Podcast appearances and mentions of hillary lister

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco On Tuesday, the Maine Land Us Planning Commission (LUPC) followed staff recommendation and voted 5 to 2 to approve the site law certification for Central Maine Power’s highly controversial New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC) corridor project. The NECEC will now proceed to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. Before the vote, some LUPC commissioners expressed concern with the project and the pressure their commission received from Central Maine Power to accelerate their process. Today we hear some of the commissioners statements and an interview with LUPC Regional Supervisor, Bill Hinkel. Today we also look at efforts to reform Maine’s waste law at the legislative and agency levels. On Friday January 17th, the Legislature’s Environment and Natural Resources Committee will hold a work session on waste bills held over from last session, including LD 401 An Act to Preserve State Landfill Capacity and Promote Recycling. On January 13th, representatives of communities impacted by landfills will deliver a petition to the Maine DEP to amend its rules to provide an accurate definition of Maine-generated waste and to require consideration of impacts on environmental justice when determining the public benefit of licensing landfills. Guests: Betsy Fitzgerald, Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC) commissioner, Machiasport Jay May, LUPC commissioner, Mapleton Bill Gilmore, LUPC commissioner, Freeman Twp Bill Hinkel, LUPC Regional Supervisor www.maine.gov/dacf/lupc/agenda_items/010820/slc9_Memo_Draft_Decision_Document.pdf e) Hillary Lister, Don’t Waste ME Today’s program was co-produced by WERU FM/RadioActive and Sunlight Media Collective.

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco a) Today we hear updates on the status of proposed waste reform and water extraction bills in the Maine State Legislature. b) Yesterday, the Environmental and Natural Resources Committee made decisions on five bills that could impact industrial water extraction in Maine, specifically by Poland Spring, owned by Nestle Waters North America. The ENR Committee voted unanimously “ought to pass” on LD 112 ” An Act to Acknowledge Potable Water as a Necessity.” They voted unanimously “ought not to pass” on LD 1358, “An Act to Further the Public Interest In All Maine Waters”, LD 413 ” An Act to Ensure the Rights of Citizens to Groundwater in the State” and LD 197 “An Act to Convene a Working Group to Authorize a Public Trust for Maine’s Groundwater”. The Committee voted to move LD 1474 “An Act to Ensure Water Equity and Accountability for the People of the State”, sponsored by Rep. Hickman legislature.maine.gov/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1076&item=1&snum=129, to the Legislative Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee. The work session is not yet scheduled. c) Tomorrow, April 26th, at 10 am the Environment and Natural Resources Committee will hold a work session on LD 401, An Act To Preserve State Landfill Capacity and Promote Recycling,” would request the accurate tracking and record keeping of waste from its generation to final disposal point, including as landfill leachate discharged into Maine waterways, including Juniper Ridge Landfill leachate deposited into the Penobscot River. It would walk back a 2011 state statute that allows out of state waste to be re-classified as in-state waste. It would also walk back the ability for the state to meet recycling goals by counting construction and demolition debris used as landfill covering and waste biosolids used as agricultural fertilizer. It would strengthen protections for the health of those living in close proximity to waste disposal facilities, including the Penobscot Nation. To listen to the work session: legislature.maine.gov/Audio/#216 Guests: Nickie Sekera, Community Water Justice www.facebook.com/communitywaterjustice/ www.communitywaterjustice.com Hillary Lister, solid waste and environmental justice activist, Contact info: hmaine9@gmail.com or 207-314-4692 Today’s program was produced with the Sunlight Media Collective.

Penobscot Nation and Other Affected Communities Speak Out at Public Hearing on Solid Waste Reform Bill Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco Today we follow up on reforms afoot for solid waste policy in Maine, as affected communities, including the Penobscot Nation, policy makers and the Department of Environmental Protection look to address long standing problems. Yesterday, the Maine Legislature’s Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources heard public testimony on three waste bills, including LD 401, “An Act to Preserve State Landfill Capacity and Promote Recycling”, (legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0310&item=1&snum=129) LD 401 would request the accurate tracking and record keeping of waste from its generation to final disposal point, including as landfill leachate discharged into Maine waterways, including Juniper Ridge Landfill leachate deposited into the Penobscot River. It would walk back a 2011 state statute that allows out of state waste to be re-classified as in-state waste. It would also walk back the ability for the state to meet recycling goals by counting construction and demolition debris used as landfill covering and waste biosolids used as agricultural fertilizer. It would strengthen protections for the health of those living in close proximity to waste disposal facilities. Today we hear some of the testimony from those present, including representatives of the Penobscot Nation. And we speak with Hillary Lister, longtime waste organizer and co-author of LD 401, on how things are developing, as the Department seeks to incorporate elements of LD 401 into a bill that also go before the ENR Committee soon. Guests: Rep. Ryan Tipping, sponsor of LD 401, District 123, Orono John Banks, Director of the Department of Natural Resources, Penobscot Nation Mauilian Dana, Penobscot Nation Ambassador Sarah Lakeman, Sustainable Maine Project Director, Natural Resources Council of Maine Hillary Lister, solid waste activist Dawn Neptune Adams, environmental activist, member of Penobscot Nation Heather Linnet Whittier Rep. Lori Gramlich, District 13 Today’s program was produced with the Sunlight Media Collective, including Dawn Neptune Adams, Andrea DeFrancesco and Josh Woodbury. Audio recording by Josh Woodbury. www.sunlightmediacollective.org

LD 401: Bill to Comprehensively Reform Waste Policy in Maine Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco Production assistance from Dawn Neptune Adams, Sunlight Media Collective a) Today we discuss a bill looking to comprehensively address waste issues in Maine : LD 401, “An Act to Preserve State Landfill Capacity and Promote Recycling”, (legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0310&item=1&snum=129) written by longtime waste organizer Hillary Lister and others from effected communities. b) LD 401 would request the accurate tracking and record keeping of waste from its generation to final disposal point, including as landfill leachate discharged into Maine waterways. It would walk back a 2011 state statute that allows out of state waste to be re-classified as in-state waste. It would also walk back the ability for the state to meet recycling goals by counting construction and demolition debris landfill covering and waste biosolids used as agricultural fertilizer. It would strengthen protections for the health of those living in close proximity to waste disposal facilities. c) A public hearing on the bill will be held by the Maine Legislature’s Environmental and Natural Resources Committee,(legislature.maine.gov/Audio/#216) on Wednesday, April 3rd and 10 am. Written comments will be accepted until that time at enr@legislature.maine.gov. Guest: Hillary Lister, co-author of LD 401 : “An Act to Preserve State Landfill Capacity and Promote Recycling” legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0310&item=1&snum=129 Contact info: hmaine9@gmail.com or 207-314-4692 This program was produced with the Sunlight Media Collective.

In this episode I have a discussion with Hillary Lister, environmental activist and producer at Maine Independent Media, about the proposed "Atlantica" free trade zone. The zone would include Maine New Hampshire Vermont and upstate new York, and the provinces of New Brunswick Nova Scotia Prince Edward Island, Labrador and New Foundland and Nothern quebec Atlantica promoters say that becuase this region has a common geography, ecology, and environment , it would act as a single economic unit if all trade barriers and regulatory barriers to trade were removed betweenthese states and provinces. Opponents of the plan, including lister, however, belive that the removal of these regulations would result i. a severe weakening ni environmental protection of the regions land air and water quality and its natural ecosystems. We spoke first however about Maine independent media and its role in providing news to the public. This podcast is 26 minutes long.