Maine 2013 legislative session looms. New bills from agencies

On Friday, January 18 4pm, the Maine Legislature's will declare CLOTURE. With very few exceptions, no new bills can be submitted  to the legislature after that until 2015.

Soon to fill with public servants

Here are the titles of the draft bills submitted (so far) by state agencies  to the Maine legislature's Marine Resources Committee, Environment & Natural Resources Committee and Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee.  Bill wording is not yet available.

This does not include bills submitted by legislators on behalf of their constituents and lobbyists. That list has not yet been released
  
MARINE RESOURCES COMMITTEE
LR 471 An Act To Improve the Quality of the Data Used in the Management of Maine's Fisheries
LR 470 An Act To Provide for Passage of River Herring on the St. Croix River in Accordance with an Adaptive Management Plan
LR 469 An Act To Provide for the Effective Marketing and Promotion of Maine Lobster
LR 468 An Act To Provide Guidance for the Development of State Fisheries Management Plans
LR 467 An Act To Require the Development of a Statewide Approach to Seaweed Management
LR 466 An Act To Cap Certain Marine Resources Licenses Issued by the Passamaquoddy Tribe
LR 465 An Act To Make Technical Changes to Maine's Marine Resources Laws

ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE
LR 560 An Act To Amend the Mandatory Shoreland Zoning Laws
LR 559 An Act To Make Minor Changes and Corrections to Statutes Administered by the Department of Environmental Protection
LR 558 An Act To Prohibit the Sale of Gasoline with Corn-based Ethanol as an Additive in Levels Greater than 10 Percent
LR 557 An Act To Provide Clarity To Priority Chemical Reporting Requirements
LR 556 An Act Regarding Working Waterfront Projects
LR 387 An Act To Electronically Issue Permits for Burning Subject


INLAND FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE COMMITTEE
LR 476 An Act To Clarify Provisions of the Whitewater Rafting Laws
LR 475 An Act To Strengthen the Wildlife Laws
LR 480 An Act To Strengthen the Fishing Laws
LR 479 An Act To Strengthen Maine's Assent Language for Participation in the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act
LR 478 Resolve, Concerning Rights of Way over Eastern Road in Scarborough
LR 477 An Act To Amend Certain Provisions of the Fish and Wildlife Laws

TBNT appeals megatank permit approval to Maine Supreme Judicial Court

Thanks But No Tank! has filed a "Motion For Declaratory Judgement Voiding Recent Permit Modifications and Enjoining Further Permit Modifications During The Pendancy Of This Appeal" with the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. Read the Motion here (pdf)

TBNT is asking the state's high court to " vacate Appellee Department of Environmental Protection’s Dec.11, 2012 Findings of Fact and Order modifying and transferring Permit No. L-25359." and to  forbid the Maine DEP from issuing "any other Order transferring or modifying Permit No. L-25239".

The appellants state that "Under the longstanding precedents of this Court, once the appeal was filed, the Department was divested of its jurisdiction to reconsider, amend or modify that permit."

2012 wild Salmon returns to Penobscot River "dismal" .

Back in the river, shortly.

2012's annual wild salmon run in the Penobscot River was "dismal" according to Andrew Goode of the Atlantic Salmon Federation, in a recent BDN column by John Holyoke. The headline on his 2012 report gets right to the point: “The Numbers Are In — 2012 Was Dismal For Salmon,” it reads. (Report not yet available)

This year's Atlantic salmon return total of  624 fish was about a quarter of last year's healthier 3,125 incoming salmon, and the second lowest since the trap first went into operation in 1978.

Goode says that some of the data support the theory that food sources may have been compromised,  especially during the year following its first departure from the river.  Starvation during that "grilse"  stage may have resulted in many deaths in that first year. Goode's report  noted that returning survivors are smaller, apparently stunted by low food availability in that important first year at sea

“It appears that the grilse that did return to [the Penobscot] this year were generally smaller than normal, with many anglers in Canada reporting that they were catching a lot of two-pound grilse,” the report states, according to the Bangor Daily News. “This may be an indication of a lack of food at some time during the year from the smolt to the grilse stage that might have caused some to die and survivors to be smaller.

What is apparent is that the mortality issue is one that is occuring in the sea, since grilse runs are generally down all over and do not appear to be related to smolt production in fresh water.”

DCP tank opponents to demonstrate project's footprint on January 5th TANK OPPONENTS TO DEMONSTRATE PROJECT’S FOOTPRINT JANUARY 5, 2013

Opponents of the proposed Searsport LPG mega-tank will gather at Mosman Park on Water Street in Searsport on January 5th at 1:00 pm to form a 202-ft diameter, “human chain” circle, representing the actual size footprint of the proposed tank. A similar circle comprised of nearly 250 people was assembled in Belfast on November 18^th of this year.

 

The January 5 event comes on the eve of the final round of Public Hearings for the controversial project, scheduled for January 16-18 in Searsport. Organizers say the event is not intended as a protest, but rather as an action to demonstrate the actual size of the proposed tank’s footprint for all to see.

The idea was spawned when project developer DCP Midstream LLC, repeatedly declined to produce a realistic scale model for public viewing and scrutiny. 

Exasperated opponents then took it upon themselves to demonstrate just how large an area the tank would cover by assembling their first 202-foot diameter circle last month in Belfast.  A cluster of helium-filled balloons hovering 137 feet above the field demonstrated the proposed tank’s height.  That event received widespread attention and helped attract hundreds of people from around the region to the first round of public hearings in November.

 

Anyone who is interested in this issue, especially citizens of Searsport, is invited to come and participate in this dramatic, one-hour event, and to witness just how big the proposed tank’s footprint would be.   

Opponents say the massive, 137-foot tall tank poses many dangers and threats to the region, and should not be built in Searsport.

In case of inclement weather, the event will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, January 12, 2013.

 _______________

Contact information:

Peter Wilkinson – 338-4019

DCP Midstream public hearings audio November 26-30th Searsport Maine

Listen to 120  audio recordings of  company officials, town government, citizens' groups and the People spending 5 nights describing, discussing,debating  and making decisions on DCP Midstream LLC's application  to build and operate a 22 million gallon Liquified Petroleum Gas megatank in Searsport, Maine.  Further public hearings on DCP's application will occur in January .Details: click here and here  and  here

November 26 2012 20 recordings so far. More to come (refresh your browser). Planning Board grants &denies interested party status to organizations & individuals Introduction by Bruce Probert, Board chair 1min 44sec Steve Hinchman (TBNT) 4min 53sec Steve Miller IIT 5min 40sec Ed Bearor 1min 38sec Marietta Ramsdell (FOSI) 3min 13 sec Davis Gelinas 2min 10sec Lincolnville No Show 36sec Belfast No Show 20 sec Chris Hyke 1min 47 sec (consolidated) Phyllis Sommer 5min 5sec James & McCormack Economy 5min 48sec David Italiaander 4min 54sec Arlene Leighton 9min 42sec Public Interested Party Requests Bruce Probert: intro 24 sec Charlene Knox Farris 4min 43sec Diane Messer 6min 21sec Nancy Galland (denied) 5min 20sec Joel Madiec 3min (denied) Martha Murphy 5min 49 sec Rebecca Freeman 2min 40 sec More to Come! Full interested parties review. 77 min

November 27, 2012 23 recordings Intro Bruce Probert, Searsport Planning Board chair. 2.5min DCP PRESENTATION Kelly Boden intros DCP 1min 46sec Boden Intro DCP plan 8min 12sec Don Baldridge, DCP, 4min 56 sec Steve Wallace 8min 51sec Intro to slide show 3min 56 DCP Slide Show Part 1 5min 26 sec DCP Slideshow Part 2 7min 41 sec DCP Slideshow Part 3 4min 25sec DCP Slideshow Part 4 7min 46sec DCP Slideshow Part 5 5min 21sec DCP Slideshow Part 6 7min 11 sec DCP PANEL Jeff Hurteau, VP Mktg 5min 45 sec Jeff Hurteau Part 2 4min 5 sec Jeff Hurteau Part 3 7min Planning Board QA1 7min 42sec Planning Board QA2 8min 48sec Steve Hinchman QA1 7min Steve Hinchman QA2 6min 2sec Steve Hinchman QA3 Raj 9min 59sec Steve Miller QA 25min 25sec David Italiaander 5min 15sec Meeting Adjournment 53sec

November 28, 2012 WERU coverage; 1 mp3 More to come.

November 29, 2012 36 recordings of 3 panels Intro by Bruce Probert, Searsport Planning Board Chair 2min 10sec FIRST PANEL LANDOWNERS Introduction of TBNT panel by Steve Hinchman 2min Tom Gocze 8min 15sec Diane Stevens 4min Kevin Kelly 1 min 15 sec J Lucas 8min 45 sec ed Kessler 4min 12 sec Elaine Tucker 3 min Cross Examination of above panel by DCP atty James Kilbreth 18 min 50 sec SECOND PANEL SEARSPORT BUSINESSES Introduction to Second panel 12 sec Jay Economy 4min 15 sec Brenda Liston 15min 25 sec Laurie Schweikart 7min 20 sec Phyllis Sommer 8min 37 sec Rick Schweikhart 4min Steve Tanguay 10 min 48 sec Board Q&A 5min DCP Q&A Jay McCormack 6min 28sec DCP Q&A Brenda Liston 5min 43 sec DCP Q&A Phyllis Sommer 5min DCP Q&A Schweikart 1min 19sec DCP Q&S Steve Tanguay 3min 15sec Dave Gelinas Q&A 2min Board QA THIRD PANEL. ISLESBORO ISLANDERS Introduction and Steve Miller 19min 35sec Andrew Coombs 53 sec Bill Warren 2min 52 sec Bill Boardman 2min 39sec Alison Wood (static first 12 seconds) 5min 13sec Arch Gillies 10min 27sec Board Q&A 1 min 39sec DCP Kilbreth Q&A #1 8min 16sec DCP Kilbreth Q&S #2 2min 18sec David Gelinas Q&A 9min 22 sec Steve Hinchman "Cleanup Questions" 2min 55sec DCP Kilbreth Final question, end of hearing 1min

November 30, 2012 42 recordings Part 1 2hrs * Part 2 1hr 50min INDIVIDUAL SPEAKERS AT 11/30/12 HEARING DCP consultant explains maps of proposal. 21 minutes PUBLIC SPEAKS Charlene Knox-Farris (Searsport historian) 3min 43sec Mark Stanley 3min 17 sec Tara Hollander 7min 50 sec Bruce Suppes 5 minutes Carole Yee 2min 50 sec Don Garrold 6min 21 sec Carrie Slocum 2min 32 sec Rebecca Turcotte 2min 10 sec Heidi Brugger 2min 30 sec Randall Parr 6min 20 sec Larch Hansen 9min 42 sec Trisha Rose 10 minutes Brenda Burkfeld 2min 17sec James Merckel 5min 50 sec Harlan McLaughlin 6 min SECOND HALF OF MEETING Erin Herbig 5 min Joanne McNally 4min 34 sec Meredith Ares 4min 20 sec Daniel Alexander-Beaton 5min 44 sec Corbin O'Connell 4min 35 sec Betty Schopmeyer 4min 21 sec Mike Nahme 47 seconds Larch Hansen Pt 2 3min 23 sec Rachel E. Fuller 2min 50 sec Phyllis Coelho 5min 30 sec Faith Garrold 7min 41 sec Keith Ritchie 4min 1 sec Suzanne Farley 2min 55 sec Norma Sawyer 2min 30 sec Alan Clemente 4min 58sec Peter Taber 6min 30 sec Arlene Jurewicz-Leighton 2min 49sec Janet Williams 4min 33sec Julia Kraft & Anna Mueller 4min 1 sec Ron Huber 3min 30sec Diana Newman 5min 56 sec Christopher Grotton 3min 54sec Martha Murphy 3min 9sec Peter Wilkinson 4min 45sec

FIrst Night of megatank public hearings; Searsport Planning Board picks parties

November 26, 2011. Night # 1 of  5 Searport planning board public hearings on DCP

Listen below to organizations and citizens requesting Interested Party status to take part in the hearing, and to the planning board, in most cases granting party status, in others, no.

 

Introduction by Bruce Probert, Board chair  1min 44sec

Bruce Probert's 'one warning' rule for ejecting people from hearing

Steve Hinchman (TBNT) 4min 53sec

Steve Miller IIT 5min 40sec

Ed Bearor 1min 38sec

Marietta Ramsdell (FOSI) 3min 13 sec

Davis Gelinas 2min 10sec

Lincolnville No Show 36sec

Belfast No Show 20 sec
Chris Hyke 1min 47 sec (consolidated)
Phyllis Sommer 5min 5sec
James & McCormack Economy 5min 48sec
David Italiaander 4min 54sec
Arlene Leighton denied 9min 42sec

Public requests for IP status

Bruce Probert: intro  24 sec
Charlene Knox Burris 4min 43sec
Diane Messer 6min 21sec
Nancy Galland (denied) 5min 20sec
Joel Madiec  3min (denied)
Martha Murphy 5min 49 sec
Rebecca Freeman 2min 40 sec


MORE TO COME! (Refresh your browser)