Tag: Changing Maine Gathering

RadioActive 2/12/15

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco

Issue: Environmental and Social Justice

Program Topic: Changes to Maine’s Mining Regulations Pushed

Key Discussion Points:
a) Today we talk with Rep. Ralph Chapman about fast moving and legally controversial changes to the state’s mining regulations and the power of industry in state government.

b) Mining rule changes, crafted by JD Irving to expedite mining at Bald Mountain in Aroostook County, were rejected by the 126th legislature on the grounds that it did not protect the environment or the public from inevitably costly clean up. These same rules, however, have been re-introduced this session, as LD 146, hopscotching over the requirement under the Maine’s Administrative Procedures Act (MAPA) that Department of Environmental Protection’s proposed rule changes must go before a public hearing before proceeding to the legislature. The Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, however, has scheduled a public hearing for Feb 25th at 9am. It is expected proponents will try to push the bill through as quickly as possible and onto the Governor’s desk for signing.

c) We also look towards the annual Changing Maine Gathering this weekend in Augusta. This years theme : ” We DO Have the Power: Local Organizing Against Corporate/Industrial Projects”

Guests:
Rep. Ralph Chapman, District 133 (Blue Hill, Brooksville, Brooklin, Sedgwick, Castine, Surry)
Sass Linneken, Resources Organizing for Social Change (ROSC), outreach coordinator

WERU News Report 2/8/11

Producer/Host: Amy Browne
Contributors: Jim Campbell, Meaghan LaSala

Segment 1: Brownie Carson retired last week after a career that spanned more than a quarter century, of protecting Maine’s environment, at the helm of the Natural Resources Council of Maine
Back in 1983, when he started work at NRCM, Maine’s rivers were a primary concern for environmentalists because of the high levels of pollution and the dams, which among other things, obstructed fish. As he cleaned out his office Friday afternoon, Brownie Carson took a break to talk with us, reflecting back over early successes and looking ahead to challenges for Maine’s environment.

Segment 2: New York City has Selected Shorts, a program that features readings of short stories from all over the world. Belfast has As If Stories, short stories written by Maine writers and read live by local actors for local audiences.
The series is now in its second year. Gail Hennigsen is one of the original founders and still a current producer of the series which will feature a live reading of a story by Stephen King this coming Sunday. Jim Campbell caught up with Gail recently to find out more about the series, and the
somewhat mysterious name.

Segment 3: The recent 17th annual Changing Maine Gathering was called “Beyond Capitalism: New Economies for Maine.”
Excerpts from a presentation on Solidarity Economy by Ethan Miller and Olivia Geiger

Segment 3: