Because of a plumbing violation, state officials have taken away my rights. Because I didn’t have the proper land use permit for my outhouse, the Maine DEP has classified my home a “recreational vehicle,” which allows wind developers to erect a 500-foot high turbine in my back yard.
My definition of a “recreational vehicle” is something that can be towed or driven down a highway. My home cannot move down a highway. It has a 17-foot pitched roof and a 20-by-30-foot insulated, heated addition attached to it.
We live there. We haul water and walk to the “pit privy.” We have solar panels for electricity and wood for heat.
Any folks in Maine who use an outhouse (pit privy) and who do not have the proper state land use permit are not protected. Their rights can be violated.
Alice Barnett, Carthage
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