Penobscot Bay Blog: Maine DEP & Big Waste agree at Jan 7, 2021 BEP mtg: keep Out Of State Waste flowing into Maine! (but in an "environmentally just" way)

On January 7, 2021, Maine Board of Environmental Protection held a zoom meeting that included waste rule changes brought forward by citizens group Don't Waste ME, Penobscot Nation, and others. HEAR AUDIO BELOW. Fact Sheet (PDF) :: Draft Rule Chapter (PDF) :: Citizen Petition :: Adoption Packet The BEP declined to accept any but one rule change - addition of the term "environmental justice" into its lexicon.

The major change hoped for would've (1)define waste as "Maine Waste" only if it originated in Maine. This to end a recycling loophole that lets thousands of truckloads of waste to be brought to Maine every year from other states and landfilled as "Maine waste". Adoption of the term Environmental Justice as a regulatory criterion for state siting or expansion of landfills or their discharging waste is at least one victory

1. Introduction 2min 19sec

2 Acting DEP Commissioner Melani Loyzim updates 93sec

3 Review December 15 2020 minutes 50sec

4 Chapter 100 Air Licencing issues 2min

5 Chapter 400 Rulemaking petition intro 39sec

6 DEP Paul Clark overview of Chapter 400 issues 11min

7 DEP Paula Clark Q&A 41min

Part 2 Public speakers

9 Ed Spencer reads Hillary Lister comments

10 Ed Spencer's own comments

11 Procedural question 6min 35sec

12 Dan Thornton, Thornton Construction 3min37sec