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
Maine Legislature
The Natural Resources Council of Maine reviews every bill being considered by the Maine Legislature to determine which ones deserve support and which ones should be opposed based on their potential impact on Maine’s environment. Read more about the bills we are following and taking action on.
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
LePage Energy Legislation Would Increase Maine Energy Bills by More Than $100 Million
State Senator Jim Boyle Proposes Legislation to Cut Energy Bills through Energy Efficiency NRCM Statement “It is refreshing to see that Governor LePage now supports energy efficiency improvements as a key way to lower residential heating costs. Energy efficiency is our most cost-effective energy resource, and one we can control right here in Maine. Weatherization Read More
Lawmakers Urged to Get Toxic BPA Out of Children’s Food
Large crowd at public hearing pits moms and doctors vs. governor and chemical industry ACHM press release (AUGUSTA) The message from parents, physicians, scientists, and health advocates was loud and clear on Wednesday: get toxic BPA out of children’s food. The Legislature’s Environment and Natural Resources Committee heard from dozens of testifiers on LD 902, 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
St. Croix Alewives Measure Clears Key Maine Panel
by Colin Woodard, staff writer Portland Press Herald news story AUGUSTA — A key legislative committee has endorsed a measure that would open most of the St. Croix River to alewives by the end of this month. The emergency legislation, LD 72, received unanimous approval from the legislators at Monday morning’s vote. It needs final Read More
Maine Bill Seeks to Restore Alewives to St. Croix River
by Susan Sharon MPBN news story Scientists, tribal leaders and fishermen turned out in Augusta today in support of a proposal to immediately restore alewives to their traditional spawning grounds in the St. Croix River, along the eastern border with Canada. Alewives, or river herring, have been blocked for nearly two decades by a state Read More
Lawmakers Consider Billboards in Maine
by Brad Rogers WGME news story In Augusta, several state lawmakers are pushing for more signs along Maine’s interstates and highways, but some Mainers worry if exceptions are made for one it will open the door for others to put up signs of their own. 36 years ago, Maine became the second state in the Read More
