During a time of difficult fiscal challenges, the 124th Legislature was fortunate to have a dream team of environmental champions in both bodies. The leadership team of Speaker of the House Hannah Pingree, House Majority Leader John Piotti and House Majority Whip Seth Berry; Senate President Libby Mitchell, Senate Majority Leader Phil Bartlett and Senate Assistant Majority Leader Lisa Marraché ensured that protecting the environment is one area where progress could be made within existing resources.
Natural Resources Committee chairs Sen. Seth Goodall and <Rep. Bob Duchesne were champions on many environmental issues and did an excellent job at providing effective committee leadership to move most of our priority bills out of committee with strong votes.
Rep. Joan Welsh sponsored legislation that closed environmental loopholes to ensure that road construction would have adequate regulatory review (LD 1538).
Speaker Hannah Pingree sponsored a first-in-the-nation law (LD 1568) that bans the toxic flame retardant, decabromodiphenyl ether (DECA), from plastic pallets used to ship everything from food to clothing.
Rep. Melissa Walsh Innes sponsored and worked tirelessly to ensure passage of a framework product stewardship bill (LD 1631) that creates a process to identify products for manufacturer-funded collection and recycling programs. Rep. Jane Knapp and Sen. Doug Smith both worked to improve the bill and bring their Republican colleagues on board in support of LD 1631.
On clean air and energy, Sen. Goodall received bi-partisan support for a bill (LD 1662) that will reduce the amount of sulfur, a contributor to haze, in home heating oil. Assistant House Majority Leader Seth Berry introduced a bill that enhances Maine’s clean energy opportunities (LD 1647). Rep. John Hinck crafted an energy bill (LD 1535) that creates a smart grid policy to improve energy efficiency and reduce energy costs. Reps. Stacey Fitts and Herb Adams, and Sens. Kevin Raye and Barry Hobbins, as members of the Ocean Energy Task Force, worked to develop and secure approval of legislation that will help boost offshore renewable energy development, including offshore wind power and tidal energy projects (LD 1810).
While Sen. Elizabeth Schneider’s support for product stewardship and reducing air pollution is commendable, she disappointingly led the fight on the senate floor to gut a Resolve (LD 891) aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in future development. Commendably, while the Resolve was in the Natural Resources Committee, Rep. Jane Knapp demonstrated her commitment to the issue by casting the sole Republican vote in favor of the Resolve.
Sen. Earle McCormick and Sen. Raye demonstrated political courage by voting against amendments that would have severely cut funding for the Land for Maine Future (LMF) program (LD 1826). Rep. John Piotti helped to keep the Land for Maine Future bond intact during the challenging final days of the session.
Lawmakers demonstrated their commitment to protecting Maine’s environment from invasive species. Rep. Sean Flaherty worked on protecting Maine’s coast from invasive aquatic life that could threaten the local environment and economy (LD 1693). Rep. Jane Eberle’s bill reduced the threat of exotic plants in freshwater lakes, ponds and streams (LD 1548). Rep. Jeff McCabe worked to protect Maine’s forests from invasion of exotic pests (LD 1607).
The work of Rep. Herbert Adams this past session allows communities to have greater access to fund their renewable energy projects (LD 1696).
Rep. Andrew O’Brien sponsored a strong pesticide notification law (LD 1547) that did not burden farmers. He worked diligently to maintain this bill in the face of determined opposition from the Agricultural, Conservation and Forestry Committee. LD 1547 also had strong support from Rep. Leila Percy and Rep. Seth Berry. Rep. Ben Pratt is applauded for steadfastly refusing to compromise pesticide notification during the Committee process and on the House floor.
Rep. Jeff McCabe was also instrumental in shepherding the Comprehensive Land Use Plan of the Land Use Regulation Commission through the legislative process.
Speaker Hannah Pingree, Rep. Bob Duchesne, Rep. Jane Eberle, and Sen. Seth Goodall worked for the passage of LD 1725, a rule aimed at improving stream crossings for fish and other aquatic organisms. Sen. David Trahan spent many hours lobbying his colleagues for passage of the rule. Ultimately, the rule was amended to avoid a late large fiscal note attached by the Department of Transportation.
Rep. Bob Duchesne also helped establish funding for Maine’s Safer Chemicals Program by helping to move partial-funding rules through the Natural Resources Committee (LD 1796).