Maine Currents 6/8/16

Producer/Host: Amy Browne
Production Assistance: Bill Solomon

Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman and her brother/co-author David Goodman, speaking at the UU Church in Bangor on May 14, 2016 at a fundraiser for WERU — part of their book tour for “Democracy Now! 20 Years Covering the Movements Changing America”. Part 2 of 2. Part 1 aired last week and is available on our archives.

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WERU Special: Orland Dam Removal Public Forum 6/3/16

Producer/Host: Amy Browne
Production Assistance: John Greenman

Today we have a special report on the proposal to remove the Orland Dam – a decision that regardless of which way it goes, will likely have impacts not only on that town, but on surrounding areas as well. Orland took over ownership of the dam from Verso in 2011. The dam has been found to have serious structural issues, has failed in the past, and currently salt water flows over the top periodically. It also blocks fish passage and the existing fish ladders are considered inadequate. The town will be voting on June 14th on a ballot question that gives 2 options: Keep the dam and have the town foot any associated costs, or move forward toward removal of the dam by working with NOAA fisheries and the Nature Conservancy to acquire available funding for removal of the dam and ancillary costs. NOAA is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, one of the major forces behind the Penobscot River Restoration project. In 2014 they designated the Penobscot River Watershed as a “Habitat Focus Area” — one of just two on the east coast –citing the environmental, cultural and recreational significance of New England’s second largest river, which provides habitat to many migratory fish species, including 3 that are listed as endangered.

Those who oppose removing the dam are concerned about the impact on water front views, which would start changing with the tides, potential impacts of salt water on wells and bridges, and the need to find a new source of water for fire fighting (as the impoundment created by the dam has been used for that purpose)—and whether the grants the town might receive would cover those costs. The need to coordinate dam removal with the clean up of mercury in the river so as to not further mobilize a mercury hotspot just below the dam is also a concern.

At a well-attended forum Wednesday night in Orland, experts who have been studying the issues and agencies offering funding for the project, provided updates and heard comments and questions from the public. The entire presentation last more than 2 hours. This morning we hear from some of the panelists and a few of the public comments.

NOTE: The link to the full meeting (2+ hours in length) is also posted below. The 1st link is for today’s program, the second is the full meeting.

FMI:
orlandfutures.blogspot.com/
www.orlandme.org/Orland%20Dam.html
www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov/protected/riverherring/tewg/presentations/river_herring_-_penobscot_hfa__september_3__2014_.pdf

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Maine Currents 6/1/16

Producer/Host: Amy Browne
Production Assistance: Bill Solomon

Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman and her brother/co-author David Goodman, speaking at the UU Church in Bangor on May 14, 2016 at a fundraiser for WERU — part of their book tour for “Democracy Now! 20 Years Covering the Movements Changing America”. Part 2 will air in this time slot next week. (Wednesday, June 8th at 4pm)

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Maine Currents 5/18/16

Producer/Host: Amy Browne
Engineer: John Greenman

Nearly 1400 people packed the Collins Center at the University of Maine Monday evening to let Senator Angus King and Jonathan Jarvis, Director of the United States National Park Service, know how they feel about a proposal to designate land east of Baxter State Park as a national monument. A national monument can be designated by the President, whereas a national park requires the approval of Congress. Roxanne Quimby’s family foundation is offering 87,500 acres of land for a “Katahdin Woods and Waters” national monument or park –and millions of dollars to support it.
While a much smaller meeting in East Millinocket earlier in the day drew mostly opponents to the proposal, the audience at the Collins Center was overwhelmingly in support, as evidenced by a sea of pro-monument t-shirts. Today’s show features Lucas St. Clair presenting the proposal, some of the public comments pro and con, and Director Jarvis’ responses to questions.

The full, unedited (3 hr, 16 min) meeting can be heard here: soundcloud.com/amy-browne-1/public-weighs-in-on-natl-monument-proposal

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Maine Currents 4/27/16

Producer/Editor/Host: Amy Browne
Engineer: Joel Mann

Topic: Governor LePage’s recent behavior and efforts to address it. Last night he stormed out of an event at UMaine Farmington, calling 2 protesters “idiots”. The previous day he held a meeting that legally should have been public, but access was denied to legislators, media and the public. He has declared the Natural Resources Council of Maine and the Maine People’s Alliance– 2 of the state’s largest environmental and social justice groups– “enemies”. Efforts to impeach him were defeated earlier this year, but his controversial behavior keeps those efforts alive. Meanwhile his supporters praise his “plain talking” style. On today’s call in show we’re asking “What do YOU think?”

Guests:
Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives Mark Eves FMI: www.speakereves.com/
Rebecca Halbrook, retired attorney working on impeachment efforts and a new group called “Mainers for Government Accountability”. FMI: www.facebook.com/ImpeachGovLePage/?fref=ts
Mike Tipping, Communications Director for the Maine People’s Alliance, cohost of “The Beacon” podcast which airs on WERU Tuesday afternoons at 4 and author of As Maine Went: Paul LePage and the Tea Party Takeover FMI: www.mainepeoplesalliance.org/

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