Statement of Nick Bennett, NRCM Staff Scientist “The Maine House and Senate have given final approval to LD 1772, a resolve rejecting the weak metal mining rules from the Board of Environmental Protection (BEP). The Natural Resources Council of Maine appreciates the work of legislators in both houses to defeat these weak rules that would have Read More
State House Watch
Working for legislation to protect Maine’s environment is an essential part of NRCM’s mission for the people of Maine. During the legislative session, we are at the Maine State House, just a block from our office, to work for new safeguards and also to defend existing legislation that protects Maine’s land, air, water, and wildlife.
LePage Veto of Solar Bill is Sustained by Maine Senate
Bill to Increase Solar Energy Fails Despite Strong Bipartisan Support Statement of Dylan Voorhees, NRCM Clean Energy Director “It is extremely disappointing that the governor’s opposition to solar energy is holding Maine back on the opportunity for more jobs and cleaner air. His rejection of LD 1252—aided today by his legislative allies in the Senate—means Read More
Legislature Gives Final Approval to Bill that Sets Solar Goals for Maine
Statement of Dylan Voorhees, Clean Energy Director, Natural Resources Council of Maine “Today the Maine Legislature gave near unanimous support and final approval to a landmark bill that seeks to increase the use of solar energy in Maine. LD 1652 is good news for our economy, clean air, and Maine’s energy independence because it lays Read More
Want to Support 1,800 Jobs? Pass This Water Infrastructure Bond
By Jeff McCabe and Kenneth Fredette, Special to the BDN Bangor Daily News op-ed Here’s a proposal with something for just about everyone. It’s about clean water, natural resources, public safety and jobs, among other things we can get behind. LD 1455 is a $50 million bond proposal that would provide much-needed investment in Maine’s Read More
Legislature Overrides LePage Veto of Bill to Protect Fish Spawning Areas from Mining
By Christopher Cousins, staff writer Bangor Daily News story AUGUSTA, Maine — The Legislature on Tuesday overturned a veto by Gov. Paul LePage of a bill that aims to protect delicate fish spawning habitats from motorized mining operations. After a unanimous vote in the Senate on Tuesday morning, the House voted 119-23 Tuesday evening to Read More
Maine Small Business Owners Urge LePage to Allow Solar Bill to Become Law
Say LD 1252 Will Strengthen Economy and Increase Jobs for Small Businesses Through Greater Investments in Solar Energy and Heat Pumps NRCM news release Augusta, ME – Small businesses gathered today to urge Governor LePage to allow a solar bill to become law, now that it has passed the Legislature with bipartisan support. More than 20 Read More
Maine Senate Joins House in Rejecting Large-scale Mining Rules
By Christopher Cousins, BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine Senate on Wednesday affirmed a vote earlier this week in the House of Representatives that will force the Department of Environmental Protection to restart the process of implementing new large-scale mining rules. The rules were developed after the passage of Read More
House Deals Another Blow to Controversial Large-scale Mineral Mining Rules
By Christopher Cousins, BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story AUGUSTA, Maine — Rather than approve large-scale metallic mineral mining rules that have been under development for a year, the Maine House of Representatives Monday voted to send the rules back to state regulators for a do-over. The lopsided vote came over the objections of Read More
Maine House Votes to Toss Out Proposed Mining Rules
The bill calls for a new set of regulations, which are likely to be less friendly to open-pit mining of minerals at Bald Mountain. By Eric Russell, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story The Maine House of Representatives passed a bill Monday that would throw out proposed mining rules drafted after a legislative vote Read More
