NRCM Blog

Join Us February 14 in Augusta: Notes from the Auburn Hearing

The Regulatory Fairness hearings being held around the state by the Legislative Regulatory Reform Committee are bringing out large numbers of Maine citizens and business owners who want to see Maine’s environmental standards strengthened, not weakened. During the hearings there have been specific suggestions to improve the implementation of particular laws, but generally, little to no call for complete repeal of any laws. 

I attended the Auburn hearing on February 3 that was covered by the Lewiston Sun http://www.sunjournal.com/city/story/981130. During the time I was there, most people spoke about the importance of protecting Maine’s natural resources and the quality of life they provide. Buzz Lamb, a retired computer industry businessman from New Gloucester and NRCM board member, spoke from more than 40 years experience working with industries throughout Maine, including forest products, wholesale, retail, manufacturing, transportation, and health care industries. He challenged the premise put forward by the LePage Administration that regulation was killing jobs, noting instead that the real causes of job loss in Maine have been the rise of big box stores that eliminated healthy downtown retail districts; consolidations in wholesale distribution, banking, insurance and other industries that moved headquarters and jobs out-of-state; global labor rates that drew shoe and textile manufacturing jobs overseas, and the resulting decline of many other supporting jobs in the community. He said, “I find blaming Maine’s business environment on environmental regulation to be very misguided. In fact, it makes me question whether or not the governor’s team has done an adequate job in problem determination.” 

Buzz argued against the environmental rollbacks proposed by the LePage administration and some current legislators, saying that they will increase long-term costs to both business and government due to the rise in cost associated with toxics clean up, public health, and sprawl. He specifically discussed the legislative proposal to weaken shoreland zoning laws. As the owner of approximately 3000 feet of farm and woodland affected by shoreland zoning, he said the proposal of a 75 foot setback (instead of the present 250 feet) could not be proposed “with a straight face.” He said that 75 feet does not even begin to address the run off issues facing our lakes and streams during spring run off and heavy rains. “Once eutrophication (the introduction of artificial substances to a fresh water system) begins, it is difficult to stop and eventually feeds itself. The long term costs of watershed deterioration will be very high, including clean up costs, land value decline, expensive filtration equipment for public water supplies, and flood damage from faster run off.” He does not find being a good shoreland steward “onerous or difficult.” See Buzz’s full testimony here. 

Comments like these from Buzz Lamb about actual experience with our environmental standards in Maine have been delivered by hundreds of people throughout the hearing process. We hope the Legislature will listen and submit real solutions to real problems, rather than gut environmental laws that continue to serve Maine citizens well. 

If you have not contacted your legislator yet to express your concerns about the proposed environmental rollbacks, I encourage you to do so today. You can learn more at our website, where you can also find contact information for your legislator, at http://www.nrcm.org/stop_environmental_rollbacks.asp.

You can also join us for the final hearing in Augusta in Room 208, Cross State Office Building, Capitol Street, on Monday, February 14 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to say a few words to the committee. Join us at noon for a rally to protect Maine’s environment in the Hall of Flags at the State House. Hope to see you there!

-Lisa Pohlmann, NRCM Executive Director

Maine People and the Environment: Report from the Roundtable

More than 500 citizens from across the state poured into the Augusta Civic Center on January 20th to participate in the first public meeting with Governor LePage about the importance of environmental protection to Maine's economic and public health. A panel of 28 businesses, sportsmen, health professionals, religious leaders, and youth discussed how the laws that have cleaned up once heavily polluted rivers, have kept Maine's woods and fish stocks intact, have kept our landscapes protected and relatively pristine, and have cleaned up our air - and saved us money -- by conserving energy, are necessary and welcome to those who have chosen to set up businesses in Maine, have worked the land for generations, or visit here to enjoy our quality of life.

NRCM is proud to have sponsored this event with numerous partner organizations and to have seen so many members from the NRCM family across the state in attendance. We have shown once again that the people of Maine are deeply committed to environmental protections and are willing to stand up and fight for them. Please see the extensive news coverage here: http://www.nrcm.org/news.asp

We will soon be posting the remarks of the panelists, as well as video of the event, but today's snow slowed us down a bit. Check our website next week (www.nrcm.org) for more from the Roundtable.

Here are some of the remarks from the panelists, who we thank so much for participating in this event:

William Bennett, Pres. & CEO, of Oakhurst: "After all the cows that produce Oakhurst milk literally eat drink and breathe the Maine environment so it's in everyone's best interest to keep Maine's environment clean, safe and healthy."

Unity College student Deirdre Birbeck also had a chance to speak directly to the Governor. "It seems to me that my generation's future jobs will depend on careful stewarding of our natural resources."
 
“If our coastal waters are not clean, it is impossible for all commercial fishermen, not just clammers, to market the Maine brand,” said Chad Coffin, president of the Maine Clammers Association.

“Regulations aren’t perfect, and some may need fixing,” said Harry Dwyer, a licensed forester and logger who owns Ghost Dance Forestry in Fayette. “But regulations are not the enemy. They are an important tool” to protect resources for future generations.

Horace “Hoddy” Hildreth, a former Republican state senator who is chairman of Diversified Communications, a company with 200 employees, said many of the laws protecting Maine’s air, land and water were enacted by Republican-controlled legislatures responding to the industrial abuses of the 1960s and 1970s.

“Their implementation has from time to time caused frustration and even outrage,” Hildreth said. “But I submit to you that working on the regulations to make sure they are responsive to the plain intent of the statutes is a better way to go than gutting or repealing the laws.”

Corky Ellis, founder and Chairman of Kepware, a software company in Portland, says they could have moved to North Carolina or Texas with lower taxes and minimal environmental regulations, but they wanted to live in Maine. "Please bear in mind that many businesses like ours are here in Maine precisely because of the protected beauty and the conservation efforts of the past."

And MPBN's news story quoted Ernie Hilton, former chair of the Maine Board of Environmental Protection (read and listen to the full MPBN news story here):

Ernie Hilton is a lifelong Republican, an attorney and civil engineer from Madison who previously chaired Maine's Board of Environmental Protection, and whose wife chairs the Land Use Regulation Commission, or LURC.

Hilton says he's worried Maine's quality of place may be threatened as the new administration and Legislature look to relax environmental permitting and reuglations and do away with agencies such as LURC, which governs zoning and planning in Maine's North Woods.

"I'm concerned when I see, as I did yesterday, a list of some of the statutes which are pending before the Legislature dealing with shoreland zoning and with LURC, and it strikes me as being a race to the bottom approach to our environment," Hilton said.

Hilton says it's not environmental rules or regulations that are the biggest impediments to job creation in Maine but rather the high cost of health care. He points out that over the last eight years more than 10,000 permits by rule were issued for small projects, and $5 billion dollars worth of major projects permitted by the Department of Environmental Protection alone.

 
 

Governor-elect Excludes Enviros from Recent Forum

Did you see this front-page story on 12/1/10’s Portland Press Herald and other newspapers?

“Business Leaders Target Red Tape: Advocates for the environment, consumers, public health take no part in meeting”

http://www.kjonline.com/news/businessleaderstargetred-tape_2010-11-30.html

The piece describes how Gov.-elect Paul LePage is asking businesses and industry groups to help him reduce the regulations they believe hinder economic development. Twenty-eight representatives of these groups met with LePage and listed regulations they described as burdensome—issues related to the environment, civil rights, public health, child labor laws and tax policy. Unfortunately, environmental groups, public health advocates, and consumer advocates were not invited to the forum. NRCM Advocacy Director Pete Didisheim was interviewed for the story. "There are many voices that need to be he heard," said Didisheim. "This is not a balanced and fair approach to the policy process."

It does, however, provide insight into the direction the LePage Administration is likely headed regarded his view of protections put in place to protect Maine families and the state’s natural resource-based economy. You can read the full article here.

To stay informed about issues like these that put Maine’s environment at risk, and to hear about ways you can help make a difference, join NRCM’s Action Network.

"Choosing Maine's Next Governor" - watch gubernatorial candidate forum video

On Thursday October 21st, more than 300 citizens flocked to the University of Southern Maine's Portland campus to hear four of Maine’s gubernatorial candidates discuss how they would approach issues like clean air and water, climate change and energy, land conservation and wildlife, and a sustainable economy. The forum was moderated by Susan Sharon of MPBN, hosted by NRCM and more than 20 other groups, and online at, media.usm.maine.edu/~itms/video/Panel/Panel.html.
 

NRCM's Polar Plunge - Watch Our (short) Video!

On December 31, some two dozen NRCM staff and supporters plunged into the icy Atlantic off Portland, Maine, to raise awareness of and funds for global warming work. If you weren't there, you can still catch the excitement (sorta). Watch our fun, short Insider video. Thanks to all who joined us!

 

National climate blogger calls Mainers to action

The U.S. must get its act together and pass federal climate legislation if we hope to avert a climate disaster. This was the message from climate scientist and clean energy expert Dr. Joe Romm at an August 18th NRCM event at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute. Romm edits the nation's most read climate blog (www.climateprogress.org) and served as Acting Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the Department of Energy. To hear more from Joe Romme, visit the "NRCM Insider."

The fossil fuel industry has launched a massive disinformation campaign and is bankrolling fraudulent lobbying tactics to block passage of climate and clean energy legislation, according to Romm. He explained that the climate bill passed in the House of Representatives this summer will create a huge number of clean energy jobs, especially through massive funding of energy efficiency programs through revenues from a cap and trade program. Establishing a cap on carbon emissions and investing in energy efficiency and renewable energy will be absolutely critical for reducing carbon emissions.

"Anyone who is paying attention to what we are doing to the climate knows that we'd better do something." Romm encouraged Maine people to contact Senator Olympia Snowe (207) 874-8883 and Senator Susan Collins (207) 780-3575 to urge their support and leadership in passing strong climate and clean energy legislation this year. NRCM is encouraging members and activist to get involved in the nation’s most significant environmental legislation in a generation.

Whether or not you’ve attended an event like this one with Joe Romm, we’d like to hear from you here on our blog about your efforts to take action. Did you make a call to one of the Senators? Or write a letter? What motivated you? Did you get a response?

Dylan Voorhees, NRCM Clean Energy Project Director

Another first-in-the-nation law for Maine! CFL recycling bill passed

NRCM just achieved a big legislative victory with passage of a sweeping, first-in-the-nation bill to collect and recycle light bulbs that contain mercury (compact fluorescent lights, or CFLs).  Building off the success of Maine’s landmark electronic waste law, the new CFL bill directs light bulb manufacturers to share the costs and responsibility of recycling mercury-containing light bulbs.  The bill’s passage will set a national precedent for other states to follow. 

At one point during the legislative process, the bill appeared to be headed for a bitter partisan fight – with Democrats at the Natural Resources Committee supporting and Republicans opposed.  That was not the outcome we were looking for, so we redoubled our efforts to talk with every Republican with the goal of building bi-partisan support.

That is when lobbyists representing the manufacturers expanded their ranks and pushed hard for a weakening amendment that would have completely gutted the bill and absolved manufacturers of all responsibility to collect the mercury.  We worked with our friends in the retail community to get letters of opposition to the amendment.  The manufacturers backed down off their amendment strategy, and focused instead on spreading false information about the bill – with the hope of delaying action until next year, so that “more studies” could be done.  In other words:  study the issue to death. 

As the bill was about to head for a final vote, we knew it was make or break time, so we called in reinforcements: Sierra Fletcher from the Product Stewardship Institute, who co-chaired the national stakeholder group on mercury lamps recycling, and Michael Bender, from the Mercury Policy Project and chair of the Multi-state Mercury Campaign.  Michael and Sierra drove up the morning before the committee vote, and we talked with swing committee members right up to the vote.  We prepared documents the night before showing that the manufacturers have been pushing for delay and studies, studies and delay, around the country.  “Anything but action,” has been their refrain.

The vote was taken, and we won with 12-1 vote out of committee, leading to a 130-13 victory in the house, and a near unanimous vote in the Senate.   

We’re very excited about this victory.  The Governor will hold a bill signing of the legislation next week – sending a clear message nationally - and globally - that a new day is dawning for total life cycle management and shared responsibility - from ‘the cradle to the grave’ for products containing mercury and other hazardous substances.  This new law also sends a message to manufacturers that they need to assume their share of responsibility to reduce and wherever possible eliminate the toxicity of their products, and also to alleviate the increasing waste management cost burden on local governments.  

We need to keep mercury and other hazardous materials in products out of the environment.  This bill contributes to that goal.

NRCM appreciates the work of all the legislators who contributed to this victory, especially the bill’s sponsor, Representative Seth Berry from Bowdoinham, the lead co-sponsor, Senator Kevin Raye from Perry, and the two committee chairs, Representative Bob Duchesne and Senator Seth Goodall.  They helped craft the final language that won overwhelming support in both Houses. 

-Matt Prindiville, Toxics Project Director

Alternative commute "fueled" me for the busy day ahead

For “Commute Another Way Week” I parked in Gardiner and ran six miles up the Kennebec Rail Trail to Augusta.  The trek saved a small amount of gasoline and emissions, but fueled me for the day with great images of a vibrant river, and thoughts about the role NRCM has played in cleaning up this river and helping protect Maine’s environment through our work at the State House over the past 50 years. 

First, what a great trail!  In the past, I used to bike the 36 miles from Brunswick to Augusta a few times every summer, with one of those rides timed with “Commute Another Way Week.”  Before the full 6.5-mile trail was completed a few years ago, the bike ride through Farmingdale was pretty hairy – no shoulder and a steady flow of rushing commuters.  Now the trail provides a safe and smooth alternative path, with great views of the river.

As I ran the course this morning I passed other runners, bikers, and walkers, and I realized that forty years ago nobody in their right mind would have wanted to be this close to the polluted Kennebec.  Fish kills in the 1960s took the lives of thousands of fish, but today I saw osprey overhead, and I kept looking for a possible sturgeon leaping – a sight I’ve seen other times along the Kennebec.

As I approached Augusta, with the State House dome looming, my mind shifted toward the legislative battles of yesterday, and today.  NRCM staff was tracking eleven different bills yesterday in three committees.   We helped defeat a few bad bills, achieved some important improvements in the big energy efficiency bill under development, but also watched a couple bills get more support than they should have.  We have our work cut out for us again today, which is supposed to be the last day of work at the committee level before bills are sent to the full House and Senate for action.

Showered and revived by the alternative commute, I’m now ready to head back to the State House.  Today’s scheduled action includes work sessions on bills to promote community-based wind power, require notification about pesticide spraying, and boost energy efficiency programs for homes.  We also have some more work to do today to defeat some bad bills. 

I’ll catch a ride back to Gardiner at the end of the day, with a small feeling of having done my part for this annual awareness raising week about the benefits of getting out of one’s car, or jumping into a car with others, and commuting another way. 

-Pete Didisheim
NRCM Advocacy Director

Watch NRCM's hilarious new video!

The Natural Resources Council of Maine encourages you to join others around Maine for Commute Another Way Week next week - May 11-15, 2009.  We thought we would give you some ideas of ways to commute to work that won't pollute or harm the environment.  Let us know how you are commuting to work, and what you think of our video! 

To sign up or learn more about Commute Another Way Week, visit http://www.gomaine.org/cawday/.  

Thanks! 

Hot Tips, Cool News

When it comes to energy issues, everyone agrees that Maine needs a new direction. There are 100 energy bills being discussed in Maine’s State House. For the first time, the federal government is seriously focused on global warming legislation—as an opportunity to further stimulate our economy with a clean energy renewal. Here at NRCM we are working to design and help build a secure energy future for Maine. With so much going on we wanted to let you know about some great events, as well as opportunities for you to get involved.

About once a month, NRCM sends an e-news update called Hot Tips, Cool News! to our members and activists interested in clean energy and global warming. If you haven't yet signed up to receive this e-newsletter, you can sign-up today by sending an email with your name and email address and a subject line of "energy news" to nrcm@nrcm.org. 

Hot Tips
Get Audited  Have an energy audit done on your house to find out exactly how you use the energy you are paying for and where you can start economizing.  It's more fun than getting audited by the IRS and more likely to save you money. For a list Maine certified energy auditors click here.
Keep It Low  Turn down your thermostat 10 degrees or more when you are sleeping or away from home.  An automatic timer makes this task easier.
Our Environment's in Hot Water  Install a tankless "on-demand" hot water heater.  Running a conventional hot water heater is like leaving a kettle boiling 24 hours a day in case you want a cup of tea!

Cool News
Maine businesses urge congressional delegation to lead fight to help stop climate change Business leaders from across Maine gathered at the Maine State House on February 4th to release a letter to Maine’s congressional delegation, urging swift, strong, and effective action to help address the threat of climate change. The letter was signed by more than 100 leading Maine businesses such as Hannaford Brothers, Lee Auto Malls, Oakhurst Dairy, Verso Paper, Lamey Wellehan, Mattson Development, and the Harraseeket Inn. To read the letter and to learn more click here.

A green cheer for the stimulus bill The stimulus package will invest $37.5 billion in energy savings, including $4.5 billion to boost the energy efficiency of federal buildings; $6.3 billion for local energy efficiency and conservation grants; and $5 billion to weatherize homes, all of which promises to put idle construction workers back on the job, and the list goes on. Read more here.

America has become the world leader in wind power Last year the U.S. ramped up wind-power capacity to 25,000 megawatts (MW), overtaking the previous leader, Germany. The U.S. added 8,400 MW of installed power in 2008, more than any other country. Read more about this news here, or visit NRCM’s wind power pages to find out what’s happening right here in Maine.

As you can see, this is a busy time for clean energy work in Maine. Please consider signing up for our monthly energy and global warming e-newsletter. To sign up, please send an email with your name and email address and a subject line of "energy news" to nrcm@nrcm.org. To learn more about upcoming energy-related events, visit www.nrcm.org/energy_events.asp. 

Thank you for your interest in Maine’s clean energy future,

Emmie Theberge
NRCM Clean Energy Outreach Coordinator