Carbon-spewing power plants must finally face the music By Deirdre Fulton Portland Phoenix news story Some call it the “carbon pollution loophole:” the absurdity that while the federal Clean Air Act limits the amount of mercury, arsenic, sulfur, and other pollutants that power plants can spew into the atmosphere, the US government has never regulated Read More
regulation
Reject Flawed LURC Reform Bill
by Laura Sewall Times Record op-ed As was the case during last year’s legislative session, there are a number of bills before state lawmakers that, if passed, would surely compromise the quality of Maine’s environment. They are often cast as critical to support Maine’s economy, but that falsely pits jobs against the environment. In a Read More
Panel Unanimously Passes Bill to Overhaul Land Use Regulation Commission
By Kevin Miller, BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story AUGUSTA, Maine — Members of a legislative committee on Thursday unanimously endorsed a bill to reform Maine’s Land Use Regulation Commission after lawmakers reached an accord to remove the most contentious aspect of the measure. The bill, LD 1798, will replace the seven-member slate of Read More
Maine LURC Reform Proposal Wins Key Committee Endorsement
MPBN news story A controversial proposal to revamp the Land Use Regulation Commission has been unanimously approved by a legislative committee, virtually guaranteeing its passage by the full Legislature. Debate over the future of the agency esponsible for zoning and planning in Maine’s vast unorganized territories has raged for more than a year. But one Read More
LURChing to an Amazing Finish
by George Smith Georgesmithmaine.com column One of the most contentious issues of the 125th legislature was resolved yesterday in an amazing display of good legislating. When Governor Paul LePage proposed to abolish Maine’s Land Use Regulation Commission, and give counties the planning and regulatory authority for the 10 million acres of unorganized territory, it unleashed Read More
LURC Change Too Risky
Bangor Daily News editorial As the legislative session shifts into high gear, the debates become less academic. It’s no longer general ideas and vague improvements that are on the table; it’s real, often substantive changes. Once those changes become state law, it’s difficult to undo them. The initiative to improve the way the Land Use Read More
LURC Overhaul Expected to Stir Debate
by The Associated Press Portland Press Herald news story AUGUSTA — A proposal to overhaul the agency that regulates development in the nearly 10 million acres of Maine known as the unorganized territories is heading for votes by the Legislature. A vote Thursday by the Legislature’s Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee to send the bill Read More
LURC Reform: It’s All About the Money
by Sandra Neily Bangor Daily News op-ed Decentralize and localize LURC with more county representation? Allow a county to opt out of LURC oversight? Remove centralized management of a forest asset that drops billions of dollars a year into the Maine economy? Imagine North Woods resources as an affiliated, sprawling string of factories. (Maine people Read More
Legislator Muzzled on LURC Bill
by George Smith Georgesmithmaine.com news story Rep. Russell Black, a key member of the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee, was ordered by committee leaders to stop talking to people about the bill to reform Maine’s Land Use Regulation Commission. Black’s bill to aid the maple syrup industry has also been held up in the Senate, Read More
