Tag: BEP

RadioActive 1/25/18

Producer: Meredith DeFrancesco

Nestle/Poland Spring Manager Appointed to Maine Board of Environmental Protection and Trump Moves to Open Offshore Drilling

-Today, we look at the appointment and confirmation of Nestle/Poland Springs natural resources manager Mark Dubois to Maine’s Board of Environmental Protection (BEP), and the close relationship between industry and regulators in the state.

-Poland Springs, a subsidiary of Nestle, has been pursuing aggressive expansion of their wells in Maine. Dubois oversees the selection of new spring sites.

-In April, President Trump signed an executive order instructing the Dept of Interior to write new rules for offshore oil and gas drilling, as part of “America First Offshore Energy Strategy”. The Trump Administration’s new plan aims to open close to 90% of the US outer continental shelf for drilling, including off the coast of Maine. The Dept of Interior is accepting public comments on the plan until March 9th.

Guests:
Nickie Sekera, Community Water Justice https://www.facebook.com/communitywaterjustice/
Lisa Pohlmann, Natural Resources Council of Maine www.nrcm.org

RadioActive 1/5/17

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco

Issue: Environmental and Social Justice

Program Topic: Board of Environmental Approves Passes Mining Regulations

Key Discussion Points:

1) Today, the Maine Board of Environmental Protection voted to support changes to environmental regulations that would allow metallic mining in Maine. The Proposed rule changes now go to the legislature.
2) Over the paste past 5 years, the Department of Environmental Protection has tried to push the rule changes through the legislature, where it has been voted down. Changes to Maine’s mining law were originally designed by JD Irving, who has interest in mining Bald Mountain in Aroostook County.
3) Widespread public opposition has organized around com batting the DEP’s proposed rule changes, while trying to offer alternative protections to the state’s current inadequate statute.

Guest: Lindsay Newland Bowker, Environmental Risk Manager, Bowker Associates, Science and Research In the Public Interest

Maine Currents 4/6/16

Producer/Host: Amy Browne

Topic: LePage’s controversial BEP nominee confirmed

In a nearly unanimous vote this morning, the Senate confirmed Kathleen Chase, Governor LePage’s nominee for the Board of Environmental Protection– an appointee so controversial that environmental groups that say they have never opposed a nominee, spoke in opposition at a public hearing yesterday. The only vote in against the confirmation came from Senator Dave Miramant, a Democrat from Camden. The Senate’s vote took less than 2 minutes, and was done with no discussion or debate. They devoted significantly more time this morning to honoring a middle school band and recognizing various visitors, than they did to making this decision.
Today on Maine Currents we’re going to take a look at how this nomination was approved, starting with the confirmation hearing yesterday before the legislature’s Environment and Natural Resources Committee.