WERU News Report 1/4/12

Program Topic: DEP Commissioner Patricia Aho’s proposal –is it simply “renaming” the bureaus, or is it restructuring?

Key Discussion Points (list at least 3):
a) Aho, a former lobbyist for the American Chemistry Council, the American Petroleum Institute, Horizon Wind Energy, LLC, the Maine Real Estate & Development Association and Verso Paper, among others, was appointed to the Department of Environmental Protection post after Governor LePage’s original pick, Darryl Brown, resigned under controversy over conflicts of interest last year. Aho– who in the past received an award from the Kennebec County Chamber of Commerce for her advocacy on behalf of the business community– announced her plans to restructure DEP at a Chamber of Commerce event last month.

b) Audio recorded a few hours ago as Aho presented the plan to the Environment and Natural Resources Committee of the State Legislature

c) Comments from Pete Didishieim, the Senior Director of Advocacy for the Natural Resources Council of Maine, an organization that has been watching this process carefully and has serious concerns

Guests by name and affiliation: see above

Call In Program: no

Political Broadcast: no

Host: Amy Browne

Engineer: Amy Browne