Good morning Senator Boyle, Representative Welsh, and members of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee. My name is Nick Bennett, and I am the Staff Scientist for the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM). I am testifying in support of LD 1302. NRCM supports LD 1302 because it would strengthen last year’s mining bill in Read More
An Evening with the Owls
At 4:25 on an early April Sunday morning the temperature was a chilly 24o, stars littered the floor of the sky, and the air was still as stone granite. I know this because my husband and I were returning from four hours of owling in central Maine. As part of the Maine Owl Monitoring Project, a Read More
New Maine Law Will Let Alewives Return to the St. Croix River
Returning native river herring to the river may create largest run in the nation, over time NRCM Press Release Augusta, Maine — Today, is a big day in the lives of river herring of the St. Croix River, as a bill became law that will finally allow alewives to return to spawn in upstream lakes Read More
Earth Day Marks First Anniversary of NRCM Solar Array
Produced 15,000 Kilowatt-hours In Year One NRCM Press Release AUGUSTA, ME — Today is Earth Day, and Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) is celebrating the one-year anniversary of powering its Augusta headquarters with solar energy. NRCM is the state’s leading environmental advocacy organization, and its solar array has produced 15,000 Kilowatt-hours in its first Read More
Portland Pipeline at Center of Fierce Fight in Maine
by Colin Nickerson, Globe Correspondent Boston Globe news story SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — Over seven decades, the Portland pipeline has propelled some 5 billion gallons of crude oil across the mountains and beneath the pristine waters of northern New England to refineries in Quebec. Aside from a few small spills years ago, the 236-mile-long colossus Read More
LePage Energy Legislation Would Increase Maine Energy Bills by More Than $100 Million
State Senator Jim Boyle Proposes Legislation to Cut Energy Bills through Energy Efficiency NRCM Statement “It is refreshing to see that Governor LePage now supports energy efficiency improvements as a key way to lower residential heating costs. Energy efficiency is our most cost-effective energy resource, and one we can control right here in Maine. Weatherization Read More
Support of LD 902, Resolve, Regarding Legislative Review of Portions of Chapter 882: Designation of BPA as a Priority Chemical
Senator Boyle, Representative Welsh, and Members of the Joint Select Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. My name is Abby King and I am the Toxics Policy Advocate with the Natural Resources Council of Maine. I am a resident of Brunswick. I am here to testify in support of LD 902. These rules are before Read More
New Report Reveals Success of Product Stewardship in Maine
Payments for Recycled Thermostats Make Maine a Leading State Program NRCM Press Release A new report released today by the Natural Resources Council of Maine, Multi-state Mercury Products Campaign (MMPC), and Product Stewardship Institute, shows that Maine’s manufacturer-run program for collecting mercury thermostats is keeping the toxic heavy metal out of the trash and the Read More
Coalition Petitions Feds to Develop Tar Sands Pipeline Safety Standards
Asks USEPA and DOT to Protect Communities from Tar Sands Spills News Release Montpelier, VT; Augusta, ME — Today, citing inadequate current rules, a coalition of hunter-angler, conservation groups, former government officials, and landowners at risk of tar sands spills filed a petition with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration Read More
