Maine DMR presentation & QA on new mercury lobster closure 6/28/16. AUDIO

On June 28, 2016, Maine DMR held a meeting in Bucksport about the state's

Mendelson

new permanent closure of the lobster fishery of the mouth of Penobscot River and the SW tip of  Penobscot Bay. Attendees including lobstermen and environmentalists. Listen to meeting audio  Read details below the audio links.

 AUDIO MP3s

* Part 1 Intro by DMR asst commissioner Meredith Mendelson  6min 20sec

* Part 2 DMR's Carl Wilson giving audio- slide presentation. 9min 39sec

* Part 3  Mendelson summarizes 2min 38sec
* Q&A 1, Wayne Canning, Belfast Lobsterman, 6min 15sec
* Q&A 2 Kim Tucker 12min
* Q&A 3  5 min
* Q&A4. 6min 43sec Meeting End

Wilson

Presenters DMR deputy commissioner Meredith Mendelson and Carl Wilson director of DMR's Marine Science Bureau, gave presentations. 

They then took questions, along with state toxicologist Andy Smith .  

(DMR's FAQ on the new mercury closure)  

Wayne Canning (standing)

Zone D fisherman Wayne Canning of Belfast, eco-attorney Kim Ervin Tucker of Islesboro, Ron Huber of  Friends of Penobscot Bay and  others peppered the officials with questions.

Attorney Tucker challenged the state's methodology in arriving at locations of higher or lower levels of mercury contamination in the sediments and lobsters of the lower river and upper bay.

She also presented DMR with copies of  a new DEP permit allowing the Mallinkrodt company (owner of the property that is the chief source  of mercury in the river and bay.

Kim Ervin Tucker

The permit allows the company  to increase its discharge of mercury-tainted water into the river by 40,000 gallons per day.

 This  increases  the discharge from  the existing 60K gallons per day  to 100K gallons per day)

MORE TO COME(check back later)