#Palestinesolidarity in #Saco, #Maine where General Dynamics #manufactures guidance systems for the bombs Israel drops on Gaza.

https://open.substack.com/pub/brucegagnon177089/p/palestine-solidarity-in-saco-maine

#Israel #Palestine #MiddleEast #Genocide #EthnicCleansing #Palestinians #PalestinianLivesMatter #Politics #Egypt #Lebanon #Syria #Iraq #Iran #SaudiArabia #Qatar #Gaza #US #USA #Zionism #Zionists #BDS #Ceasefire #ArmsEmbargo #CeasefireNow #ArmsEmbargoNow #ME #MainePolitics #MEPolitics #US #USA #UnitedStates #Protest #Solidarity

Governor’s Bill to Exempt a Sand Dune on #SearsIsland/ #Wahsumkik from #EnvironmentalProtection for #OffshoreWind Port Passes Committee – Full Vote Expected This Week

Sunlight Media Collective March 26, 2024

"Governor’s Bill to Exempt a Sand Dune on Sears Island/ Wahsumkik from Environmental Protection to allow for her choice of the Undeveloped Island as the Site for the most 'Cost-Effective' Offshore Wind Port Passes Committee.

"The #Passamaquoddy and #PenobscotNation and numerous #environmental organizations oppose the development, while large environmental groups and unions back the governor.

"A full legislative vote is expected this week.

"On Thursday, March 21st the Maine Legislature’s Committee on Environment and Natural Resources voted in support of a bill that would carve out exemptions from existing environmental protections for the industrial development Sears Island/Wahsumkik.

"#LD2266 “An Act Regarding #OffshoreWindTerminals Located in #CoastalSandDune Systems” put forth by the Governor’s office five days before its public hearing last week, seeks to specifically exempt a sand dune on Sears Island, in Searsport, from current #EnvironmentalProtections to allow for the advancement of an offshore wind staging development on the island.

"Governor Mills announced last month that Sears Island is the state’s “preferred site” for the major development, instead of the already industrialized #MackPoint, also in Searsport.

"The bill’s passage could set a dangerous precedent for the quick rollback of environmental protections at the behest of industry and the state.

"The development of Sears Island (known also by the Penobscot name Wahsumkik)), the largest undeveloped island within the state and one of the largest on the eastern seaboard, has been a lightening rod over the past decades, as the state and prevailing industry have attempted to site a number of projects there and received concerted local push back that stopped development.

"On this current attempt, the Governor’s office has gathered a roster of supportive environmental groups eager to be seen making visible strides on climate change, and unions eager for employment opportunities. But opposition to Sears Island development has not dissipated, and has increased in diversity to include both political parties, as well as local and state environmental groups, fisherman and the Penobscot Nation and Passamaquoddy Tribe.

"This movement is pushing back on what they see as a false choice on #ClimateChange action– alternative energy vs the destruction of #forests and critical habitat on the undeveloped island. They challenge the Governor’s conclusion that Sears Island should be chosen over Mack Point.

"LD 2266 would allow for the exemption of a coastal sand dune on Sears Island within the proposed wind port from current protection under the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.

"Expressing public support for the bill at the hearing were: The Governor’s Office, The Maine DOT, Maine Labor Climate Council, Maine AFL-CIO, Maine State Camber of Commerce, Maine Peoples Alliance and the Natural Resources Council of Maine. Some expressed openness to locating at Mack Point, if it was considered viable.

"Against the development of Sears Island and additionally opposed to the bill that would make changes to the DEP coastal sand dunes protections, include: The Passamaquoddy Tribe, Searsport Representative Reagan Paul, the Alliance for Sears Island, #FriendsOfSearsIsland, Isleboro Island Trust, #SierraClub Maine, Preserve Rural Maine, New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association , Upstream Watch, Community Water Justice, #FriendsOfCascoBay and Casco Bay Keepers and a number of individuals speaking on own behalf. The Penobscot Nation did not give testimony at the hearing but opposes the development at Sears Island/Wassamkeag.

"Speaking Neither for nor against were: Maine Conservation Voters and #MaineAudubon, who stated they could not support the bill as written, but could potentially with an amendment .

"Testimony from the March 18th hearing can be viewed online at

https://legislature.maine.gov/committee/#Committees/ENR

"A vote by the full legislature on the the rollback is expected this week.

Sunlight Media Collective will continue to follow this story.

Further coverage can be heard archived on WERU FM Community Radio on the programs Maine Currents and RadioActive. www.weru.org"

Source:
https://www.sunlightmediacollective.org/governors-bill-to-exempt-a-sand-dune-on-sears-island-wahsumkik-from-environmental-protection-for-offshore-wind-port-passes-committee-full-vote-expected-this-week/

#Corporatocracy #Maine #MainePolitics #Greenwashing #JanetMills #ProtectTheForest #SaveSearsIsland

Hmmmm... I'm seeing a pattern here. #PeterMills and #MaineTurnpikeAuthority are looking to build a highway through forests and farms because it would be cheaper (but #LightRail would be even CHEAPER, but would involve less #contractors). Peter's sister #JanetMills wants to put an #OffshoreWindFarm on #SearsIsland because it would be cheaper than #MackPoint (which would involve cleaning up pollution -- the horror!)

[Article is behind a paywall -- full text in comments]

The unusual political alliance opposing an offshore wind port in #Maine

by Billy Kobin
December 4, 2023

"The 941-acre Sears Island, the largest undeveloped island in #PenobscotBay, is connected to the mainland by a causeway and is located off the coast of #Searsport, the Route 1 town of about 2,600 residents. The state owns the island, though #NativeAmericans who called it #Wassumkeag, or 'bright sand beach,' used it over thousands of years for camping, hunting, fishing and resting along paddling routes."

Source:
https://www.bangordailynews.com/2023/12/04/politics/unusual-political-alliance-opposing-offshore-wind-port-joam40zk0w/

#MainePolitics #Environment #Greenwashing #EnvironmentalRacism

So, what's going on with the #GorhamSpur seems a lot like what happened with the #CMPCorridor (which #Mainers voted against). Despite public opposition, #MTA will say, "Oh, well we already bought most of the land, so we have to keep going!" The same tactic was used with the CMP corridor through the North Woods, when CMP said, "Well, we already started the project -- we plan on completing if, even if the public opposes it!"

#MainePolitics #Maine #JanetMills #PeterMills #Corporatocracy #Overreach #TheWillOfThePeople #WorkingFarms #MaineTurnpikeAuthority
#Sprawl #GorhamSpur #GorhamConnector #Wetlands
#Meadows #EnvironmentalImpact #SaveSmilingHillFarm #SaveTheNorthWoods

A look at the bills to amend #Maine mineral mining laws in this year’s Legislature

By Kate Cough
February 12, 2023

"All the way back in the fall of 2021, I called a geologist to ask what he thought about plans by the Canadian junior mining company, Wolfden, to dig for zinc and copper up near Patten, just east of the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument.

We talked about the proposal for awhile, and just before we hung up, I asked the question I ask at the end of every interview, one that almost always elicits an unexpected answer and is often the very best way to find new stories: What didn’t we talk about that you want me to know? In this case it definitely didn’t disappoint: after pausing for a moment, the geologist said well, there’s something interesting going on over in #WesternMaine…

"And thus began my (armchair) adventure into the world of lithium deposits, from the salt flats of South America to the hard-rock mines of western Australia, and, of course, into what is thought to be the world’s richest hard-rock deposit, in the sleepy town of Newry, near the New Hampshire border. A year-and-a-half later the story continues, now with a new player: lawmakers, who have introduced (at last count) ten bills aimed at altering Maine’s mining regulations.

"The bills (I was only able to review the full text of one, as most are still in the Revisor’s office) run the gamut. One, #LR1624, sponsored by Rep. Maggie O’Neil of #Saco, proposes a moratorium on lithium mining, while others (LR 1304, An Act to Promote Sustainable Lithium Mining in Maine, sponsored by Rep. Mike Soboleski of Phillips) are more full-throated in their support of the activity. (It’s worth noting that moratoriums are temporary holds on an activity designed to give regulators time to put in place rules, not permanent bans, as is often thought.)

"Here’s the full list:

- LR 1624, Rep. Maggie O’Neil of Saco: An Act to Ensure a Strategic Approach to Maine’s Energy System by Imposing a Moratorium on #LithiumMining

- #LR420, Rep. Scott Landry of Farmington: An Act to Support Extraction of Common Rock-forming and Rare Earth Minerals

- #LR1121, Rep. Lydia Crafts of Newcastle: An Act to Establish a Commission to Study Mining Materials

- #LR1732, Rep. Nina Milliken of Blue Hill: An Act to Eliminate #Mining Without a Permit

- #LR1304, Rep. Mike Soboleski of Phillips: An Act to Promote Sustainable Lithium Mining in Maine

- #LR2272, Sen. Richard Bennett of Oxford: An Act Regarding #MetallicMineralMining

- #LR2138, Sen. Craig Hickman of Kennebec: An Act to Protect the People from #OpenPit Quarry Mining

- #LR930, Sen. Lisa Keim of Oxford: An Act Concerning Lithium Deposits

"The reason we’re seeing all of these bills, of course, is that Maine’s 2017 mining law prohibits mining for 'metallic minerals' in open pits larger than three acres. The deposit in Newry is already partially exposed, and numerous experts have said that open pit mining (as opposed to an underground shaft) is the only logical way to remove the rocks, which, they also point out, do not pose the same #environmental risks as other types of metal deposits. But all mining poses some risks, and not everyone is on board with the idea of digging #GiantHoles in the earth, even if the end product is an essential part of the transition away from fossil fuels.

"State regulators have acknowledged the risks involved in mining this deposit are different but say their hands are tied: because 'metallic mineral' does not have a commonly-agreed upon meaning in the scientific community, and because legislators did not specifically exclude lithium from the 2017 rules, the Newry deposit should be considered a metallic mineral. (Meanwhile, the Freemans, the gem-hunters who own the land and identified the deposit, are challenging the DEP’s decision in court.)

"Of the lawmakers I spoke to, all expressed a desire to support federal efforts to boost domestic production of critical minerals while ensuring the spirit and integrity of Maine’s 2017 mining law remains intact. (In case you were wondering whether the feds are serious, look no further than a $700 million government loan to a #NevadaLithiumMine announced earlier this week.)"

https://themainemonitor.org/maine-lawmakers-look-to-amend-lithium-mining-laws/

#WaterIsLife #MaineLegislature #MainePolitics #ProtectTheForest #Environment #CorporateColonialism #NoMining #NoOpenPitMining #RecycleLithium

ICYMI - from 2019:

VERIFY: does Gov. #JanetMills' brother have ties to #CMPCorridor project?

NEWS CENTER #Maine verifies #PeterMills' involvement in the CMP corridor.

July 3, 2019

"In the last year, we have been bombarded with questions and concerns surrounding the #CMP transmission line project.

"Most recently, some of those concerns from you at home have shifted to Governor Janet Mills' support behind the project -- more specifically, if her brother, Peter Mills, has any ties to the corridor or if he has anything to gain from it.

"To verify these claims, NEWS CENTER Maine spoke with Peter Mills himself and referenced these public documents -- 'The Memorandum of Understanding between Central Maine Power Company and Western Mountains and Rivers Corporation'.

Here's what we found out.

"Mills does currently sit on the board of a charitable non-profit called Western Mountains and Rivers Corporation, an organization established back in 2017.

"He admits the non-profit has ties to CMP and the corridor project, but he says it's a very specific partnership.

"'The purpose of the corporation was to negotiate with #CentralMainePower and possibly #HydroQuebec to see to it that they would put together terms to mitigate in a public and charitable way, to mitigate for the impact of the power line if it were built.' says Mills. [I've seen this tactic before -- with #MaineTurnpikeAuthority donations to non-profits affected by #highway expansion]

"Public documents detail this agreement between the two entities, which includes CMP's requirement to provide $250,000 dollars to the non-profits trust fund; for start-up costs and other proceedings.

"It has been used to hire an #attorney to represent the interests of the #corporation in the #Legal proceedings before the #PUC and #LERK and the #DEP, and in negotiating for any mitigation terms including the creation of land rights of way in the #KennebecValley." says Mills."

Read more:

#MainePolitics #ClimateActivism #CorporateColonialism #CorporateFascism #Nepotism
#MaineTribes #Mining #GorhamSpur #GorhamConnector #SaveSmilingHillFarm #NoCMPCorridor

Despite local opposition and a statewide vote, the #CMPCorridor through #Maine's #NorthWoods is getting pushed through! #PeterMills, head of the #MaineTurnpikeAuthority and brother of #JanetMills, is on the board of a corporation involved in the project! Nothing to see here, eh? No wonder MTA has no problem destroying woods, streams and farmland here in southern #Maine!

#CMPCorridor Proposal: A Bad Deal for Maine

"In April 2023, a Cumberland County jury ruled in CMP’s favor during a court case that very likely will decide the future of the company’s controversial transmission corridor. The decision was based on technical legal issues and not on the merits of whether or not this was a good project for Maine.

"We are disappointed with the outcome and remain sharply focused on achieving a just and equitable clean energy future that works for all Mainers.

"Maine has already shown there’s a better path forward than the CMP corridor. A path focused on regional collaboration and centered in Maine’s pragmatic approach to solving problems.

"Mainers are pursuing home-grown clean energy sources, like the #KingPineWindProject in Aroostook County that will deliver new and verifiable reductions in pollution rather than a shell game that shifts existing energy for maximum profit.

"#MaineVoters got it right when they overwhelmingly passed a referendum rejecting the CMP corridor because it’s a bad deal for Maine and a bad deal for our climate.

"#NRCM is honored to stand with youth #ClimateJustice activists, tribes in Maine and Canada, people across western Maine who rely on a vibrant outdoor recreation economy, and many others in opposing the CMP corridor. Thank you to everyone who partnered with us on this hard-fought campaign."

Top 4 Reasons NRCM Opposes the Corridor:

- Won’t reduce climate-changing pollution, and may actually increase it.
- Cuts 53 miles of new transmission lines through undeveloped #forests in Maine’s #NorthWoods, harming brook trout, deer, other #wildlife, and the tourism economy.
- Jeopardizes the construction of new in-state #RenewableEnergy projects and creation of clean energy jobs.
- Generates billions of dollars of profit for CMP and #HydroQuebec while offering very little to Maine people and businesses.

Read more:
https://www.nrcm.org/programs/climate/proposed-cmp-transmission-line-bad-deal-maine/

#MainePolitics #ClimateActivism #CorporateColonialism #CorporateFascism #Nepotism #MaineTribes #Mining #GorhamSpur #GorhamConnector