Messy website but some reasonably good information/links to find places for Maine Maple Sunday. Support our local maple syrup producers!

It does seem far short of what will be needed

The article:

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $18,914,000 from President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to address emerging contaminants, like Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in drinking water in Maine. This investment, which is allocated to states and territories, will be made available to communities as grants through EPA's Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC) Grant Program and will promote access to safe and clean water in small, rural, and disadvantaged communities while supporting local economies.

"Too many American communities, especially those that are small, rural, or underserved, are suffering from exposure to PFAS and other harmful contaminants in their drinking water," said EPA Administrator Michael Regan. "Thanks to President Biden's leadership, we are investing in America and providing billions of dollars to strengthen our nation's water infrastructure while safeguarding people's health and boosting local economies. These grants build on EPA's PFAS Strategic Roadmap and will help protect our smallest and most vulnerable communities from these persistent and dangerous chemicals."

"Today's grant announcement is one significant step in EPA's comprehensive PFAS Roadmap to support our state partners as we aggressively tackle PFAS in drinking water, protect public health, and provide critical information quickly and transparently," said EPA New England Regional Administrator and Co-Chair of EPA's Council on PFAS David W. Cash. "This funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will target resources to small or disadvantaged communities most in need of assistance and will speed up our important work reducing PFAS and other emerging contaminants in drinking water, especially in communities that are challenged by lack of capacity and funding."

"Maine is a leader in addressing PFAS contamination, but there is a lot more work left to do," said Governor Janet Mills. "Maine people deserve safe drinking water and these Federal funds will be instrumental in helping my Administration identify PFAS contamination across Maine and take steps to mitigate it."

"Maintaining access to clean, reliable drinking water is essential to protect the health of the public, our environment, and the economy," said U.S. Senator Susan Collins. "Americans should be able to have confidence that the water from their faucets is safe to use. Although Maine is home to some of the cleanest sources of water in the country, the increasing prevalence of pollutants like PFAS require action to keep our drinking water pure. Senator Shaheen and I co-authored the provision that includes this funding as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and I am pleased to see the implementation of these resources to protect water supplies in Maine."

"Maine people deserve clean, safe, and healthy water," said U.S. Senator Angus King. "This significant new investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help address the PFAS contaminants in our water and protect the long-term health of communities across the state. There is still more work to be done, but this funding is an important first step and a great example of the game-changing investments of the bipartisan bill."

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $5 billion over five years to help communities that are on the frontlines of PFAS contamination reduce PFAS in drinking water. EPA announced the funds for Maine as part of an allotment of $2 billion to states and territories that can be used to prioritize infrastructure and source water treatment for pollutants, like PFAS and other emerging contaminants, and to conduct water quality testing.

EPA is also releasing the Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant Implementation document. The implementation document provides states and communities with the information necessary to use this funding to address local water quality and public health challenges. These grants will enable communities to improve local water infrastructure and reduce emerging contaminants in drinking water by implementing solutions such as installing necessary treatment solutions.

Today's actions represent a significant milestone within the Biden-Harris Administration's commitments to combat PFAS pollution and safeguard drinking water, and specifically EPA's October 2021 PFAS Strategic Roadmap. Under the Roadmap, EPA is working across the agency to protect the public from the health impacts of PFAS. EPA has taken a number of actions to deliver progress on PFAS including:

Proposing to designate two PFAS as CERCLA hazardous substances. If finalized, this will be a critical step toward increasing transparency around releases of PFAS and holding polluters accountable for cleaning up their contamination. Releasing drinking water health advisories. Acting in accordance with EPA's mission to protect public health and keep communities and public health authorities informed when new science becomes available, the Agency issued drinking water health advisories for four PFAS. Laying the foundation to enhance data on PFAS. This included an order under EPA's National PFAS Testing Strategy requiring companies to conduct PFAS testing, and nationwide sampling through the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule for 29 PFAS in public drinking water systems.

Expanding the scientific understanding of PFAS. The Agency issued more than 30 scientific publications by EPA researchers and released EPA's PFAS Thermal Treatment Database. Translating the latest science into EPA's cross-agency PFAS efforts. This included updating EPA's contaminated site cleanup tables, developing new PFAS methods and conducting toxicity assessments, and issuing draft national recommended water quality criteria to protect aquatic life.

Continuing engagement with the public. EPA's PFAS work was informed by public webinars, stakeholder meetings, Congressional testimony, and engagement with EPA's federal advisory committees.

In addition to this new grant, EPA is also working to propose a PFAS NPDWR in the coming weeks. The draft proposed rule is currently undergoing interagency review and EPA will issue the proposed rule for public comment when it clears the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The agency anticipates finalizing the rule by the end of 2023. Together, with today's announcement, these actions highlight EPA's commitments outlined in the PFAS Strategic Roadmap to protect public health and the environment from the impacts of PFAS. They also illustrate the benefits of investing in water—protecting public health and the environment, addressing key challenges facing communities, and creating jobs.

The article:

The “incredibly rare” and highly anticipated Steller’s sea eagle has returned to Maine, according to Maine Audubon.

It was found at 12:45 p.m. Saturday along the Back River, spotted by Stacy Hildreth from the Route 127 bridge between Arrowsic and Georgetown, staff naturalist Doug Hitchcox reported on Maine Audubon’s website.

“We’ve waited, we’ve debated, and now we know: The Steller’s Sea-Eagle is back!” Hitchcox wrote of the vagabond bird that has captured the attention of avid birders and others around the globe.

Hitchcox recalled the “amazing saga” of how the “incredibly rare eagle from Eastern Siberia” moved across North America in 2021, then spent the winter from Dec. 30, 2021, through March 5, 2022, around Midcoast Maine.

Then it moved north, Hitchcox said, spending the summer of 2022 in Newfoundland before wandering south in the fall.

The last sighting had been in northeast New Brunswick in November.

Quote from the article:

MaineHousing says a decade of not building enough homes and apartments only made the homeless crisis worse.

"And that's how we're going to get out of this long-term, is to just keep building more," Brennan said.

He says we'll need at least 1,000 apartments built each year over the next 10 years, and hundreds of new homes, to meet the housing need in Maine.”

                      Fuck.

Wholesome af

The article:

The sun wasn’t even up as Matt Brown checked the inventory in the back of the Prius was packed.

“We have these, what we call, snack packs. We’ve got some small food items, but we also put notes in them. We’re trying to send folks the message that they do matter because that’s not the feeling they have when they’re out here. They don’t feel like they’re seen or heard or that they matter, so that’s probably the most important part of this," Matt Brown told WMTW.

Each Friday, Matt hits the road to visit homeless encampments. He tries to provide nourishment and compassion along the way.

His first stop: Deering Oaks Park to check on someone who spends the night under a tarp.

“Just our presence – compassionate presence – goes a really long way. So, at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about," Brown said. “We’re losing so many people to fentanyl overdoses, and you name it. I work part-time at a funeral home. I have to pick people up who die of overdoses. The urgency is on my mind all the time. But I think what’s really killing people is despair, hopelessness, discouragement.”

His group visits the homeless encampments that are deep in the woods too.

He calls it the Hope Squad Maine. He’s even purchased an old ambulance that’s being retrofitted to make his mission easier.

“I had this concept of having an ambulance because of the way it sticks out, but also has room to actually talk to people. To be able to go around and connect with people," Brown said.

When he's not dropping off much-appreciated items, Brown is a peer support worker for the Spurwink Crisis Center. His job is to connect with people when they first come through the doors. One man recently came off the streets, freezing cold.

"I was talking to him about – can I get you a tent? Can I get you a sleeping bag? 'Nope.' Can I get you a sandwich? Can I get you a drink? He’s like, 'no.' And I said, 'What?' He said, 'to tell you the truth, just being in here and having a conversation, it’s reminded for a moment that I’m human, because I forget, and I matter to somebody,' – that’s why we’re doing it.”

If you’re wondering who his helper is? Brown's wife, Nancy Brown, is right by his side.

“I think he’s amazing. He’s got the biggest heart of anybody I know and he’s doing important work," Nancy Brown said.

He doesn’t have all the answers, but he has a lot of societal questions.

“We’ve got how many church buildings in this city that have heated buildings that are sitting there, and we have all these people out here that are freezing in doorways. How about opening up some churches, things like that. I think until, as community, we say this matters – it’s not going to change," Matt Brown said.

The Hope Squad Maine ambulance is about ready to hit the road soon. Matt Brown's co-worker, Jackie McCurry nominated him for this week’s Community Champion.

Same as it ever was : (

From the article:

According to WGME 13, that minimum wage rate for Maine is going to be going up again next year. Well, January 1st, 2023 to be exact. WGME reports that Maine's minimum wage is currently $12.75 per hour. If you work 40 hours a week, that equates to about $26,520 before taxes and insurance.

Beginning January 1, Maine's minimum wage will be going up to $13.80 per hour- more than a dollar more than where it is right now. That means, if you make minimum wage and work a 40 hour job, you could expect to earn about $28,704 before taxes and insurance.

For Mainers who work in service-industry jobs where tips are part of what they make, those employees, beginning on January 1st, will see a base wage increase to $6.90 per hour.