by Matthew Stone Bangor Daily News news story AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage is withholding support for a compromise bill being worked out by the Legislature’s Energy Committee that’s aimed at expanding Maine’s natural gas infrastructure, boosting funding for energy efficiency, directly lowering businesses’ electricity costs and making it more affordable for residents to 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.
Parents Should Demand Legislative Action on Healthy Kids Bill
Erica Lowell Portland Press Herald op-ed GRAY – We’ve all seen it. A simple trip to the grocery store will reveal at least a dozen different parenting styles. But one thing moms and dads can all agree on is that the products we bring into our homes should not contain dangerous chemicals. As a young Read More
LePage Official Blasts Widely Supported Paint Bill
Colin Woodard, staff writer Portland Press Herald news story AUGUSTA —The paint industry wants to recycle unused household paint in Maine, a program that environmentalists, municipalities and small retailers have supported, saying it will save taxpayers money while safeguarding the environment. But at a legislative hearing Thursday, the LePage administration surprised many by opposing L.D. Read More
Leftover Paint Waste Target of Maine Bill
Maine Public news story More than 70 million gallons of discarded household paint wind up in the nation’s landfills each year, and untold gallons more remain stored away in attics, basements and garages in sticky, dented containers. About 10 percent of all paint sold is wasted, and many homeowners don’t know what to do with Read More
Maine’s Mining Laws Come Under Scrutiny
Susan Sharon Maine Public news story Maine hasn’t had an active mining operation in more than two decades. But last year, Maine’s largest landowner, J.D. Irving Limited, said it would like to explore the possibility of mining for copper, zinc and other metals on land it owns in Aroostook County. In response, lawmakers passed a Read More
LePage Allows Alewives Bill to Become Law
by Dennis Hoey, staff writer Portland Press Herald news story Eighteen years ago, the Legislature approved a blockade that prevented alewives from running up the St. Croix River. In a historic decision that largely went unnoticed, that blockade will be lifted in a few days after Gov. Paul LePage opted not to veto LD 72. Read More
Lead Sinker Ban Will Help Keep Loon Calls Ringing Out Over Our Lakes
The proposal will protect the birds from poisoning so that we all can continue to enjoy them. by Ted Koffman Maine Sunday Telegram op-ed FALMOUTH – The call of the common loon is one of Maine’s unique and iconic sounds. It conjures up images of lakeside camps, leisurely swims and quiet fishing time with family. Read More
Maine Lawmakers Go with Alewives’ Flow
Bangor Daily News editorial Finally, after years of Maine politicians ignoring the science that supports the benefits of alewives returning to the upper reaches of the St. Croix River, they have acted on that scientific knowledge. On Wednesday, the Maine Legislature passed LD 72, a bill sponsored by Rep. Madonna Soctomah of the Passamaquoddy Tribe, Read More
Alewives on the St. Croix: A “Mistake” Fixed
Five years later, the policy of blocking alewives was looking increasingly anachronistic. by Douglas Rooks Working Waterfront news story AUGUSTA — By May 1, alewives could have a clear path up the St. Croix River drainage for the first time in 18 years. After a contentious hearing March 25 which lasted almost four hours, the Read More
