling requirements “in addition to or different from” those required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Oystercatchers, known for sharp bills and beady eyes, are making a comeback thanks to conservation

ASSOCIATED PRESS • July 20, 2026

American oystercatcher were largely wiped out in New England by the turn of the 20th century due to hunting and egg collecting but their numbers are rising. About $10 million was raised over a decade in a nationwide effort to restore the oystercatcher’s population along the coasts of the Americas. Much of the campaign focused on educating beachgoers about the presence of the quirky birds known for their piercing calls and habit of using their razor sharp bills to crack open oysters and mussels. Measures were also implemented to protect their ground nesting sites from predators and pets on beaches, sand dunes, salt marshes or tide wrack deposits.

Maine hiring contractor to run packaging waste reimbursement program

MAINE PUBLIC • July 20, 2026

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection is hiring a contractor to run a new program that makes manufacturers and companies responsible for the cost to get rid of packaging waste. The department issued a request for proposals this month for a "stewardship organization" that will oversee the day-to-day operations of its extended producer responsibility, or EPR, program. The program would shift the costs of disposing packaging waste from municipal taxpayers to packaging producers, said Vanessa Berry, sustainable Maine program director at Natural Resources Council of Maine.

New vision for Simard-Payne Park in Lewiston includes outdoor concert venue

MAINE PUBLIC • July 20, 2026

The developer behind Thompson's Point in Portland wants to transform Simard-Payne Park in Lewiston into an outdoor venue space that could attract national touring acts. A proposed letter of intent details a potential partnership between the city of Lewiston and Eco Hospitality Consultants. Eco Hospitality would have the 10-year rights to bring concerts and other seasonal programming to Simard-Payne Park, which sits on the bank of the Androscoggin River. It would also redevelop the historic Red Shop, which currently stores boats and other equipment, into a food, beverage and event venue, with the city having future rights to repurchase the property under certain conditions. And the proposal contemplates the expansion of an existing hotel on Lincoln Street or the construction of a second one.

The feds no longer protect endangered species habitat. States say they can’t pick up the slack.

YAHOO NEWS • July 26, 2026

Earlier this month, the Trump administration finalized a major change to the Endangered Species Act, rolling back protections for the forests, wetlands, deserts and other critical habitats that many plants and animals rely on. The new rule will open many landscapes to development, logging, mining and oil and gas drilling. Wildlife officials — in both conservative and liberal states — had expressed strong concerns about the proposal, saying it would threaten their plans to safeguard endangered species. Federal officials framed the decision as a move to give "freedom" to state leaders to manage wildlife without burdensome federal regulations. But legal experts and wildlife veterans say that almost no states have endangered species laws on the books that allow state officials to prevent habitat destruction in the name of saving wildlife. 

Bucksport wants vacant downtown lot back after development promise falls through

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 20, 2026

Bucksport is trying to reacquire a vacant lot from a developer who did not follow through on an agreement to build a mixed-use development on Main Street in exchange for a $1 purchase price. But Ellsworth-based SFS Development LLC has not responded to multiple letters from the town, which plans to escalate, according to a town official’s report to councilors earlier last week. The lack of development on the still-vacant site is a bump in the town’s long-running efforts to diversify its downtown and bring in new businesses for visitors and its tax base since the Verso paper mill closed in 2014.

The state says Greenville approved 89 housing units last year. The reality isn’t even close.

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 20, 2026

The State of Maine Housing Data Portal shows Greenville in Piscataquis County approved building permits for 89 housing units in 2025. That’s 53 new homes per 1,000 residents, and nearly triple the number that Bangor approved last year. But Mike Roy, Greenville’s town manager, said that’s not correct, and he has “no idea where 89 came from.” Roy said the community’s planning officials approved building permits for 29 new homes. The error reveals flaws in the state’s database, which was heralded as the best way to understand whether the state is meeting its housing production goals.