Senator Carson, Representative Tucker, and members of the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, my name is Sarah Lakeman and I am the Sustainable Maine Project Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM). I appreciate this opportunity to speak to you in support of LD 360, which I believe is the Read More
Support of LD 289, LD 621, and LD 505: Bills to Prohibit Use of Disposable Foam Food Containers
Senator Carson, Representative Tucker, and members of the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, my name is Sarah Lakeman and I am the Sustainable Maine Project Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM). I appreciate this opportunity to speak to you in support of LD 289, LD 621, and LD 505. Read More
Support of LD 102, An Act to Improve the Manufacturing of Plastic Bottles and Caps
Senator Carson, Representative Tucker, and members of the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, my name is Sarah Lakeman and I am the Sustainable Maine Project Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM). I appreciate this opportunity to speak to you in support of LD 102, An Act to Improve the Read More
What You Can Do about the Unfolding Recycling Crisis
It’s been more than a year since China announced that they will no longer buy the world’s contaminated recyclables, and we are feeling the effects here in Maine. Unless the baled recycled materials (stuff we put in our household recycling bins, among other sources of recyclables) meet a very strict, almost perfect, quality standard—only 0.05% Read More
Plastic Bag Bans Signal Imminent Shift Away from Convenience Plastics
People everywhere are talking about plastic pollution more than ever. Researchers all over the world are studying the unnerving prevalence of plastic in the environment and documenting its devastating impacts on our ecosystems—and their findings are startling. You may have heard the terrifying estimate that plastic will outweigh fish in the ocean by 2050; or Read More
Opposition to LD 1703, An Act to Create Equity for Wine and Spirit Container Deposits
Senator Saviello, Representative Tucker, and members of the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, my name is Sarah Lakeman and I am the Sustainable Maine Project Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine. I appreciate this opportunity to testify in opposition to LD 1703. NRCM has had a long history working to Read More
NRCM Statement on Strong Bipartisan Vote to Add “Nips” Liquor Bottles to Maine’s Bottle Bill
Statement of Sarah Lakeman, Sustainability Project Director, Natural Resources Council of Maine “NRCM applauds Maine lawmakers for taking a strong, bipartisan stance against roadside litter and in support of Maine’s Bottle Bill by adding ‘nips’ to the redemption program. Today the Maine Senate voted to support adding nips to Maine’s Bottle Bill by a vote Read More
Opposition to LD 1505, An Act to Create Consistency in the Regulation of Pesticides
Senator Davis, Representative Martin, and members of the Joint Standing Committee on State and Local Government, my name is Sarah Lakeman and I am the Sustainable Maine Project Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine. I appreciate this opportunity to testify in opposition to LD 1505. The Maine Board of Pesticides Control lists on Read More
Support of LD 931, An Act To Create EPR for Post-consumer Waste Generated from the Use of Tobacco Products
Senator Saviello, Representative Tucker, and members of the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, my name is Ryan Parker and I am the Environmental Policy Outreach Coordinator for the Natural Resources Council of Maine. I appreciate this opportunity to testify in support of LD 931 with the amended language introduced by Representative Blume. Read More
