BANGOR — Independent gubernatorial candidate Eliot Cutler vowed to “rebuild” Maine’s Department of Environmental Protection and create a Maine Energy Finance Authority to provide capital for energy projects if elected in November. Cutler laid out his energy and environment policies during a Tuesday morning news conference at Gomez Park while touting his work with the […]
environment
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Michaud calls for Maine to cut heating oil usage
YARMOUTH, Maine (AP) — U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud on Tuesday called for Maine to cut its dependency on heating oil in half by implementing mandatory energy efficiency ratings for new homes and boosting the state’s use of renewable energy such as, wind and solar. Michaud, a Democratic candidate for governor, said his plan to help […]
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Posted inMaine, sj-web
Study tracks chemical levels in Maine residents
AUGUSTA — The test results are in for 25 Mainers who recently volunteered to test their bodies for a battery of chemicals commonly found in consumer products. Every participant, from current and former lawmakers to mothers and an electrician, tested positive for phthalates, a group of chemicals used to soften plastics that studies have linked […]
Posted inLetters
M. Larson: Environment jeopardized
The Maine Legislature will soon vote on the Board of Environmental Protection’s final version of rules relating to open pit mining in Maine. In spite of last fall’s public testimony overwhelmingly in opposition to weakened rules, the BEP has offered final rules that make environmental degradation more likely and that ensure that Maine taxpayers will […]
Posted inRiver Valley
NewPage mill state’s top polluter, according to 2012 data
RUMFORD — The NewPage paper mill in Rumford was the state’s largest producer of toxic waste in 2012, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The agency’s Toxic Release Inventory analysis showed that 88 facilities in Maine released about about 11½ million pounds of toxic waste directly into the air, water and land in 2012, an […]
Posted inAdvertiser Democrat, Oxford Hills
Board discusses restrictive signs at Two Ponds Nature Area
OTISFIELD — The Otisfield Conservation Committee has agreed to whittle down a total of 39 restrictive signs at Two Ponds Nature Area in an attempt to save money and be more practical. “Go big or go home,” Selectman Rick Micklon suggested when Bob Blake met with the board on December 18 to discuss the placement of […]
Posted inBusiness, sj-web
Irving denies forestry deal amounts to a ‘big loophole’
AUGUSTA — A deal Maine struck with Irving Woodlands, made public Friday, has sparked concern among environmental groups that the state has handed the company a “big loophole” to avoid state regulations on clearcutting. Forestry experts, though, believe those concerns are misplaced and that the deal allows Irving, Maine’s largest landowner, to be more efficient […]
Posted inOp-Eds
Megan Howes: Androscoggin Greenway Project benefits community
In light of the environmental problems the community faces today, such as habitat destruction, soil erosion and water and air pollution, conservation of land and natural resources is clearly important. The Androscoggin Land Trust’s plan to expand existing trails into a greenway with access to the river will act as a junction between the environment […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Helicopter spills large batteries on Ragged Mountain
ROCKPORT — A helicopter carrying six large lead acid batteries to a Verizon cellphone tower atop Ragged Mountain spilled its payload sometime Tuesday, causing most to explode and some to catch on fire on the slopes. A responder from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection went to the scene Tuesday and Wednesday, finally locating the […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Natural Resources Council of Maine says DEP downplayed environmental impact of Bald Mountain mining
AUGUSTA — The Natural Resources Council of Maine on Thursday released an investigative report alleging that Maine’s Department of Environmental Protection did not provide to Maine lawmakers or the public information it has indicating that an open-pit mine at Bald Mountain in Aroostook County is likely to pollute rivers, lakes and streams with sulfuric acid runoff and […]