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 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