Good morning Senator Boyle, Representative Welsh, and members of the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. I am testifying on behalf of the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) in opposition to LD 1772. NRCM believes these draft rules will not protect Maine’s environment or Maine taxpayers from the risks of metal mining in sulfide Read More
mining pollution
Mining Rules Face Strong Opposition
As the BEP gets ready for its meeting, public response is running strongly against the proposed changes. by North Cairn, staff writer Portland Press Herald news story The state Board of Environmental Protection will meet Thursday to continue reviewing more than 1,000 pages of public comment against changes proposed by the Department of Environmental Protection Read More
Maine Board Hears Arguments on Proposed New Mining Rules
by A.J. Higgins MPBN news story More than 150 people turned out for a hearing in Augusta today on proposed mining rules developed by the state Department of Environmental Protection. Some favor a planned mine for northern Maine under the rules currently written. Others want any future operations to be more heavily regulated. As A.J. Read More
Maine’s Environmental Movement Reinvents Itself for a New Era of Challenges
by Lance Tapley Portland Phoenix news story Maine’s cherished environment may be threatened as never before by the gargantuan forces of economic globalization. In reaction, the state’s environmental movement is coalescing into a force stronger than ever. There are new players in the game — including Occupy — augmenting the old guard. Not surprising for Read More
Maine’s Mining Laws Come Under Scrutiny
Susan Sharon MPBN news story Maine hasn’t had an active mining operation in more than two decades. But last year, Maine’s largest landowner, J.D. Irving Limited, said it would like to explore the possibility of mining for copper, zinc and other metals on land it owns in Aroostook County. In response, lawmakers passed a bill Read More
The Battle for Bald Mountain
A potential conflict between badly needed jobs and protecting the environment takes shape as Maine revises its mining rules. by North Cairn, staff writer Portland Press Herald news story If it weren’t so hilly where he lives, Troy Jackson could look out the windows of his home in Allagash and see what has become the Read More
NRCM Comments to Proposed Changes to LUPC’s Rules Chapter 12, Land Use District Requirements for Metallic Mineral Mining and Level C Mineral Exploration Activities
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the proposed changes to Chapter 12 of the LUPC rules regarding land use district requirements for metallic mineral mining and Level C mineral exploration activities. NRCM has eight comments on the proposed rule revisions, some of which are major comments regarding LUPC’s proposal to remove sections of Read More
DEP Mining Contractor Tightly Linked to Mining Industry
NRCM Calls on DEP to Change Process to Protect Public Interests NRCM News Release The Natural Resources Council of Maine today released documents showing that a contractor recently hired by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to help rewrite Maine’s mining regulations is deeply connected to some of the world’s largest mining corporations, including Read More
Mining Bald Mountain for Precious Metals Not Worth the Environmental Risk, Portland Speaker Says
by Seth Koenig, BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story PORTLAND, Maine — A Canadian environmentalist and mining expert said Thursday there’s almost no way Bald Mountain can be mined without polluting nearby water, potentially for thousands of years. Ramsey Hart of MiningWatch Canada was tapped as the keynote speaker for the Natural Resources Council of Read More
