News & Press
Lowe’s to Phase Out Toxic Flooring Chemical
Home improvement chain Lowe’s has said it would eliminate a hazardous chemical from its flooring products after activists launched a campaign to end their use. The chemicals known as phthalates lend flexibility to vinyl tiles and sheets, and Congress has banned them from children’s products over health concerns. In April, environmental and health activists conducted… Read more »
Maine Voices: Drinking Water of Maine Families Too Often Contaminated by Arsenic
Amy Volk, State Senator, Scarborough — As a state senator representing a district that is rapidly growing with people who come here to raise their families, I feel an obligation to do what I can to give children the best shot at healthy, productive lives. That means making sure that all children have access to… Read more »
LePage Veto Stops Arsenic Tests of Maine Well Water
AUGUSTA — A legislative effort to promote well-water testing in Maine was nixed this week when legislators failed to override a veto from Gov. Paul LePage. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Drew Gattine, D-Westbrook, was a response to recent scientific findings on arsenic, a carcinogen occurring naturally in the state’s bedrock, which is a particular… Read more »
LePage Veto Kills Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Mainers from Arsenic in Drinking Water
AUGUSTA – Health advocates, businesses, and parents were disappointed on Tuesday as they watched legislation to protect Maine families from arsenic in drinking water fall four votes short of the two-thirds majority needed in the Maine House of Representatives to override the Governor’s veto. LD 1162, An Act to Ensure Safe Drinking Water from All… Read more »
Senate Votes to Help More Mainers have Clean Drinking Water
AUGUSTA– This morning, The Maine State Senate voted overwhelmingly in favor of the most recent version of LD 1162, “An Act to Ensure Safe Drinking Water for All Maine Families.” The bill was passed 22 to 13. Yesterday, the bill was passed to be engrossed in the House with 108 votes in favor, 40 votes… Read more »
House Votes to Help More Mainers have Clean Drinking Water
AUGUSTA– The State of Maine Legislature voted ought to pass as amended on LD 1162: An Act to Ensure Safe Drinking Water for All Maine Families, by a strongly bipartisan vote (Yeas 108 – Nays 40 – Absent 3 – Excused 0). The bipartisan legislation addresses the high level of naturally occurring contaminants such as… Read more »
Branching Out: The Future of the Forestry Industry + Biobased Maine
PORTLAND – On Tuesday, May 19, E2Tech will be hosting a forum on the future of the forestry industry and how Maine can move forward. The event will also introduce Biobased Maine, a business alliance that promotes the sustainable use of renewable biomass from forests, farms, and sea to manufacture the next generation of biobased… Read more »
Democratic and Republican Lawmakers Pledge Bipartisan Effort to Address Arsenic in Drinking Water
AUGUSTA – This morning, Representative Drew Gattine, D-‐Westbrook and Representative Gary L. Hilliard, R-‐Belgrade spoke out in support of a new bipartisan bill that addresses the high level of naturally occurring contaminants such as arsenic found in private wells that Mainers rely on as drinking water. The Democrat and Republican legislators were joined by a… Read more »
“Access to clean, safe drinking water should not be a luxury,” says Kennebec Journal
A recent op-ed in the Kennebec Journal calls tests and treatment of arsenic in private wells a state problem, and calls for support of L.D. 1162 and L.D. 937. The bills would increase awareness of the problem, improve testing, and help low-income families eliminate deadly chemicals like arsenic and radon from their drinking water. Read OUR… Read more »
“Maine Trees Envisioned as Key to Future Prosperity”: Portland Press Herald Covers Biobased Maine Event
Biobased Maine Board of Directors members Tony Jabar (Cerealus), Jamie Chittum (Grow-Tech), and Michael Bilodeau (University of Maine) spoke recently on a panel at the May E2Tech Forum, “The Future of the Forest Industry & Biobased Maine.” The event began with a panel of forestry experts and concluded with Biobased Maine presenting to the audience its… Read more »