Bald mountain mining
In the last several weeks I have read a number of letters and opinions in the BDN about open-pit mining rules in Maine. None of them were in support of these new rules. I believe there is a reason for this: The majority of Mainers do not want irresponsible mining to destroy Maine’s environment.
This plan to weaken mining laws has been going on since 2012, when Rep. John Martin, D-Eagle Lake, introduced a bill at the request of J.D. Irving.
There have been a number of hearings on these new mining rules. I attended two of these hearings and listened to several online. At each and every one of these hearings the overwhelming number of testifiers opposed these horrible mining rules. Excellent and well-documented testimony was presented but apparently were ignored.
The most recent bill, LD 750, sponsored by Rep. Ralph Chapman, D-Brooksville, was well written and in the interest of the public but unfortunately was gutted and re-written to once again weaken Maine’s mining rules. The Energy and Natural Resources Committee then passed it, and now it will be going before the state House of Representatives shortly to be voted on.
It is urgent that Mainers contact their representatives, particularly Mark Eves, the speaker of the House, to let them know this bill ought not to pass. This is a quick but very important step anyone can take to safeguard our environment.
Carol Gorecki
Orneville
Concealed carry dangers
LD 652, which would allow concealed carry of handguns without a permit, is a recipe for disaster and mayhem and should not be enacted. Abusers will be much more “effective.” Road rage will be much more dramatic than incidents of giving and getting “the finger.”
Our police chiefs are against it — they are the ones to have to inform a victim’s family. People with legitimate needs can get them. Current regulations should be upgraded and be made universally vigorous, then enforced.
I have no training in handling any weapon except a Garand M-1 rifle, and that was nearly 60 years ago. Many who hunt at least know the basics of gun safety. But most Mainers, contrary to what people read on occasion, aren’t trained and don’t need to carry.
Edward Bromage
Mount Desert
Clinton Street change
I am surprised and dismayed to read Bangor City Council approved making Clinton Street one-way street, leading away from downtown Bangor. My wife and I attended the special meeting to protest and discuss the change. It appeared the minds of the officials involved already had been made up before the meeting was held. We were led to believe we were to be notified before the matter went before the city council, but we were not notified.
Clinton Street, going toward downtown, is the natural conduit leading from the West Side Village and Third Street. No direct alternative exists. Drivers either have to use Union to Hammond, requiring a sharp right turn onto Hammond, or Union to High to Hammond, involving not only more travel but additional hazardous lane crossings and turns.
To try to stay on Union Street to turn left onto Main Street is dicey, as there is no left-turn signal on Union to facilitate turning onto Main Street. Hammond, Main and Columbia streets already lead away from town, and now it appears Clinton will be yet another way out, while eliminating a way in.
What’s most insulting is that very few of the people making this decision are not directly affected by it — certainly not any of the Maine Department of Transportation personnel in Augusta and not most of the people in either the city engineer’s office or the city council members who approved it.
It was proposed at the committee meeting that changes to the intersection be made without “one-waying” Clinton Street and have a trial period to see what effects would be. That would have been the reasonable approach, but apparently “reason” doesn’t figure well in statistics and is hard to reflect on an engineer’s street diagram.
Michael P. Gleason
Bangor