Opinion: July heat wave revealed the challenges facing Maine’s electrical grid

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 28, 2026

The prolonged heat wave leading into the Fourth of July holiday reminded us that a reliable electric system must be ready for many different kinds of stress, including extreme heat. What happened in early July demonstrates why continued investment in grid infrastructure remains essential: reliability challenges are growing. Maintaining reliability in the decades ahead will require both innovation and steady investment in the electric system. ~ Linda Ball, president and CEO, Central Maine Power

Council meeting attendees worry Maine will be left 'holding the bag' when AI bubble bursts

More than 100 people attended the first of two virtual hearings held by the Maine Data Center Advisory Council on Thursday. Many are asking the council to recommend a moratorium or outright ban on large-scale data centers in the state. Duncan Whitmire of South Portland said he's worried about what happens to the buildings, land and communities if or when the AI bubble bursts. "So, if that happens, if they just pack up and leave, who is left holding the bag? What's going to happen to those communities?" he asked. "So if we cut down the trees, if we pollute the rivers and the waterways, we're left with big grey slabs of deteriorating concrete, that's not the Maine that I want to pass on to my kids."

How 9,400 tons of sand is being used to combat industrial pollution in a Penobscot River cove

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 28, 2026

The lower Penobscot River is seeing a flurry of activity this week reminiscent of its industrial past as large barges laden with beeping, humming heavy equipment float just offshore of Orrington’s Picnic Park. But this work is different – spraying about 9,400 tons of clean sand to cap about six acres of intertidal flats, covering toxic mercury sediment in a cove long contaminated by discharges from the former Holtrachem plant. If successful at reducing exposure in the estuary, the method could be repeated over 124 more acres in Orrington and North Bucksport in the coming years.

Millinocket salmon farm project paused due to tariffs ‘roller coaster’

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 27, 2026

Great Northern Salmon is pausing its $300 million salmon aquaculture project in Millinocket, citing the economic uncertainty created by the tariffs the Trump administration is imposing on Canadian goods. The plan to build the land-based recirculating aquaculture system at the former Great Northern Paper mill was designed to eventually produce 7,500 metric tons of salmon annually. But CEO Marianne Naess said Thursday that Great Northern Salmon, formerly Katahdin Salmon, can no longer predict the true cost of the project due to the rapidly changing trade policies. The project was expected to create over 100 jobs during construction, and dozens when it was operational. Construction was slated to begin next spring.

Union leaders call for better rail safety in wake of recent train derailments

MAINE PUBLIC • August 27, 2026

Union leaders are calling on rail company CSX to improve safety and restore personnel at Rigby Yard in South Portland. The union's demands for more staffing come in the wake of two CSX train derailments in the last month, including one in Orono.

Jay Select Board declines to send solar moratorium to voters

DAILY BULLDOG • August 27, 2026

The Select Board turned down a request Monday to ask voters to weigh in on a 180‑day moratorium on solar power developments. The board took no vote on the request, and no member offered a motion, leaving opponents of the large solar farm with one option: petitioning to place a moratorium question on the Nov. 3 ballot.

Environmental groups urge opposition to big oil immunity bills

MAINE PUBLIC • August 28, 2026

Environmental groups in Maine are urging the state's congressional delegation to oppose bills that would shield big oil and gas companies from liability for climate damage. During a Portland rally Thursday, organizers led a small group of delegates in chants and a march on representatives' offices to deliver a petition to reject "Stop Climate Shakedowns" acts proposed in the U.S. Congress. Jackson Chadwick with Maine Youth for Climate Justice said the pair of bills would grant fossil fuel companies immunity from lawsuits seeking damages for climate harms such as more intense storms and flooding.

Maine climate protesters oppose legal immunity for fossil fuel industry

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 27, 2026

Climate activists rallied in Portland and Lewiston on Thursday to demand federal lawmakers reject a Republican-backed bill that would shield oil and gas companies from lawsuits like the ones that Maine plans to use to pay for climate-related damages. The federal bill would wipe out Maine’s deceptive practices lawsuit and its pending climate superfund law. If passed, it would force local taxpayers to carry the entire financial burden of storm damage and rising sea levels.

Emergency shellfishing closure issued in Scarborough

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 27, 2026

The Scarborough River is under an emergency shellfish closure until Sept. 17 due to pipe leak over the marsh. The Scarborough River is closed from Seavey landing up river due to pollution from a minor leak in a pipe stretching from Pine Point Road to Black Point Road in the area of the Eastern Trail foot bridge over the marsh.

Maine towns push to swap turf lawns for wild native habitats

SUN JOURNAL • August 27, 2026

Portland is the latest Maine community to encourage residents to replace manicured turf grass with native habitats. By rewilding suburban and urban yards, communities aim to protect vital coastal watersheds, foster disappearing pollinators and boost human well-being. For decades, the chemically treated lawn stood as the ultimate symbol of American suburban conformity, according to Andrew Tufts, manager of Maine Audubon’s Bringing Nature Home program. Today, entomologists like Doug Tallamy urge landowners to plant native species to save collapsing insect and bird populations.

Maine lobster no longer included in Canada tariffs

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 27, 2026

Canada will no longer include seafood in its 25% retaliatory tariffs on the U.S., a win for Maine’s fisheries amid a quickly evolving trade war. Mark Carney, Canada’s prime minister, announced new duties Tuesday in retaliation for 50% U.S. tariffs that went into effect this past weekend. Starting on Sept. 8, Canada’s “dollar for dollar” tariffs were expected to impact $20 billion worth of U.S. goods, including seafood — Maine’s biggest export to Canada, worth almost $300 million. But Canada’s finance ministry posted on X late Wednesday evening that, “to protect against broader economic harms,” the country was removing seafood and fish products from the list of products to be taxed.

Canada backs down on imposing tariffs on Maine lobster

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 27, 2026

Maine lobster will be exempt from retaliatory Canadian tariffs as tensions rise with our neighbor to the north. Finance Canada made the announcement late Wednesday night, saying the decision to remove seafood, including lobster, from its list of about $20 billion in dollar-for-dollar tariffs was intended to limit broader economic harm to Canadian businesses.

UNE pier project receives 2-year extension

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 27, 2026

The long-debated University of New England research pier proposal on Wednesday night received an extension from the Saco River Corridor Commission. The university now has another two years to complete the project, which the commission first approved in 2024. The pier, which would be located on the Saco River adjacent to the Arthur P. Girard Marine Science Center on UNE’s Biddeford campus, is intended to allow for year-round research and aquaculture projects. Since its approval by the SRCC and the Biddeford Planning Board in 2024, the project has faced major backlash, including from residents arguing their moorings on the river would be impacted by the pier.

Maine DEP sues Mallinckrodt over failures to clean up contaminated Orrington site

MAINE MORNING STAR • August 27, 2026

The Department of Environmental Protection has filed a lawsuit against Mallinckrodt US LLC, accusing the company of failing to clean up mercury contamination at its site in Orrington. Considered the most contaminated site in Maine, the property is the former HoltraChem chloralkali manufacturing facility. Located adjacent to the Penobscot River, the facility operated from 1967 through 2000, and manufactured caustic soda, chlorine bleach and pesticides. There is also the federal court case filed by the Maine People’s Alliance, which is separate from the state proceedings involving the department.

In Rumford, one of Maine’s remaining paper mills races to survive amid industry changes

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 27, 2026

The mill has shaped this rural town’s economy for 125 years. In that time, it has brought good-paying jobs, and been a force in the state’s vital forest products economy. Along with Sappi in Skowhegan, it is one of the bright spots among Maine’s remaining mills, which have endured years of decline as the paper industry changed. It’s a sign that the problems facing the paper mills in Maine may only be temporary, according to workers, company officials and industry experts. The biggest factor facing pulp and paper mills in Maine is the digitalization of the world.

Construction begins on new home for Brunswick-Topsham farmers market

TIMES RECORD • August 26, 2026

The Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust is moving its farmers market across the road from its current location at Crystal Spring Farm in Brunswick to better accommodate a growing number of vendors and customers. This month, the land trust broke ground on renovations at Dionne Farm, a historic property it acquired in 2024 for $2 million. It will be the future home for the 25-year-old farmers market, which draws about 1,500 people each Saturday, the organization said in a news release last week.

After 40 years of outfitting river trips, a mainstay of the Allagash is retiring

MAINE PUBLIC • August 26, 2026

Just about anyone who's spent time on northern Maine's Allagash River has heard of Norm. As the owner of Pelletier's Campground in St. Francis, near Fort Kent, Norm L'Italien has outfitted and shuttled paddlers for 40 years, and has a reputation for his deep knowledge of the river and wealth of stories. But, now in his 70s, he says the demands of the job are taking a toll, and that this season will be his last. L'Italien said he's looking forward to spending more time with the grandkids, traveling to see his Army buddies and, finally, paddling a portion of the iconic river he's helped so many others experience.

How Falmouth Land Trust has expanded its reach, 3 ways

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 26, 2026

The Falmouth Land Trust hit a hot streak this summer, acquiring three new properties in as many months. The land trust closed on wooded wetland near Highland Lake called Babbidge Woods in May, land near Hadlock Community Forest in June and a parcel along the Presumpscot River in July. Getting three new properties in this rapid succession is unprecedented for the land trust. Each property was acquired differently, illustrating the many routes landowners can take to forever preserve their land.

Maine lobstermen warn of ‘devastating’ consequences from Canadian trade war

MIDCOAST VILLAGER • August 26, 2026

The Maine Lobstermen’s Association warned Wednesday that the trade war that started when President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian products could be devastating to lobster harvesters and coastal communities. The association said, “The impact would be felt immediately on Maine’s docks. Lobstermen are already facing historically high operating costs, an increasingly difficult business environment, and razor-thin margins. If prices fall far enough, many simply will not be able to afford to fish.” Patrice McCarron, MLA’s executive director, added: “Maine lobstermen should not become collateral damage in a broader trade dispute.”

Fourth person in Maine this year tests positive for Powassan virus

MAINE PUBLIC • August 26, 2026

An individual in Penobscot County has tested positive for the Powassan virus. That's the fourth person in the state to develop the disease so far this year, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The other cases were reported in York, Lincoln, and Penobscot Counties in June. Powassan is transmitted through the bite of deer ticks, and infections can be severe, even fatal.