Seven Maine Mining bills gets public hearing. The People speak

The Maine Legislature' s Environment and Natural Resources Committee held a public hearing on March 20, 2017 on seven mining related bills before it : LD 160,  LD 253,  LD 254,  LD 395,  LD 580,   LD 685  & LD 820   Listen to  an always increasing selection of these speakers  (Full audio recording of 3/20/17 mining public hearings available by request )

First Nations

Representative Henry John Bear Maliseet Nation introduces chiefs . 45sec

Maliseet Chief Brenda Commander 5min 40sec

Peter Paul Chief MicMac Nation 1 min 59sec

Rep Henry John Bear testimony 4 min 45sec 

Citizen activists

Jody Spear 4 minutes, 15 seconds

Karin Spitfire 2 minutes 
John F. Slack. 3min 38sec 

ENGOs 
Jeff Reardon- Trout Unlimited 6min 19sec
Heather Spaulding MOFGA. 3min 15 sec
Caitlyn Bernard, Appalachian Mountain Club 2min 38sec
Nick Bennett  NRCM 3min 12 sec

Politician

Chris Johnson 5min 47sec 

Bills under review at hearing

LD 160,An Act To Prohibit the Mining of Massive Sulfide Ore Deposits under the Maine Metallic Mineral Mining Act,Rep. Robert Duchesne of Hudson

LD 253,  An Act To Repeal the Maine Metallic Mineral Mining Act - Rep. RalphChapman of Brooksville

LD 254, An Act To Implement a Moratorium on Metallic Mineral Mining - Rep. Ralph Chapman of Brooksville

LD 395,  Resolve, Regarding Legislative Review of Chapter 200: Metallic Mineral Exploration, Advanced Exploration and Mining, a Major Substantive Rule  MDEP

LD 580, An Act To Modify the Mining Laws - Sen. Thomas Saviello of Franklin
LD 685 An Act To Establish the Mining Advisory Panel. Rep. Chapman of Brooksville

LD 820 An Act To Protect Maine's Clean Water and Taxpayers from Mining Pollution Sen. Carson of Cumberland

Maine draft metallic mining rules OK'd by BEP, despite widespread community oppo. Sent to Legislature for approval.

Listen to audios of the Maine Board of Environmental Protection at its January 5, 2017 meeting, where it approved its latest draft of controversial new metallic mining rules, with the support of Maine DEP's mining division; despite nearly complete community opposition for the last two years.   25 second  justification of mining under coastal wetlands (bays)  read by BEP staffer

Media coverage of meeting. BDN   PPH   Mainebiz  MTC   See ME Metallic Mining Act . 

AUDIO
PART 1

BEP meeting in progress when recording begins 11min 

Discussion by DEP & BEP favoring mining under coastal wetlands. 6min

Public commenter. Hendrick Gideonse 8min

Public commenter Lew Kingsbury 7min 

Public commenter Bruce Taylor & QA 21min

Public commenter _Dennis Chinoy_ 6min45sec

Public commenter Betsy Bishop Terrell 5min

Hendrick Gideonse

Public commenter Craig Terrell 7min

Public Commenter  Nick Bennett 13min

Public commenter  Doug Bowen 5min

Dennis Chinoy

Public commenter Ron Huber 3min

Full part 1 comments 78min 

Break

PART 2

Pub commenter Jeff Reardon 5min

Pub Commenter Kaitlyn Bernard 70sec

Cindy Bertocci q'd on public notice of hearing 3min

DEP staff  q'd wet waste / dry waste issue. 3min38sec

DEP Staff Shore funding question 38sec

DEP staff on if this a substantive change thus need add pub notice

DEP staff revisits issue of mining under protected resources. 2min46sec

BEP member calls for adding public's concerns to report to legislature 2min

Break

PART 3
BEP deliberates, approves draft rules w/o changes urged by public & ENGOs 29min

Maine Metallic Open Pit Mining Rules Pub Hearing October 17th, Augusta Civic Center.

LD 1853 stripped the environmental safeguards out of Maine's metallic mining laws and regulations, which had been in effect for 30 years. 

Now the state must implement rules to interpret the law. Maine's very pro-mining Commissioner of Environmental Protection has come up  these draft Rules for Metallic Mineral Exploration, Advanced Exploration and Mining.

On October 17th starting 9am the Maine  Board of Environmental Protection  will hold a public hearing on these rule changes starts at  the Augusta Civic Center. 

More details from NRCM.... More details from Maine Audubon  

Listen to recordings of  two  March 2013 public hearings on LD 1853