Defending Maine against the Plastic Armada: LD 911 is getting traction.

 Want to keep waste from foreign nations out of Maine?

Excitingly , LD 911 is gaining much traction! We have an incredible opportunity to pass it and keep the the world's plastic waste bales out of Maine. Right Now! Below are details of how the worksession yesterday went and a recording of it. (28min) Read the bill and Listen to the 5/5/21 worksession .irst the audio: http://penbay.org/.../melegis_2021_enr_050521_ws_ld911...

Read the bill

http://legislature.maine.gov/bills/display_ps.asp...

Blow by blow description of the worksession

On May 5th LD 911 "An Act To Prohibit the Reception of Foreign Waste Plastic in Maine Ports" had a rollercoaster worksession that ended up with the bill being tabled to another work session.

After the committee analyst laid out the details, Rep Vickie Doudera shockingly moved immediately for Ought Not to Pass. But (spoiler alert) No second, and later she withdrew that motion.

Senator Bennett called instead for Ought to Pass as Amended. He noted that the only objection anyone had to the bill was a fuzzy definition of "other jurisdictions" that would be barred from shipping us their waste. Change it to just "other nations" They decided to take a caucus break

After the break Rep Doudera announced she withdrew her ONTP motion. Then it got tabled! Though committee members Rep Hanley and O'connor opposed the tabling.

Once they agreed to table it , the committee came up with a list of questions to be answered before the next worksession on LD911:

* What volume of plastic waste coming in to Maine - both weight and dollar value?

* What does the Atty general's office think as to the constitutionality of the bill? Can Maine law supercede international laws? A legislator: Never know till we try. We shouldn't be a world dumpsite!

Blume: This is about out of of country waste. Zero in on that. Not waste brought by land from other US states.

Also shouldn't we allow allow plastic trash that accumulated onboard from the crew's normal operations during the voyage to Maine - food wrappers etc to be taken by a municipal trash hauler?

So bay frfiends and others plases urge your legislators to help keep Maine free of foreign plastic waste by suppolrting LD 911 "An Act To Prohibit the Reception of Foreign Waste Plastic in Maine Ports"

Stay tuned!