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Dear John,
I am pleased to share an update from Augusta with you as I am currently at the Maine State House lobbying for bills that would address, out-of-state waste, utility accountability, clean water, and much more.
The legislature is beginning the countdown to the end of session. Committees have finished their work by and large and many bills are moving through the Maine Senate and House chambers swiftly.
I hope you find my report helpful and look forward to working with you to turn all of these bills into law over the next few weeks.
Environmental Priorities Coalition (EPC) Bills:
Here’s your update on the EPC’s now nine priority bills. The coalition of 37 environmental, conservation, and public health organizations decided that two newly-introduced pieces of legislation were important enough to be added to our 2022 Agenda.
I encourage you to read on for information on other bills we’re following as well, such as utility accountability, clean water for Passamquoddy citizens at Pleasant Point, climate-friendly housing reform, and more!
*NEW* LD 2013: Supporting Farmers Impacted by PFAS Contamination
[link removed] [[link removed]] Through no fault of their own, farmers across the state are facing loss of livelihood due to contamination from PFAS, the so-called “forever chemicals.” State-sponsored programs that urged farmers to spread biosolids on their farmland have led to PFAS pollution across the state, contaminating Maine farmland and endangering the health and livelihoods of Maine farmers.
Maine farmers are not responsible for this contamination and should not have to bear the burden of remediation. The state must step in to help farmers deal with the impacts of this contamination.
LD 2013 [[link removed]] will provide funding and resources to support Maine farmers impacted by PFAS contamination. An emotional Public Hearing was held on March 15 – farmers from across the state shared how PFAS contamination has devastated their lands, health, and livelihoods. The Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee voted UNANIMOUSLY in favor of the bill. The Mills Administration’s budget includes $60 million to establish an Impacted Farmers Mitigation Fund; that may sound like a lot, but advocates estimate that at least $100 million is needed in order to adequately compensate farmers for their losses and set up medical monitoring for those exposed to PFAS.
Join us in calling on the Appropriations Table to fund this bill in its entirety. Click here to receive an email alert from us [[link removed]] when legislators on the Appropriations Table will need to hear from you on the importance of funding this bill in full.
*NEW* LD 2018: Advancing Environmental Justice & Equity in State Actions
In Maine and across the world, climate change and environmental concerns pose the greatest threats to communities that are already marginalized, overburdened, or underserved. For example, people who live in substandard housing, who are experiencing homelessness, or who lack access to reliable transportation are more vulnerable to the impacts of extreme weather caused by climate change. [link removed] [[link removed]]
Environmental policies should be developed, implemented, and enforced in close partnership with the communities impacted "first and worst" by environmental and climate threats – yet, too often, decision-making processes are not inclusive or accessible. LD 2018 [[link removed]] will define, prioritize, and support meaningful community engagement, equitable decision-making, and just environmental policies.
This bill would adopt the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s definitions of environmental justice, fair treatment, and frontline communities to support inclusive and accessible state processes and help ensure that communities who have been historically underrepresented in policymaking are meaningfully engaged. The bill received ten votes in favor and three against in committee.
You can read the EPC’s factsheet on LD 2018 to learn more about this legislation [[link removed]] .
LD 1626: Restoring the Wabanaki Tribes’ Inherent Sovereignty
[link removed] [[link removed]] Earlier this month the Wabanaki Alliance Coalition hosted their first Lobby Day at the Maine State House to continue to build support and momentum for legislation that would forward tribal sovereignty.
Nearly 100 people – including dozens of staff from organizations that are members of the EPC – joined our partners in the Wabanaki Alliance Coalition to urge our lawmakers to support LD 1626 [[link removed]] and other bills that would help expand clean water and spur economic justice.
LD 1626 is about fairness, equality, and justice for the tribes in Maine. Maine is the only state in the nation where Indigenous communities have been stripped of their sovereignty – this legislation is integral to restoring the Wabanaki tribes’ right to self-govern.
Following more than 1,600 testimonies in favor of LD 1626 – many of which were submitted by MCV members and supporters ( thank you!) – the Judiciary Committee deliberated for days on the legislation sponsored by House Majority Leader Rep. Rachel Talbot Ross. On March 15, the committee voted 8-6 in favor of the bill.
We’re working closely with Wabanaki Alliance leaders to follow their lead as this legislation heads to the Maine Senate and House floors for initial votes.
Follow the Wabanaki Alliance on Facebook [[link removed]] , Instagram [[link removed]] , and Twitter [[link removed]] to stay tuned for ways to help support LD 1626 and other critical bills that would help the tribes in Maine thrive.
LD 1639: Stopping Out-of-State Waste from Filling Maine Landfills
Last month, the Environment and Natural Resources Committee voted 11-2 in favor of LD 1639 [[link removed]] – commonly known as the “Out-of-State Waste” bill. Closing the loophole that allows Massachusetts and other New England states to truck their waste up to the state-owned Juniper Ridge Landfill in Old Town will help protect Maine’s environment and public health. Penobscot Nation citizens are also a part of the chorus of opposition to the out-of-state waste loophole. Rapidly filling landfills require expansions and lead to increased pollution, which disproportionately impacts the Penobscot Nation, residents living near the landfill, and the Penobscot River and Bay. [link removed] [[link removed]]
Maine Public recently shared a piece featuring this issue. You can listen to the radio report and read the article here [[link removed]] .
We’re waiting for this bill to head to the Maine Senate and House floors for initial votes. Stay tuned for ways to help support this critical legislation!
LD 736: Expanding Maine’s Ecological Reserve System
[link removed] [[link removed]] Exciting news for advancing biodiversity, conservation, and nature-based climate solutions!
The Maine House voted to enact ecological reserves this week, bringing the goal of protecting all of Maine’s habitat types within reach. LD 736 [[link removed]] will preserve biodiversity and help meet Maine’s bold climate goals by growing our ecological reserve lands.
The final enactment vote should occur this week in the Senate, and then the bill heads to the Governor for her signature!
LD 1964: Protecting Maine’s Clean Water
Good news for Maine's rivers and streams! The value of clean water for our communities and environment cannot be understated. Thankfully, most of Maine’s State Senators agree with us on this. This week, the Maine Senate voted in favor of LD 1964 [[link removed]] – legislation that would adopt the Maine Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP) proposed upgrades to over 800 miles of rivers and streams. The bill now heads to the Maine House for more votes today . [link removed] [[link removed]]
If you haven’t heard, this year is the 50 th anniversary of Maine Senator Edmund Muskie’s Clean Water Act. Turning this bill into law would be a fabulous tribute to this landmark federal legislation. There are still more votes in the Maine Senate and House that will happen in the coming weeks, but we’re pleased with how this bill is progressing.
Thanks to the dozens of you who submitted testimony in favor of LD 1964 last month. Your advocacy makes all the difference.
LD 1902: Funding Opportunities for Climate Education in Schools
[link removed] [[link removed]] This week, LD 1902 [[link removed]] – the bill to fund equitable access to climate change education in Maine schools – was enacted by the Maine House!
The next hurdle for this bill will be securing funding. Many youth-led, climate action, social justice, environmental, and education advocacy groups across Maine support LD 1902 and have been working around the clock to urge Maine’s lawmakers to provide much-needed resources to teach Maine children climate science and help teachers develop nature-based curriculums.
Sign our petition [[link removed]] calling on Maine’s Appropriations Table to fund this initiative and help inspire youth to take on careers in agriculture, renewable energy, forestry, and more – careers that will help bolster our green economy and combat climate change. Click here to add your name [[link removed]] .
LD 489: The Pine Tree Amendment – Establishing Environmental Rights for all People in Maine
On Tuesday of this week the halls of the State House were filled with people for the Pine Tree Amendment Lobby Day! Folks from all over Maine brought beautifully painted signs in support of the amendment and took the time to speak with their legislators about why enacting this bill will help protect Maine’s environment for present and future generations. [link removed] [[link removed]]
MCV Communications Manager Ches Gundrum joined me in Augusta to help capture this advocacy in action! If you’re on Instagram, click here [[link removed]] to see a short video from Pine Tree Amendment Lobby Day.
Sponsored by Senator Chloe Maxmin, LD 489 [[link removed]] would add to the Bill of Rights in the Maine Constitution that all Maine people have a “ ... right to a clean and healthy environment… ” We’re expecting this legislation to have enactment votes next week. More than 1,200 individuals in Maine have signed letters of support for the Pine Tree Amendment, which were all delivered to lawmakers this week. Folks leading grassroots efforts for LD 489 have organized an incredible campaign around this legislation and we thank them for their tireless efforts.
Follow Pine Tree Amendment on Facebook [[link removed]] and Instagram [[link removed]] for the latest and greatest news! And if you have not yet done so, ask your legislators to vote to enact the Pine Tree Amendment [[link removed]] !
LD 1979: Helping Restore Maine’s Great Rivers
[link removed] [[link removed]] At the beginning of this session, LD 1979 [[link removed]] was a Defensive Priority for Maine’s EPC. In other words, our coalition called on lawmakers to reject the bill because, as drafted, it put the interests of the Brookfield corporation ahead of protecting Maine’s great rivers and fisheries.
However, the Environment and Natural Resources Committee took out the damaging language and amended the bill to require the DEP to develop a plan for river management planning. We no longer oppose the bill.
Housing, Utility, Clean Water Legislation, and more!
LD 2003: Increasing Affordable Housing in Maine
All people deserve access to safe, affordable homes, but Maine has a large shortage of affordable housing. A bipartisan commission of legislators introduced LD 2003 [[link removed]] [[link removed]] to address this problem. Increasing affordable housing will help address the workforce shortages preventing Maine from carrying out our climate action plans at the pace required. We need more housing to retain and attract skilled workers to install and maintain solar panels, wind turbines, heat pumps, EV charging stations, and much more. This bill will also encourage compact, mixed-use development which will help more people get to work, school, and the doctor’s office on foot, bike, or bus. Transportation is by far Maine’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions and reducing car-dependence is key to eliminating those emissions. [link removed] [[link removed]]
Sponsored by House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, LD 2003 is a priority bill for the 60+ diverse Maine organizations in the Vision for an Equitable Maine [[link removed]] (VEM) Coalition of which MCV is a member. This bill received the support of the majority of the Committee on Labor and Housing last week and will soon be voted on by the full legislature.
You can learn more about LD 2003 from Maine Equal Justice’s factsheet here [[link removed]] . To receive an email alert from us when legislators are voting on this legislation and need to hear from you, please click here to sign-up [[link removed]] .
LD 1959: Holding Utilities Accountable to Meeting Maine’s Climate Goals
[link removed] [[link removed]] The way electric utilities are regulated and paid has hardly changed in a hundred years. It’s certainly no secret that the mismatch between utility incentives and consumer needs is hindering our progress toward meeting our clean energy goals. [[link removed]]
LD 1959 [[link removed]] will hold electric utilities in Maine accountable for providing high-quality, reliable electric service to Maine customers at a reasonable rate and for updating the electric grid to meet Maine’s climate goals. The bill will do this by establishing quarterly report cards and penalties for failing to meet performance standards. It will also require utilities to do integrated grid planning to help create the clean electrical grid of the future in the most cost-effective way possible. This planning will include reviewing steps to add renewable energy sources, electrify heating and transportation, and implement electric grid upgrades required to support those technologies.
This bill was voted on by the Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology last week and will soon be voted on by the full legislature. Last week, we hosted Public Advocate Bill Harwood and State Senator Stacy Brenner, for a Lunch & Learn to learn more about efforts to hold utilities accountable through LD 1959. Click here to watch our Lunch & Learn on this legislation [[link removed]] .
LD 906: Securing Clean Drinking Water for Passamaquoddy Citizens
Whether for drinking, bathing, cleaning, or cooking, clean, safe water is foundational to healthy communities. Yet the public water delivered to residents of the Passamaquoddy Pleasant Point Reservation and the City of Eastport by the state-regulated Passamaquoddy Water District is often discolored, odorous, and tainted with high levels of carcinogens. [link removed] [[link removed]]
This is unacceptable.
LD 906 [[link removed]] will address the unsafe and deteriorating water system at Pleasant Point and support tribal, federal, state, and local efforts to improve the quality of drinking water. This is a blatant human rights violation and we must stand with our Wabanaki neighbors.
Click here to send a message to your lawmakers urging them to support LD 906 [[link removed]] .
LD 1974: E stablishing and Funding a Maine Climate Corps
[link removed] [[link removed]] This legislative session, we have an opportunity to establish a Climate Corps right here in Maine to help provide the human resources needed to increase the scope and scale of our climate change response.
LD 1974 [[link removed]] would establish a state Climate Corps is a recommendation in Maine’s Climate Action Plan, Maine Won’t Wait , and will help harness the power of service to support Maine communities both curb and adapt to the impacts of climate change.
Maine’s Climate Corps would provide the human power to conduct climate projects on the ground throughout the state and much-needed workforce development in the environmental and clean energy sectors.
The final enactment vote for this legislation should occur this week. After the vote, the bill will go to the Appropriations Table to determine if and how much funding the Climate Corps will receive. After this important step, the bill then heads to Gov. Mills for her signature!
Add your name now [[link removed]] to demonstrate your support of the Maine’s Climate Corps to the Appropriations Table and to Governor Mills. You can count on us to deliver your signatures.
All of us at Maine Conservation Voters thank you for all that you’ve done to take action this session on these bills and more. I can assure you that your emails, phone calls, and petition signatures are making a difference in Augusta.
The session should be wrapping up in the coming weeks, but there is still plenty of action in Augusta to come. Please do not hesitate to reach out to the MCV team with any questions you may have about these bills and stay tuned for ways to continue taking action to protect Maine’s environment and our communities.
Yours,
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Beth Ahearn | she/her
Director of Government Affairs
Maine Conservation Voters
[email protected] [[email protected]]
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