Sierra Club Maine Files Appeal Against Maine DEP Permit for Kingfish Maine
On July 22, 2021 Sierra Club Maine filed an appeal to the Department of Environmental Protection on its decision to approve a Maine Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (MEPDES) permit and Waste Discharge License (“permit”) for Kingfish Maine to discharge 28.7 million gallons per day (“MGD”) of treated wastewater into Chandler Bay in Jonesport, Maine. Sierra Club Maine specifically took issue with the 6.5 MGD of fish culture or processed water.
The appeal was put together by Sierra Club Maine’s Legal Intern, Kevin Murphy, who found that the Department of Environmental Protection neglected to consider the detrimental impact that the effluent will have on eelgrass and other aquatic species. “Kingfish’s permit does not adequately analyze the cost of the impact of water degradation and the permit does not address the alternative technology available to eliminate harmful effluent,” said Kevin Murphy. “Furthermore, the range of pH discharge from 6.0-9.0 is too permissive and contributes to the growing concern of ocean acidification. The permit also does not address the Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis Virus risk.”
Sierra Club supports sustainable aquaculture and the use of Zero discharge technology for this project, which is commercially available.
“Approving a permit that diminishes water quality as it relates to eelgrass is in direct conflict of Maine’s Climate Action Plan, Maine Won’t Wait, and puts threatened and endangered species at risk” says Sarah Leighton, Sierra Club Maine’s Chapter Director. “We should be doing everything in our power to protect our bays, not granting permits that will further degrade them.”
While the appeal was denied by the DEP, Sierra Club Maine will continue its effort to stop the project and protect Chandler Bay. If you are interested in volunteering to support this effort, please let us know at Maine.Chapter@sierraclub.org.
Help Gather Signatures for a Consumer Owned Utility
The campaign for a consumer owned utility continues! Sign up now to join Mainers in gathering signatures this fall for a Citizen Initiative to put the Pine Tree Power proposal on the ballot. To start, we are coordinating efforts this Election Day, as there will be ample opportunities to gather signatures.
Now is the time to democratize our energy system and create our electric grid of the future. Working together we can take our electric grid out of the hands of the underperforming foreign corporate profiteers and put it back in the hands of Maine people. You can find out more at https://ourpowermaine.org/.
Call to Run for Office: Thinking ahead to 2022!
Yes, it’s true. Even if most of us are still in recovery from the active 2020 election and enjoying a Maine summer, the 2022 election is right around the corner. With considerable progress made during the 130th legislature, we are preparing for the 2022 elections, working to find and support candidates who will work for our environmental priorities.
Has someone declared in your state district—both Maine Senate and House? Do you know someone who might consider running? Could it be you? All state Senate and House seats are up for reelection every two years. Some races have open seats, meaning no incumbency advantage. In the Maine House of Representatives, 38 representatives are terming out, twelve of whom we have endorsed previously. In the Senate, ten members are terming out, including five of whom we endorsed previously.
Qualified candidates with a commitment to our environment are necessary to retain and expand on the gains we made in the last legislature. Although the deadline for registering for our primary is not until March 2022, now’s the time to consider running!
Finfish Aquaculture: Weighing In
By Minot Weld, Sierra Club Maine Volunteer
Editorial and Content Assistance: Holly Faubel and Jim Merkel
In recent years there has been an unprecedented push to establish industrial finfish aquaculture facilities in Maine, with five proposals currently working their way through the permitting process. These projects are expensive, harmful to the environment and the ecosystem, and not in line with the state’s climate goals. Better alternatives exist, so promoting massive, polluting, carbon intensive facilities is the wrong way to go.
Total investment for these projects will exceed $1.2 billion. Four of the facilities will raise Atlantic Salmon with a total projected annual output of 210 million pounds (this is over five times the amount produced in the entire country in 2017, the most recent year for which production figures are available). The fifth facility will grow kingfish, non-native to Maine. Continue reading here.
Chapter Thanks Summer Interns!
This summer Sierra Club Maine hosted two interns—Kevin Murphy, law student from Boston College, and Cam Anderson, student at Bates College. Kevin’s legal internship culminated in two overarching projects: filing an appeal to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection over the approval of a wastewater permit for an aquaculture facility in Jonesport and submitting comments to Efficiency Maine on their draft Triennial Plan. Cam’s internship focused on writing a policy paper about Maine’s plans for offshore wind turbines. You can read about Kevin’s experience here and Cam’s experience here.
Kevin’s and Cam’s contributions to the Maine Chapter and the Maine environmental movement were immense. We thoroughly enjoyed working with them and look forward to seeing great things from them in the future. Thank you, Kevin and Cam!
“Code Red for Humanity” –Understanding the Recent IPCC Report
In August, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a new report on the state of the climate. U.N. Secretary General António Guterres has called the findings “code red for humanity.” The report confirms many fears—that we are already experiencing human induced climate change, and headed for 1.5 degrees of warming by the 2030s. Click here to read a summary of the report. This report serves as a stark reminder of the urgency of the crisis we face, and we need all the help we can get. Sign up here to volunteer with us, or attend our next volunteer orientation.
September Evening Walks in Portland Area
By David von Seggern, Sierra Club Maine Outings Leader
Join our Outings Team for weekly Tuesday evening walks as a farewell to summer (Sept. 7, 14, 21, 28). These walks will begin at 5:30pm, go about 2 miles (plus or minus depending on conditions, terrain, views, etc), and finish by 7pm. Each walk will take place in the Greater Portland area and will feature at least one conservation element to discuss on the route.
Our first walk is set for Tuesday, Sept. 7! Come walk a stretch of the Greenway south of Portland with us. Learn more and register here!
This series is designed so that almost anyone can join! We will go at a moderate pace. You do not need to be a Sierra Club member to join us. All participants must sign a waiver. Information on each walk will be posted on the Maine Chapter events calendar at least one week prior. We hope to see you there!
Green Tip of the Month
As we continue to experience the effects of climate change, rain will not always come when we want it to. This summer, most of the state started out with a moderate to severe drought and some areas are still experiencing a drought according to the US Drought Monitor . One way to protect our wells is to harvest rainwater and use it for our gardens. According to our friends at the University of Maine, “rainwater harvesting is the collection and storage of rain from roofs or from any surface area for future use. The water is generally stored in tanks, barrels, cisterns, ponds, or directed into rain gardens or other areas which recharge the groundwater.”
Join us for a two mile group walk through a forest near the headwaters of Spinney Creek. As we walk through the preserve owned by Kittery Land Trust we will stop at a few places to explore plants and animals as they get ready for winter.
