Glen Brand, director of Sierra Club Maine, gave testimony on March 20, 2017, to the Environment and Natural Resources Committee of the Maine Legislature, speaking against the proposed bill, LD 395, that would weaken mining rules in the state. He supported other bills that would protect Maine's people and environment from hazardous mining for copper, gold, silver, and other metals.
"Senator Saviello, Representative Tucker, and members of this committee, on behalf of the more than 18,000 Sierra Club members and supporters in Maine, I appreciate the opportunity to express our positions on a number of mining bills before your committee.
We strongly oppose LD 395 which would enact the Board of Environmental Protection’s unacceptably weak mining rules. Toxic metallic mining pollution poses a very serious threat to Maine’s water quality.
Tragically, there are numerous examples of the mining pollution devastating communities around the world and in the U.S. The Callahan mine in Brooksville should serve as a clear warning of the dangers of mining pollution and the enormous cost to Maine taxpayers who continue to pay for cleanup more than 40 years after the mine closed. We also oppose LD 395 because it allows mining on state-owned lands, including Public Reserved Lands, and under lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands and other water resources.
A better option
To address the many problems of the BEP’s inadequate mining rules, we support LD 820, “An Act to Protect Maine’s Clean Water and Taxpayers from Mining Pollution.” The bill sets strong standards and prohibitions to protect Maine’s environment and people from toxic metallic mining pollution. The bill protects water quality by restricting mining from floodplains, and banning mines in, on, or under public lands, as well as under lakes, rivers, coastal waters, and wetlands.
Furthermore, the bill strengthens the definition of “mining area”; limits groundwater pollution in mining areas (current statue permits unlimited groundwater pollution in mining areas); and makes the political process more difficult to make future changes to Maine’s mining rules.
In addition to protecting Maine’s water quality, LD 820 protects taxpayers by requiring mining companies to pay enough money up front, as determined by an independent third party, to a fund to clean up a worst case environmental disaster. We cannot allow another Callahan mine disaster to happen again in Maine.
More mining bills
Sierra Club also supports three other mining-related bills: LD 244 ("An Act to Clarify the Use of State Lands Designated for Conservation or Recreation Pursposes"), LD 254 ("An Act to Implement a Moratorium on Metallic Mining"), and LD 685 ("An Act to Establish the Mining Advisory Panel.") Together these bills would address many of the same issues that LD 820 does.
In conclusion, Sierra Club Maine believes that the Legislature has the responsibility to ensure that the state’s mining standards are strong enough to protect our clean rivers, lakes and groundwater from toxic metallic mining contamination. We also believe that mining companies, not Maine taxpayers, should bear the cost of any and all pollution clean-up costs.
We urge the Committee to vote ought not to pass on LD 395, and ought to pass on LDs 820, 244, 254, and 685. Thank you."