By Mal Leary MPBN news story AUGUSTA, Maine – A renewed effort to overhaul Maine’s mining regulations is re-igniting a fierce debate in Augusta, where lawmakers are considering the Department of Environmental Protection’s plan. A crowd of mostly opponents filled two legislative hearing rooms for a public hearing on Wednesday. But first, there was a Read More
mining rules
NRCM Testimony in Opposition to LD 146, Resolve, Regarding Legislative Review of Chapter 200: Metallic Mineral Exploration, Advanced Exploration and Mining, a Major Substantive Rule of the DEP
Senator Saviello, Representative Welsh, and members of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee: My name is Nick Bennett, and I am the staff scientist for the Natural Resources Council of Maine. I reside in Hallowell. I am testifying in opposition to LD 146. NRCM believes these proposed rules will not protect Maine’s environment or Maine Read More
Maine Digs In to Review Mining Rules in Fight Over Remote Mountain
Canadian conglomerate faces off against environmentalists, tourism industry; compromise appears possible by Jon Kamp Wall Street Journal news story Closely held Irving, the state’s largest landowner, was the main driver behind a 2012 law that directed state regulators to replace 1991 mining rules, lawmakers say. The law’s proponents, including Republican Gov. Paul LePage, blame the Read More
Maine Lawmakers Take New Look at Mining Rules Their Predecessors Rejected
By Christopher Cousins, BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story AUGUSTA, Maine — Rules for large-scale mining in Maine that failed last year are coming back to the Legislature this week despite familiar objections from the environmental community. The Legislature’s Environment and Natural Resources Committee is expecting a heavy turnout Wednesday when it hears public Read More
Canadian Mine Disaster Offers Maine a Lesson: Strong Regulations, Enforcement are Critical
By Nick Bennett, Special to the BDN Bangor Daily News op-ed This year, the Maine Legislature rejected weak regulations that would have allowed mining companies to pollute our waters and shift massive cleanup costs to Maine taxpayers. A recent mine disaster in Canada shows that lawmakers made the right decision. The disaster occurred when the Read More
Legislature Rejects Weak Mining Rules; Sends Bill to Governor
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
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
