The Environment and Natural Resources Committee unanimously endorsed bills to catalog, collect and dispose of Maine’s stockpike of toxic firefighting foam.
environment
Maine makes first purchase of farm contaminated by forever chemicals
The state tapped its PFAS relief fund to spend $333,000 to buy a Palermo hay field where sewage sludge was once spread as fertilizer that tested 3 times above the state’s recommended level for safe dairy forage.
Maine lawmaker wants state to help farmers affected by federal funding freeze
A proposed bill would create a state-funded no-interest loan program for Maine farmers whose federal contracts are frozen by the Trump administration.
Maine must prepare for storms and climate change, lawmakers told
A proposal formed in the wake of last winter’s back-to-back storms to help communities prepare for bad weather and climate change was presented at a legislative hearing on Thursday.
Get toxic firefighting foam out of Maine, lawmakers told
Residents of Brunswick Landing, the site of Maine’s worst toxic firefighting foam spill, joined environmental groups to urge lawmakers to quantify the amount of foam in Maine and fund a voluntary program to collect, store and dispose of it.
Are taller seawalls the answer to rising seas and storm surge?
A bill would allow coastal seawalls to be raised by 2 feet to protect coastal homes, property and roads, but opponents claim higher walls would flood neighboring properties and result in sandy beach loss.
Maine farmers left in limbo by federal funding freeze
Despite having signed government contracts, farmers who have spent money on projects to conserve soil, water and power have been told they cannot get reimbursed until USDA programs and policies are reviewed by Elon Musk’s DOGE team.
New administration sparks uncertainty for Brunswick PFAS spill cleanup
Local officials are waiting for what comes next at the federal level while they continue to grapple with a toxic chemical spill.
South Portland halts disputed tree removal near jetport
Officials at Maine’s largest airport must show the runway approach project hasn’t violated local, state and federal land use laws.
Maine DEP: $50M sludge bond would preserve landfill space
The proposal to bond funding for grants to help local sewer districts tackle the statewide sludge-disposal problem needs approval by a legislative committee and two-thirds of the House and Senate before it could be sent to voters in November.