State of Maine's Environment 2014
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
State of Maine’s Environment 2014 ______________________________________________________________________________ Colby Environmental Policy Group Colby College Environmental Studies Program Waterville, Maine State of Maine’s Environment 2014 State of Maine's Environment 2014 Colby Environmental Policy Group Meredith Braun Leah Powley Angela Cross Devki Rana Ruthie Hawley Katherine Rizk Jeff Meltzer Cassandra Smith Maddie Johnson Mark Vargas Jake Lukach Kellie Walsh Sara Miller Alex Wilsterman Nomawethu Moyo Connor Whitley Connor O’Neil The State of Maine's Environment is a series of reports written and produced by the Colby Environmental Policy Group, senior environmental policy majors at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. This is the eighth State of Maine's Environment report created by students enrolled in ES 493: Environmental Policy Practicum taught by Philip J. Nyhus, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at Colby College. Suggested Citation for Full Report: Colby Environmental Policy Group. 2014. State of Maine’s Environment 2014. Waterville, Maine: Colby College Environmental Studies Program. Contact: Philip J. Nyhus, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies, Colby College, Waterville, ME 04901 <[email protected]> Electronic Version of Report: http://web.colby.edu/stateofmaine2014 © Colby College Environmental Studies Program, Waterville, ME 04901 i State of Maine’s Environment 2014 Acknowledgements We are grateful for the support and assistance of the following individuals in helping us to complete the State of Maine's Environment 2014 report: Philip Nyhus Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Divya Gupta Faculty Fellow in Environmental Studies Manny Gimond GIS and Quantitative Analysis Specialist Lia Morris Environmental Studies Coordinator Russ Cole Chair, Environmental Studies Program Steven Church Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator, Rhode Island DOT Larry Keniston Intermodal Facilities Engineer, New Hampshire DOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Abby King Community Advocacy Coordinator, Bicycle Coalition of Maine Jeff Levine Director, Portland Planning and Urban Development Department Erik Paddleford Bicycle and Pedestrian Technician, New Hampshire DOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Beth Rodio Communications Manager, MassBike Lindsey Sasso Office of Customer Service, Rhode Island DOT Graham Sherwood Gulf of Marine Research Institute Dan Stewart Regional Planner, Maine DOT Kevin Tedesco Office of Intermodal Planning, Connecticut DOT Scott Workman Assistant Director for Datacenter Operations, Colby College ITS Brian Marcaurelle Program Director, Maine Tourism Survey Participants Mike Mesko Vinalhaven Fishermen’s Co-Op Emmie Theberge Maine Island Trail Association Todd Martin Natural Resources Council of Maine Dylan Vorhees Natural Resources Council of Maine Adam Cutter Central Maine Power Company Garry Hinkley Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles Marc Lausier National Drive Electric Week Maine Organizer Barry Woods Electric Mobility NE, Member of pluginamerica.org Chris Genest Berlin City Auto Group Jennifer Pucer Greater Portland Council of Governments Mark LeBel Environment New England Tom Brown Maine Automobile Dealers Association James Gilbert University of Maine Marcy Nelson Maine Department of Resources Gordon Waring NOAA iii State of Maine’s Environment 2014 Sharon Young US Humane Society Patrice McCarron Maine Lobstermen’s Association Lina Welch US Fisheries and Wildlife Service Chad Coffin Co-President of Maine Clammer’s Association Clint Goodenow Co-President of Maine Clammer’s Association Kohl Kanwit Bureau of Public Health Director at DMR Brian Beal Downeast Institute for Applied Marine Research Darcie Couture Resource Access International Garrett Simmons S&S Seafood Hilary Neckles USGS Research Ecologist John Anderson College of the Atlantic Paula Shannon National Audubon Society Duane Brunell Maine Department of Transportation Lee Kantar Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife John Drury Writer Susan Alderson Planning and Research Associate at Maine DEP Jennifer Vashon Wildlife Biologist at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Amy Meehan Wildlife Biologist at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife David Burns Environmental Engineering Services Manager iv State of Maine’s Environment 2014 Table of Contents Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................ iii Table of Contents .................................................................................................................... v Executive Summary ................................................................................................................ 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 3 The State of Municipal Solid Waste in Maine ...................................................................... 5 Executive Summary .............................................................................................................. 5 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 5 Methods ................................................................................................................................. 7 Laws and Regulations ........................................................................................................... 7 Stakeholders ........................................................................................................................ 13 State of the Municipal Solid Waste ..................................................................................... 15 Analysis and Discussion...................................................................................................... 38 Scenarios ............................................................................................................................. 45 Conclusions ......................................................................................................................... 47 Works Cited......................................................................................................................... 51 Appendix ............................................................................................................................. 55 The State of Alternative Transportation ............................................................................ 61 Executive Summary ............................................................................................................ 61 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 61 Methods ............................................................................................................................... 66 Stakeholders ........................................................................................................................ 70 State of Alternative Transportation ..................................................................................... 76 Analysis and Discussion...................................................................................................... 91 Scenarios ............................................................................................................................. 96 Conclusions and Recommendations.................................................................................... 97 Works Cited....................................................................................................................... 100 The State of Maine’s Islands .............................................................................................. 107 Executive Summary .......................................................................................................... 107 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 108 Methods ............................................................................................................................. 111 State of Maine Islands ....................................................................................................... 112 Conservation...................................................................................................................... 120 Lobster Industry ................................................................................................................ 128 Energy ............................................................................................................................... 134 v State of Maine’s Environment 2014 Analysis and Discussion.................................................................................................... 136 Scenarios ........................................................................................................................... 138 Conclusions and Recommendations.................................................................................. 139 Appendix ........................................................................................................................... 144 Works Cited....................................................................................................................... 149 The State of Coastal