Opinion: Celebrate 50 years of the Safe Drinking Water Act

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 20, 2024

This month, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Safe Drinking Water Act. On Dec. 16, 1974, President Gerald Ford signed the act into law, which created a standards playbook for all public water utilities set by the Environmental Protection Agency. Nearly 150,000 public water systems operate in the United States, providing water to about 90% of Americans. All of them are subject to the regulations in the Safe Drinking Water Act. The act set off unprecedented investments in water treatment facilities across the country to meet the new regulations. This anniversary marks a reason for celebration, not just of the Safe Drinking Water Act, but also of the people dedicated to ensuring high-quality water reaches your tap when you need it. ~ Michael Cummons, Maine Water Utilities Association

Column: How Canada will affect the birds seen at Maine feeders this winter

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 20, 2024

Maine’s backyards are connected to eastern Canada’s vast forest. Winter conditions there affect what we see here. Canadian biologists participating in the Finch Network predicted pine grosbeaks would stay north this winter. So far, they’ve been uncannily correct. The finch forecast predicts a moderate southward movement of evening grosbeaks this winter. Purple finches were predicted to leave Canada, and they did. It looks like they have also departed northern Maine. Redpolls were predicted to stay north this winter. So far, they have. Pine siskins were predicted to stay north of the border in their search for adequate balsams. So far, that’s exactly what’s happening. Red crossbills are not coming into Maine much, yet. White-winged crossbills were predicted to stay north. Most have. The Finch Network predicted that Canada’s healthy fruit crop would keep the Bohemian waxwings out of Maine this winter. Sure enough, they’re all over mountain ash berries in Québec. Blue jays were predicted to move south in big numbers. Supposedly, that is happening. But you can’t prove it in my yard. They’re cleaning out my feeder daily. ~ Bob Duchesne

Farmers, business owners, homeowners face uncertainty after $100B in disaster relief flounders

ASSOCIATED PRESS • December 19, 2024

American farmers and small business owners are among those who will suffer if Congress cannot agree on a new spending bill after President-elect Donald Trump abruptly rejected a bipartisan plan that included more than $100 billion in disaster aid.

Katahdin Monument road access expansion bill clears Senate

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 19, 2024

A bill that would expand road access to the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument from Millinocket cleared the U.S. Senate Wednesday night. The legislation, proposed by U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, chair of the Senate Subcommittee on National Parks, was approved by unanimous consent, according to the senator’s staff. The bill would allow the National Park Service to acquire two parcels of land at the southern edge of the monument and existing road corridors from Millinocket to the park. The bill still needs House approval and the president’s signature to be enacted.

What a government shutdown would mean for Maine

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 19, 2024

If Congress doesn’t pass a spending plan by the end of Friday to temporarily fund the federal government through March, the looming government shutdown will affect Maine in various ways. A bipartisan array of lawmakers were initially optimistic about passing a continuing resolution before midnight Saturday to avoid a shutdown and provide about $100 billion in disaster aid to states hit by extreme storms such as Hurricanes Helene and Milton. But President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office in January, threw a wrench in those plans Wednesday when he and Vice President-elect JD Vance demanded Republicans renegotiate the stopgap measure. National parks would close, though Acadia National Park and its surroundings on Mount Desert Island still have accessible areas for winter visitors.

Bill to improve access to the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument unanimously passes Senate

MAINE PUBLIC • December 19, 2024

A public lands bill that would improve access to the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument was unanimously passed in the Senate. The bill would allow the National Park Service to acquire almost 2,500 acres of land, either through purchase or easement, to provide southern vehicle access to the monument. Brian Hinrichs, executive director for the Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters, said the owners of the logging roads connecting the monument to Millinocket as well as community members are in favor of the bill. Hinrichs said the biggest concern now is that the U.S. House will not have time to pass the bill before the end of the legislative session.

Suzie the bear, longtime Maine Wildlife Park resident, dies at 30

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 19, 2024

After nearly 30 years living in the Maine Wildlife Park, Suzie the black bear has died, the park announced Thursday. The park did not say when exactly Suzie died, but said in a written announcement that her declining health and mobility indicated that “it was time to say goodbye.” “Suzie wasn’t big for a black bear, but her bear boss attitude reminded her larger bear friends to respect their elders,” the park said. “Her more delicate side came out during snack time. She was known to pluck grapes from a bunch one at a time with her dexterous lips and had a funny habit of balancing snacks on the back of her paws to nibble at daintily.”

Here’s how a federal shutdown could affect Maine

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 19, 2024

The federal government could shut down this weekend after President-elect Donald Trump ordered Republican lawmakers to oppose a bipartisan spending deal reached earlier this week. More than 11,000 federal workers in Maine could be furloughed or expected to work without pay during a shutdown. As a result, air travel would not be disrupted. And there are about 2,500 state employees who are funded either entirely or in part by federal agencies. Acadia National Park would likely close its gates, along with other national parks and monuments. In 2013, the National Park Service turned away millions of visitors to more than 400 parks, monuments, and other sites, leading to a loss of more than $500 million in visitor spending nationwide.

Foam spill raises concern about Maine firefighters’ long-term PFAS exposures

MAINE MORNING STAR • December 19, 2024

The efficiency of AFFF to fight fires relies on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), thousands of synthetic chemicals that persist indefinitely in the environment and accumulate in bodies—potentially disrupting hormonal, immune and reproductive systems, and increasing the risk of cancers, the leading cause of death among active firefighters. A recent survey of Maine fire departments found that 70% used AFFF prior to 2022, primarily for combustible fuel fires, vehicle fires and routine trainings, but occasionally, for birthday parties and at parks for community events. In 2021 Maine banned AFFF manufacture, sale and distribution (temporarily exempting airports and oil terminals), and mandated containment and reporting of any use, but through the preceding decades firefighters “trained with foam because it was required. Many of us are sadly waiting for the day that we get a diagnosis.”

Letter: Mining regulations in Maine have come a long way

CENTRAL MAINE • December 19, 2024

In response to the opinion of Dec. 13 about mining in Maine, I am disappointed to see the same outdated tropes considering the robust mining rules that were established for Maine in 2017 (“Opinion: Maine Legislature needs to strengthen mining regulations”). I am a retired environmental geologist of 37 years. The Callahan Mine remediation is close to completion, with the site posing no risk to human health. The 2017 mining rules are based on modern scientific standards and focus on the protection of the environment and human health. The statement that the DEP is not staffed with qualified scientists to address metallic mining is inaccurate and insulting. ~ Keith Taylor, Hallowell

5 new community solar farms went online in November

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 19, 2024

Bangor and four other Maine municipalities saw new community solar farms go into operation in November, adding a total of 25 megawatts of power to the grid. That adds to the 630 megawatts of community solar operational in Maine over 453 projects. Community solar projects are expected to cost electricity customers $220 million a year by 2025, with the increase continuing for the next 20 years. But the popular farms continue to grow in the state. The solar farms save local subscribers about 15 percent on their electric bill.

Opinion: Industrial pollution extends beyond Maine ZIP codes

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 19, 2024

All of Maine looked toward Rumford last week as the snow turned brown from pollution. An industrial accident at the paper mill owned by ND Paper discharged black liquor waste into the atmosphere and discolored the snow. This pollution event occurred in the birthplace of Maine’s Edmund S. Muskie, U.S. senator, environmental advocate and author of the Clean Water Act of 1972. Last year, I witnessed the snow turn black with coal dust on Portland’s waterfront. This, too, led to DEP testing. This pollution event occurred during delivery of 45,000 tons of coal at Sprague’s Cassidy Point Terminal, which is transported by uncovered train and destined for burning at this same mill in Rumford. I implore us to follow Sen. Muskie’s lead and raise our collective voices for environmental protection since it affects all of us. Muskie’s experiences and passion for Maine improved the environment and the health of the entire country. ~ Sarah Southard, RN, MSN, NP, Portland

Cleanup of toxic foam spill has cost Brunswick’s airport $774,000 so far

TIMES RECORD • December 18, 2024

The group overseeing the cleanup of an August toxic firefighting foam spill at Brunswick’s airport has spent $774,000 on cleanup efforts so far, according to documents. Those same documents reveal that Hangar 4’s fire suppression system, which malfunctioned releasing 1,450 gallons of toxic foam concentrate mixed with 50,000 gallons of water, was renovated about five years prior. Some questions remain unanswered, such as what exactly caused the system to malfunction four months ago. In October, MRRA sent requests to Gov. Janet Mills’ office for funding to help clean up toxic chemicals in its hangars. MRRA made a similar appeal to the FAA under the Military Airports Program, which can provide grants to help convert military airports into public use. MRRA has not yet heard back.

Endangered whales found entangled in rope off Massachusetts, and 1 is likely to die

ASSOCIATED PRESS • December 18, 2024

Two endangered North Atlantic whales have been spotted entangled in fishing gear off Massachusetts, and one is likely to die from its injuries, NOAA said this week. Environmentalists have pushed for new restrictions on commercial fishing and shipping to try to protect the whales. The whales were once abundant off the East Coast, but they were decimated during the era of commercial whaling. They have been federally protected for decades. Some scientists have said climate change is a major threat to the whales because it has changed the availability of their food. That has caused them to stray from protected areas of ocean.

Letter: Good climate policy can take flight in lame duck session

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 18, 2024

Sen. Susan Collins is particularly skilled at including bills she’s been working on into a session-ending “omnibus bill” that is passed by both the House and Senate and signed into law by the president. Several environmental issues have been brewing over the last Congress. One involves the reform of permitting for major energy transmission improvements. Another issue funds coastline protection against bigger storms and rising sea levels. Finally, the Inflation Reduction Act boosted the efforts of Efficiency Maine and so many other clean energy projects in Maine. Keep that money flowing! All will make this lame duck session fly! So here’s to Sens. Collins and Angus King and Rep. Jared Golden, waving them on their way. ~ Peter Garrett, Ph.D., Citizens Climate Lobby, Foundation for Climate Restoration, Winslow

Saving Maine’s Wildlands from Ourselves

MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS • December 18, 2024

During the Covid pandemic there was a rush to upgrade camps in Maine’s Unorganized Territories (UT)—an area traditionally referred to as the Maine Wildlands—into part-time vacation getaways. The Maine Land Use Planning Commission found there were hundreds of Airbnb and Vrbo short-term rental listings in the UT. In the Rangeley Lakes region alone available rentals jumped nearly 50% between 2021 and 2024. Local residents complained about too much partying and wastewater systems that were being stressed to the point of dysfunction. Last week the LUPC members voted to have their staff draft standards to regulate short-term rental occupancy. With the incoming MAGA mob promising to jettison national regulations that protect our lands and waters and air, state oversight will be even more important. Including in Maine’s Wildlands, which—despite centuries of logging, questionable forest management, and relentless development pressures—remain an extraordinary place of global significance.

Bill before Congress would give Maine $14 million to fight spruce budworm infestation

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 18, 2024

A disaster relief bill pending before Congress includes $14 million to fight the spread of the spruce budworm, an invasive species of tree-killing moths that is making a comeback in northern Maine. The federal funding would be supplemented by state and private money for spraying, according to Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who requested the funding and announced the proposal Wednesday. The bill now awaits consideration by the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Frenchman Bay Conservancy Conserves 1,921 Acres Abutting Green Lake in Ellsworth

MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS • December 17, 2024

Frenchman Bay Conservancy has closed on the purchase of a 1,921-acre property between Green Lake and Branch Lake in Ellsworth. The property will be permanently conserved, allowing future public access, and protecting essential habitats, wildlands and open space. 

Gov. Mills announces 2024 business excellence awards

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 17, 2024

Gov. Janet Mills recognized four Maine companies with the annual Governor’s Award for Business Excellence. Wex, which offers payment management systems for businesses, took the “climate leader award.”