Producer/Host: Amy Browne
Topics: regulating tar sands, smart meters fees
Segment 1: There is news today on the issue of a possible tar sands pipeline in Maine. A diverse coalition of groups and individuals announced this morning that they are filing a petition with the federal government, calling for new safety standards– and a moratorium on further construction until the safety measures are in place. Jim Murphy, Lead Counsel for the National Wildlife Federation, was the moderator on a conference call earlier today, where the coalition provided background:
(FMI: NWF.org/TarSands and NRCM.org/tarsands.asp )
Segment 2: In Augusta this afternoon, the Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee held a public hearing on a bill [LD 826 “An Act To Eliminate the Opt-out Charges for Smart Meters”] that would eliminate the fees consumers currently have to pay if they don’t want one of the electric company’s so-called “smart meters” on their house. The meters have raised concerns about health and privacy issues. Representative Andrea Boland spoke in favor of the bill: