This is an old familiar tale of wealthy corporations exploiting Maine’s laws and natural resources in pursuit of profit, and the underrepresented people who are being affected banding together and fighting back. The setting for this story is Maine’s State-owned Juniper Ridge Landfill (JRL) in Old Town/Alton; its protagonists are the working-class people living adjacent Read More
Maine Legislature
The Natural Resources Council of Maine reviews every bill being considered by the Maine Legislature to determine which ones deserve support and which ones should be opposed based on their potential impact on Maine’s environment. Read more about the bills we are following and taking action on.
Code Red for the Climate Demands New Behavior by CMP
On the same day that the Portland Press Herald reported about an alarming new climate study that has been called “code red for humanity,” it also carried a front-page story about Central Maine Power’s (CMP) continued failure to help solar energy projects connect with the electrical grid as part of Maine’s response to climate change. The contrast could not be Read More
Top 10 Climate and Clean Energy Accomplishments from Maine’s 2021 Legislative Session
Maine’s Climate Action Plan is appropriately titled Maine Won’t Wait. With record-breaking temperatures and wildfires in the western U.S., deadly floods in Germany, and a heatwave sweeping across Siberia, it is abundantly clear that the planet can’t wait any longer for the necessary widespread, global, and transformative actions required to address the mounting impacts of Read More
Legislative Session Delivers Big Victories for Maine’s Environment
NRCM news release July 21, 2021 (Augusta, ME) — The Maine Legislature delivered significant progress this year on a broad range of environmental issues that will benefit Mainers across the state, including new laws that will conserve thousands of acres of land, invest in upgrades for State Parks, weatherize thousands of homes owned by low-income Read More
New Maine Law Will Shift Recycling Costs to Producers of Packaging Waste
EPR for Packaging Will Save Taxpayer Money and Improve Recycling News release Maine has joined more than 40 jurisdictions around the world to require companies that create packaging waste help pay for the costs of recycling. It becomes the first state in the nation to pass an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for Packaging law (LD 1541) Read More
Reaching Out with Digital Outreach
The heart of NRCM’s mission has always been to mobilize people who care about Maine’s environment. This year, we are building on our legacy of grassroots organizing. We’re excited to introduce Kristin Jackson as our new Digital Outreach Manager. Kristin is building on our existing digital organizing work and is highly focused on finding more Read More
Victory for Land for Maine’s Future
Maine’s most popular and effective conservation program is finally funded, and the money will be available right away! On July 1, Governor Janet Mills signed into law LD 221, the FY21-23 Appropriations Bill, which includes $40 million over four years for the Land for Maine’s Future program (LMF). Because the budget was passed by at Read More
News & Noteworthy — April – June 2021
Here are some highlights from this month’s news stories and opinion pieces related to the environment, including Maine’s air, land, water, and wildlife, in this month’s News & Noteworthy from the Natural Resources Council of Maine. June 2021 New Interior Secretary Deb Haaland visited Maine and spent time at Acadia National Park, including watching the Read More
New Law Will Help Mainers Dispose of Unused Drugs Safely and for Free
News release from NRCM and the Product Stewardship Institute June 11, 2021 (Augusta, ME) — Mainers will be able to dispose of unused medications safely and for free under a bill signed into law by Governor Janet Mills. LD 8, sponsored by Senator Anne Carney and championed by former Senator Geoffrey Gratwick, will establish a network of drug-collection Read More