AUGUSTA, ME. — Wednesday, March 7, 2018 – Today at a news conference in Augusta. elected officials, business leaders, conservation leaders, fishermen and women and other Maine residents spoke out against a new plan to allow offshore oil drilling and exploration off the coast of Maine The event was held in response to a Bureau Read More
Clean & Free-flowing Waters
Thanks largely to the Clean Water Act, Maine’s great rivers are much cleaner than they were 40 years ago, but we still have a long way to go to restore many of them. NRCM continues to make clean water a high priority. NRCM was founded by a group of Mainers working to protect the Allagash River, which was designated as the nation's first Wild & Scenic River. Today, it is known as the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. In partnership with others, we also opened up part of the Kennebec River with the removal of the Edwards Dam, and we reopened 2,000 miles of habitat in the Penobscot River Watershed for Atlantic salmon and other sea-run fish.
Maine Fishermen, Environmentalists Join in Opposition to Offshore Drilling
By Patrick Whittle and Marina Villeneuve Press Herald news story AUGUSTA – Fishing groups, environmentalists, politicians and tourism advocates plan to use a pair of tailored public hearings this week to oppose the Trump administration’s proposal to expand offshore drilling in the Atlantic and other ocean waters. The federal government’s meetings in Maine and New Read More
State Legislature Passes Resolution Calling for Maine Waters to Be Removed from Trump Administration’s Offshore Oil Drilling Plan
Statement of Emmie Theberge, Federal Project Director, Natural Resources Council of Maine “We applaud the Maine Senate for unanimously passing a resolution today asking for Maine’s Atlantic Ocean waters to be excluded from President Trump’s proposal for offshore oil exploration and drilling. The House passed the measure unanimously on February 15. Where there’s drilling, there’s Read More
Opposition to LD 1797, Resolve, Regarding Legislative Review of Portions of Chapter 418: Maine Solid Waste Management Rules: Beneficial Use of Solid Wastes, a Major Substantive Rule of the Department of Environmental Protection
Senator Saviello, Representative Tucker, and members of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee: My name is Nick Bennett. I am the Staff Scientist for the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM), and I am testifying in opposition to LD 1797. LD 1797 would weaken protections for the environment and public health in the Department of Read More
Trump Budget Cuts EPA By 34%; Would Cause Major Harm to Maine’s Clean Air and Water
Statement of Lisa Pohlmann, Executive Director, Natural Resources Council of Maine President Trump today released an irresponsible Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) budget, which would threaten the health of Maine people, our environment, and our economy. Trump’s 2019 budget proposes a massive 34% cut in the EPA budget, even deeper than last year’s slash and burn proposal, Read More
South Portland is Making History with Its Clear Skies Fight
It is yet another battle pitting big energy profits against the public’s right to a safe environment. by Jake A. Plante, resident of Brunswick and author of “Uncle Sam and Mother Earth: Shaping the Nation’s Environmental Path” Portland Press Herald op-ed BRUNSWICK — Sometimes history is made in our own backyard. That’s happening with South Read More
Portland Council Takes Stand Against Oil, Gas Drilling Off Coast
Its resolution calling for nearby waters to be exempt from President Trump’s exploration order will be sent to federal agencies. By Randy Billings, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story The Portland City Council unanimously adopted a resolution Monday opposing oil and gas drilling off the coast of Maine. The action came in response to Read More
Bill Adams, One of Maine’s Environmental Pioneers, Dies at 89
By Steve Collins, Staff Writer Sun Journal news story AUBURN — Sometimes one person in the right place makes all the difference. Back in 1973, a New York-based firm called the Pittston Co. sought to construct an oil refinery astride Passamaquoddy Bay in Eastport. The refinery would take in 250,000 barrels daily from tankers that Read More
Increased Offshore Drilling is Not the Answer to America’s Energy Future
Bangor Daily News editorial The recent announcement from the Trump administration that it wants to open nearly all U.S. oceans to oil and gas drilling is certainly concerning. But there is not reason to panic, yet. The announcement, from Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, is no surprise as the Trump administration is focused on undoing every Read More
