By Bill Trotter, BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story President Donald Trump’s plans to shrink and redirect the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency could have a severe impact on Maine where, according to one environmental advocacy official, state environmental programs already have been “cut down to the bone.” The Washington Post reported Wednesday that a… Continue Reading
Mercury Pollution
EPA Nominee Scott Pruitt Does Not Reflect Maine Values on the Environment
Sen. Susan Collins should join Sen. Angus King in pledging to reject Pruitt to head the Environmental Protection Agency. By Bill Houston Portland Press Herald op-ed KINGFIELD — Mainers hold clean air and water near and dear to their hearts. As a lifelong Mainer who trains young men and women to become outdoor leaders, I… Continue Reading
April 9, 2016: Penobscot Watershed Conference, Northport
Penobscot Watershed Conference: Sharing our Heritage, Challenges, and Future. The Penobscot Watershed Conference brought together scientists, researchers, business leaders, nonprofit organizations, fishermen, government representatives, and others to discuss the state of the watershed past, present, and future: what needs to happen, what individuals might do, and recommendations for action. Four NRCM staff members participated in this… Continue Reading
Judge Orders Mallinckrodt Manufacturing to Fund Mercury Cleanup Plan for Penobscot River
The ruling is a step toward requiring the company to pay to clean up pollution from the former HoltraChem site – a cost estimated at $130 million. By Kevin Miller, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story A federal judge ordered Mallinckrodt Manufacturing Co. on Wednesday to pay to develop a detailed plan to clean… Continue Reading
Judge Seeks Plan for Cleanup of Penobscot River at HoltraChem Site
By Dawn Gagnon, BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story BANGOR, Maine — A federal court judge issued a ruling Wednesday ordering that an engineering firm be hired to develop a plan to clean up mercury deposited in the Penobscot River by a defunct Orrington chemical plant. HoltraChem, which operated from 1967 to 1982, produced… Continue Reading
Judge Orders Recommendations for Cleaning up Mercury in Penobscot River
By Jay Field MPBN news story Listen to full news story. ORRINGTON, Maine – A federal judge will order a team of engineers to devise options for cleaning up toxic mercury pollution in the Penobscot River stretching from the former Veazie Dam to the southern tip of Verona Island. HoltraChem, an Orrington-based chemical company, dumped… Continue Reading
NRCM Testimony in Opposition to LD 1045, An Act to Modify the Laws Regarding the Collection and Recycling of Mercury-added Thermostats
Senator Saviello, Representative Welsh, 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 1045. While we oppose this bill, we do believe… Continue Reading
Dredge Opponents Fear Penobscot River Pollution
The former HoltraChem plant in Orrington released mercury that could wreak more havoc on the area’s fishery. By Tom Bell, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story For the opponents of the Searsport dredge project, mercury contamination is the big worry. Those concerns deepened in February when the Maine Department of Marine Resources closed seven… Continue Reading
Maine Environmental Board OKs Higher Mercury Emissions Limit for Dragon Cement
By Darren Fishell, BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story PORTLAND, Maine — The Maine Board of Environmental protection will permit the Dragon Cement plant in Thomaston to operate under federal emissions standards that raise the amount of mercury the plant could release into the air by 68 percent, as production increases. Marc Cone, head… Continue Reading
