#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 #KingPineWind project 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 #WesternMaine 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.

What is the CMP Corridor?

"Central Maine Power (CMP) is building a 145-mile transmission line through the heart of Maine to send hydropower from Quebec to electricity customers in Massachusetts.

"The CMP corridor is a bad deal for Maine. It will permanently damage #undeveloped #forest and #wildlife habitat, stifle the #LocalRenewableEnergy industry, and jeopardize the creation of clean energy jobs. The corridor won’t reduce global greenhouse gas emissions or create sustainable jobs for Maine people.

Top 4 Reasons NRCM Opposed 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 renewable energy projects and creation of clean energy jobs.
- Generates billions of dollars of profit for CMP [#Avangrid] and #HydroQuebec while offering very little to Maine people and businesses."

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

#NorthWoods #SaveTheNorthWoods
#SaveTheForests #BigElectricity
#MainePol #ProtectTheNorthWoods #QuebecHydro

#Mainers! Here's your chance to help fight #EmeraldAshBorer!

#MaineForestryService - Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) Update

September 22, 2025

"Since 2019, MFS has been releasing parasitoid wasps for the long-term management of emerald ash borer (#EAB) in the forests of Maine. These are tiny, non-stinging members of the order Hymenoptera, and they specialize in EAB. In most cases, they will not keep the mature trees already in the forest alive, but there is evidence from other states that have had EAB longer than we have that these #wasps provide protection to the seedlings and saplings as they grow. We are attempting to release them in as many areas with EAB as possible so that they can eventually spread throughout the state, allowing ash to remain in #Maine’s forests.

"As of 2025, we have released these #parasitoids in 20 sites throughout the range of EAB. Of the ten sites that are at the stage where we can start monitoring for their establishment, we have recovered one or both of Spathius or Tetrastichus at five of them: four in #YorkCounty and one in northern #Aroostook. We are still years away from actual control of EAB, but it is encouraging to start recovering parasitoids.

"With the many new detections of EAB in Maine in recent years, we would like to establish new biological control release sites. The ash-dominated forests that serve as release sites can be public or privately owned. Many of our cooperators are private woodlot owners. Ideally, we would like to ship biological control directly to a local landowner or manager and have them conduct releases after training by MFS. The releases take 5-15 minutes, 4-6 times a summer for two summers. We are looking for new release sites in areas where EAB has recently become established. Specifically, we would like to find sites in or near #BarHarborME, #SolonME, #BelfastME, the #BathME / #BrunswickME area, #CoastalMaine south of #PortlandME, and #WesternMaine west of #LewistonME. If you have forested land in one of these areas and are potentially interested in having it become a biological release site, please review the guidelines and information about EAB biocontrol available on-line, and email foresthealth @ maine . gov (no spaces) with the town in which your ash stand is, the approximate acreage of ash, and the coordinates (approximate is fine) of the stand. If it looks like your land would be suitable for a biological control site, we will reach out to you."

Source:
Emailed newsletter

Link to guidelines (PDF):
https://www.maine.gov/dacf/mfs/forest_health/invasive_threats/eab/documents/meeting-082020/Emerald%20Ash%20Borer%20Biocontrol%20Info%20For%20Potential%20Cooperators.pdf

#InvasiveSpecies #AshTrees #SaveTheForests #ProtectTheSacred #Wabanaki #Basketry #SolarPunkSunday #Biocontrol

Here's one for the #ClimateDiary -- a summary of #November2024 in #NewEngland...

#Drought Information Statement for #NewHampshire and #WesternMaine
November

Issued By: NWS Gray Maine

● Fall precipitation (ending Nov 21, 2024) was down 6 to 10 inches, which is 30% to 50% of normal

● Drier than normal conditions started in September and continued into late November

● Most of the region only observed a months worth of rainfall for the entire Fall season

● Precipitation was 2 standard deviations below normal

● One of the top 5 driest falls on record

● Above normal temperatures coincided with dry-period, increasing evaporation and accelerating drought

● Drought conditions have reduced rivers to near record low levels for November based on USGS streamflow station

● Several groundwater monitoring wells are the lowest they’ve been in November for the period of record (30-40 years)

● Climate prediction center drought outlooks favor little change in conditions through the winter season

● Drought is favored to persist, particularly across southern areas

● Note: Once the ground freezes groundwater conditions show little change until the spring thaw.

Source:
https://www.weather.gov/media/gyx/DGT/DGT_GYX_11222024.pdf

#Drought #NewEnglandWx #ClimateChange

I find it fascinating that #CMP and utility companies can skimp on trimming trees before damaging storms, and yet have no problem cutting down trees in #WesternMaine for transmission lines that will transmit energy from Quebec to Massachusetts. Makes total sense! (Also, who is going to maintain the pathway once the project has been completed? Let me guess -- #Roundup to the rescue!)

#QuebecHydro #ProtectTheForest #NorthWoods #LocalSolar #KeepItLocal #Glyphosate #Maine

[Gift article] [#Maine] State Lawmakers consider new mining rules that could open door to #LithiumMining

"Some #environmental groups say the rules that would allow for open pit mineral mining provide ample safeguards, but others demand more preliminary testing, smaller pit size limits, stronger reclamation standards and #DarkSkies protections.

"But Eliza Townsend, the [the Appalachian Mountain Club's] conservation policy director, argued that an open pit mine is never going to be anything more than a glorified 'hole in the ground.' Allowing a pit to grow in size would tarnish the unspoiled natural beauty that draws hikers to Maine, especially when the pit is dug into a mountaintop.

"Environmental critics asked lawmakers to require an open-pit mining applicant to use so-called dark sky lighting to minimize the impact on wildlife, neighbors and hikers camping near the #Newry lithium site, including those that use the #GraftonNotch loop trail.

"Some Republicans wanted the committee to approve the rules Monday, arguing the state Legislature had already voted for a mineral mining exemption last year when it voted to amend the mining law and order the drafting of new rules.

"Democrats, however, appeared stung by criticism from environmental advocates who said the committee was considering rules that would open the door to #OpenPit #mining at the same time the legislative calendar had said it would be working on another bill to strengthen the state’s mining law."

https://www.pressherald.com/2024/03/25/state-lawmakers-consider-new-mining-rules/?uuid=e0edb129-e2d0-4a2f-9bd4-49a88f9f4223&lid=10465

#PlumbagoMountain #NewryMaine #LithiumMine #OpenPitMining #WesternMaine #SaveTheForest #WaterIsLife #AndroscogginRiver #Watershed

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

Proposed #LithiumMine in western #Maine clears key hurdle

New rules recommended by the Board of Environmental Protection [#MaineDEP] would allow the testing needed to build an open-pit mine over a large lithium-rich deposit at #PlumbagoMountain in #Newry.

by Penelope Overton
February 29, 2024

"The provisional amendment – the result of a state law adopted last July intended to overhaul the mining law to allow for the extraction of non-reactive minerals like spodumene, the hard rock source of lithium – now heads back to the Legislature for final consideration.

"If adopted, these rules would allow Mary and Gary Freeman, retired rock hounds who split the time between Maine and Florida, to begin the rigorous testing needed to build an open-pit mi over a large lithium-rich mineral deposit they discovered while hunting for gemstones in New 2018.

"'This has been a big lift,' board Chair Susan Lessard, the town manager of Bucksport, said of regulation change. 'I think the department has done a very good job of trying to enact some rules to go along with what the Legislature adopted in the most protective way that they were able.”

"The Newry deposit is a potential piece in the global ramp-up of lithium production to make batteries for storing clean wind and solar energy and powering electric cars. Alternative lithiu batteries are being tested, but for now, lithium is still used in most electric vehicles and grid batteries.

"Despite government and industry interest in building up a domestic lithium market, #Nevada currently has the country’s only operational lithium mine. The #SilverPeaMine, which began operating in the 1960s, pumps lithium-rich brine from underground into large evaporation pools.

"But the United States has at least a hundred domestic #LithiuMines that are hoping to get the permits needed to compete with the likes of Australia, #Chile, #China and #Argentina, which cur dominate the world market, according to conservation biologist Patrick Donnelly of the #CenterForBiologicalDiversity.

"Unlike most U.S. deposits, however, the Freeman find is a hard rock deposit of lithium, similar those in #Australia. They form when hot magma intrudes into the crust and then cools into met rich crystals. Hard-rock lithium is costlier to mine, quicker to market and yields a more valuable form of lithium than brining.

"In a 2020 paper detailing the discovery, the Freemans claimed the 10 million metric-ton #PlumagoMountain deposit had the highest average lithium content of any known spodumene deposit, including gigantic 36-foot-long crystals embedded deep inside the coarse brown and white rock face.

"Initially, the Freemans said they wanted to sell to the battery market, something that would lik require chemical processing on-site or nearby. Later, they said they wanted to sell raw spodum ore with the highest levels of lithium to scientific glass manufacturers, which could eliminate t need for processing.

"Neither the Freemans nor their attorney responded to emails and telephone requests for an interview.

"The provisional rule requires applicants seeking an open-pit mining exemption to prove the operation does not have the potential to violate state water quality standards or expose radioactive materials that would endanger human health or the environment.

"The applicant would have to conduct extensive testing and sampling to show the deposit would react when exposed to the air or water of an open-pit mine. Spodumene is non-reactive, but other metals like copper and silver will create a harmful acid discharge when exposed.

"For example, the Newry spodumene deposit is believed to contain some galena, the blue-black mineral that contains lead sulfide, which has the potential to leach lead and often occurs in combination with iron sulfide, the major culprit in causing acidic mine drainage.

"'We are uncertain if galena is present at levels that are dangerous, but the only way to know w be through detailed characterization of the deposit in the manner that these rule amendments propose,' said Nick Bennett, a staff scientist at Natural Resources Council of Maine.

“#NRCM supported the provisional rule in part because the Board of Environmental Protection decided to add back in requirements that an applicant would have to conduct real-world testing, kinetic testing, to ensure there is nothing reactive in the deposit before a mining exemption is granted.

"'We are supportive of the proposed rules that DEP drafted and BEP approved because we beli they would only allow open-pit mining of metallic minerals when that extraction presents a very low risk to water quality and the environment,' Bennett said.”

https://www.pressherald.com/2024/02/29/state-environmental-board-adopts-new-mineral-mining-rule

#WaterIsLife #Environment
#NoMining in #Maine #OpenPitMining #WesternMaine #NewryMaine