See which Maine towns have the most toxic firefighting foam

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 29, 2026

Fire stations across Maine are sitting on thousands of gallons of toxic firefighting foam, creating environmental hazards in dozens of communities. Survey results from the State Fire Marshal show at least 9,100 gallons of aqueous film-forming foam owned by 120 fire and emergency management departments. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are called forever chemicals because they don’t break down in nature and build up in the body. Long-term exposure is linked to high cholesterol, liver damage, developmental delays and cancer. The DEP estimates cleanup of all known municipal stockpiles would cost under $500,000. That’s much lower than the $5 million originally estimated. State Rep. Dan Ankeles, D-Brunswick, is drafting a bill that would earmark state PFAS settlement money for collection and disposal.

Letter: Why not tariff relief for all Mainers?

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 29, 2026

Last week, Sen. Susan Collins announced and took credit for securing Canadian tariff (tax) relief on several products used by Maine’s agricultural industry, such as blueberry, potato and apple growers and some wood products companies. The timing of the relief by the Trump Administration was to boost Susan Collins re-election. We need a senator that will advocate on behalf of the working people of Maine all the time, not just at election time. ~ Jonathan Stolley, Ellsworth

Letter: Democrats can deliver clean energy

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 29, 2026

Wind farms can deliver energy at half the cost of fossil fuels. Almost 50 years ago, Exxon research scientists accurately predicted that fossil fuel emissions would lead to global warming. People need low cost clean energy. When you vote in November, think about this future within our reach and those who I believe will make it possible. ~ Elizabeth Hill, Brooksville

Who’s right about access and the nuances of hunting etiquette

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 29, 2026

When a landowner allows public access for hunting, there is still just one person who owns the land and has final say on who uses it and who doesn’t. Maine law allows public access to private land if the landowner does not post the property. But hunters who care that public access to private land is shrinking make extra efforts to keep landowners happy. One unwritten rule among ethical hunters is to find out who the owner is, knock on the person’s door and ask for permission to hunt on the land. When a hunter who hasn’t done any homework makes inaccurate assumptions about ownership and his own rights, and also is belligerent and confrontational, it can ruin your day.

Don’t eat fish downstream from Keddy Mill on Presumpscot River in Windham, EPA warns

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 28, 2026

Officials are warning the public not to eat fish caught on a stretch of the Presumpscot River in Windham downstream from a former mill site that is undergoing cleanup. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is advising residents not to eat fish caught between the Little Falls Dam and Mallison Falls Dam in South Windham, downstream from the former Keddy Mill site. The former mill, which has been dormant since the 1990s, was determined to be a source of contamination of soil, sediment, groundwater and fish in the area.

Climate comedian aims to break through eco-anxiety, start conversations

MAINE PUBLIC • October 28, 2026

On a recent evening in Waldoboro, comedian Forrest Shaw is doing a stand-up routine. The classic advice for a budding comedian is "write what you know." For Shaw, that would be science. While he's been in the comedy biz for 15 years now, he's only recently tapped into his climate background for material. “I was a marine biologist for almost a decade and a half, and I saw firsthand how difficult it was to get people to be emotionally connected to habitat destruction or climate change or plastic pollution," he said. He felt the planet was doomed. He was surprised to find that writing and performing this show has changed his mind. “It's crazy to think that in making this show that I thought would be depressing, I would have more hope," he said. "I'm excited to tell people that."

South Portland gets some long-awaited answers on air quality

MAINE PUBLIC • October 28, 2026

Representatives from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Maine CDC met with South Portland residents Tuesday night to discuss findings from a six-year air monitoring study prompted by concerns about dozens of oil tanks. The DEP study follows years of complaints from residents over strong smells, nose and throat irritation and other health concerns for those living near the oil tank facilities. The results show slightly elevated levels of benzene, a known human carcinogen, near at least two of the monitoring sites in the city. Other sites showed levels below the state-recommended thresholds. The World Health Organization states there is no safe level of benzene exposure.

Maine backs off eliminating emerald ash borer quarantine

MAINE PUBLIC • October 28, 2026

A ban on freely transporting wood from areas of Maine infested by emerald ash borer will remain in effect after tribal governments and conservation groups protested a state plan to ease restrictions. State Horticulturist Gary Fish said a proposal to end a quarantine aimed at slowing spread of the invasive insect attracted more than 80 public comments. Nearly all urged the state to keep the quarantine. Emerald ash borer was first discovered in Maine in 2018. The insect tunnels into native ash trees, cuts off water and nutrients and can kill a host within five years.

USDA grants $8M to Portland Water District to sustain water quality in Sebago Lake

MAINE PUBLIC • October 28, 2026

The federal government is granting $8 million to the Portland Water District in the second phase of an effort to sustain water quality and improve aquatic habitat in the Sebago Lake watershed. The USDA funding will combine conservation easements on 2,000 acres and manage 4,000 acres of forests that filter water before it reaches the watershed. According to Sebago Clean Waters, a coalition of organizations dedicated to the health of the watershed, half of the award will be used for reconnecting streams and rivers for organism and fish passage. The remainder will fund forest management and conserve acreage.

Citgo plans to reduce emissions at South Portland tanks

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 28, 2026

Citgo Petroleum Corporation on Wednesday announced a plan to reduce emissions for its South Portland Terminal and fund expanded air monitoring. The move came a day after many South Portland residents urged the city to take action to protect public health at a packed City Council meeting, and more than a month after a report from the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention found that residents living near the more than 100 petroleum tanks in the city could be at higher risk of cancer and other chronic health issues as a result of long-term exposure to carcinogenic emissions.

Column: Gray Among the Blue

BOOTHBAY REGISTER • October 28, 2026

Wading birds from the other side of the Atlantic keep finding their way to the Americas. Last week, a gray heron, the Eurasian equivalent to the familiar great blue heron, was identified in Cape Elizabeth. Gray herons have been showing up for thirty years or so in Barbados and other islands in the Lesser Antilles but have begun popping up more regularly in Newfoundland and other parts of Atlantic Canada, with a few sightings south to Virginia. Gray herons may already be nesting in the eastern Caribbean. Over the decades to come, will they become a more regular visitor here in Maine? It would be easy to miss a gray heron among the many great blue herons we have in Maine so keep your eyes open for something that looks a little different and maybe you’ll be the next one to spot a bit of gray among the sea of blue. ~ Jeff and Allison Wells

Law Court To Begin Hearing Appeal in Nordic Title Case

MIDCOAST VILLAGER • October 28, 2026

Oral arguments are set to begin Thursday, Nov. 5, in the damages appeal by Jeffrey Mabee, Judith Grace and the Friends of Harriet L. Hartley Conservation Area in their long-running slander of title lawsuit against Nordic Aquafarms. The Maine Supreme Judicial Court has scheduled oral arguments to begin in the Cumberland County Courthouse. Mabee, Grace and the Friends are appealing a lower court ruling that rejected their claim for damages, reimbursement of litigation expenses and attorney fees. In its effort to develop a $500 million land-based salmon farm in Belfast, Nordic claimed an ownership interest in a strip of intertidal mudflats the Norwegian company needed to lay its industrial intake and effluent pipes to Penobscot Bay. Nordic, which left town in January 2025, used release deeds it secured from third parties to support its ownership claims.

Skowhegan Outdoors settles in at new location on Island Avenue

CENTRAL MAINE • October 28, 2026

The Skowhegan Outdoors Basecamp Gear Library plans to hold a grand opening Thursday, Nov. 19, at its new location at the former fire department on Island Avenue. The library offers free gear lending of bikes, kayaks, tubes, skis, camping gear and other items. The organization is working to add a reception area, a consignment department, retail shop and gear repair shop.

Cherryfield dam removal opens path for Atlantic salmon

WABI-TV5 • October 27, 2026

Crews removed the Cherryfield Ice Dam this summer, allowing Atlantic salmon to swim farther upstream. The Downeast Salmon Federation (DSF) partnered with the town, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on the project. One of the key goals of the improvement project is to increase fish passage. Years ago, hundreds of fish passed through the river. In recent years, that number has dropped significantly. Ellie Mason, habitat restoration project manager for the Downeast Salmon Federation, said the dam was known to block fish.

Trump says he’s ending restrictions on climate-warming methane from oil drilling

ASSOCIATED PRESS • October 27, 2026

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that his administration is “terminating” a Biden-era rule that aimed to cut planet-warming emissions of methane from oil and gas drilling. Trump said during a campaign rally in Texas that the change would save companies and consumers billions of dollars and unlock 210 million barrels of oil. That’s equivalent to about 10 days of U.S. petroleum consumption. The move aims to encourage more domestic drilling as Trump faces criticism over high fuel pricesamid the war in Iran. Methane is responsible for about a third of planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions, scientists estimate.

York’s unofficial Lorax speaks for a beloved tree

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 27, 2026

James Kences, York’s town historian, has been leading an effort to save a honey locust that’s slated to be cut down as part of a long-awaited revitalization plan. Officials have described it as a visual hazard, causing further confusion at an already perplexing intersection. The most efficient and affordable option to make the intersection safer, is to take down the tree, which is not native to Maine. Kences thinks there are better solutions, like carefully excavating its roots to relocate it. Kences also thinks that killing the honey locust will pave the way for developers to build structures that would destroy the old-town charm of York Village.

GrowSmart Maine Summit 2026, October 29

MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS • October 27, 2026

Across the state, communities bring the knowledge, values, and care needed to navigate change. Through the Building Community Strength initiative, GrowSmart Maine connects towns to learn from one another while delivering the tools that make action possible, and supporting communities on their own terms. Summit 2026 was conceived in that spirit, bringing people together from every corner of Maine to exchange proven strategies, spark new partnerships, and celebrate local resilience.

National Park Free Entry October 27 not for everyone

MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS • October 27, 2026

Entry to US national parks is fee-free on October 27, Theodore Roosevelt’s Birthday. But it applies exclusively to U.S. citizens and residents. This is a first. Previously, free entry days were open to everyone regardless of nationality. Now, under President Donald Trump, visitors aged 16 and over may be asked to show identification. International visitors also need to pay a $100 per-person non-resident surcharge at Acadia and ten other national parks.

Fact brief: Does Biddeford prohibit camping in city parks?

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 27, 2026

Biddeford’s parks ordinance prohibits overnight camping, including tents and other temporary shelters. Erecting any tent or shelter requires a recreation director’s permit. City parks generally close at dusk, and unauthorized structures may be removed. The ban predates the city’s recent efforts to address homelessness.

What Maine’s latest loon count revealed

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 27, 2026

Maine Audubon estimates that 2,770 adult loons and 276 chicks were on lakes in southern Maine this summer, down from the previous two years. The estimates are based on the organization’s 43rd annual Loon Count, held July 18. A record 1,861 volunteers surveyed 438 lakes statewide.