By Brandon Doyen
WABI-TV 5 news story
Conservation leaders met at the state house Tuesday to unveil their environmental priorities for this legislative session.
The Environmental Priorities Coalition represents more than 100,000 Mainers, and announced its support for several upcoming bills.
There’s a bill in the works that would raise awareness about the need to test well water for arsenic.
There are also proposals that would protect clean water and taxpayers from mining pollution, and a bill designed to protect Maine’s public forests.
The Coalition will continue to try to push for a solar policy in our state as well.
“Maine is the only state in New England that has no solar policy and it’s hurting us- it’s hurting Maine jobs, it’s hurting our economy. And it makes sense to transfer to from fossil fuel dependence to energy independence and to use something that is abundant and free- the sun,” said Beth Ahearn, Program Director of the Maine Conservation Alliance.
The Coalition also supports the Maine Food Recovery Act which aims to address food insecurity and reduce food waste in Maine.