Democratic lawmakers from southern Maine are crying foul over public meetings concerning the proposed Pickett Mountain mining project.
The Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC) is discriminating against Democrats from southern Maine, the Democrats claimed in a letter last week, by holding the meetings in Millinocket, about a hour’s drive south of the proposed mining operation.
In a letter last week to the LUPC’s Tim Carr, almost every Democrat with a district south of Orono bemoaned the location of the two meetings, which will help determine whether Wolfden Mt. Chase, LLC gets to mine private land it already owns.
“[The commissions] current limited public comment schedule would effectively discriminate against Maine people by imposing unreasonable expenses and transportation challenges,” the Democrats said in the letter.
Wolfden already owns the Pickett Mountain land that it wants to mine for zinc, copper, lead, silver, and gold. The Canadian company has paid nearly $100,000 in application and processing fees for the project.
The LUPC meetings will hear testimony about Wolfden’s request for the rezoning of 374 acres T6R6 WELS, an unorganized township in northern Penobscot County.
The metals Wolfden is seeking to mine are used in everything from cell phones and cars to power generation and various electronics.
In its rezoning request, Wolfden said the project would employee 272 Maine residents and will follow strict procedures for protecting nearby bodies of water and other natural resources.
“It will also allow Maine to be a leader in showcasing responsible mining carried out in accordance with the strictest rules in the country,” the company said.
But lawmakers 200 miles to the south are very concerned about the potential impact of the mine.
Signatories to the letter included Sen. Stacy Brenner (D-Cumberland) and Rep. Lori Gramlich (D-Ocean Park), the Democratic leads on the Environment and Natural Resources Committee, as well as Sen. Mike Tipping (D-Penobscot) House Speaker Rachel Talbott Ross (D-Portland).
“Interested parties who live in southern Maine might have to drive three or more hours to participate in a public hearing that could go well into the evening, then need to pay for lodging or drive home well past dark, raising safety concerns,” the Democrats said. “The costs of gas, lodging, and food could easily exceed $150 per person. These challenges discriminate against Maine residents without the money or time to travel to Millinocket, or who would be concerned about driving home after a late night in Millinocket.”
“The proposed Wolfen (sic) mine would be located in an area that holds important historical and cultural significance to Wabanaki people,” the Democrats said.
The letter also claims that allowing Wolfden to mine the land it owns would harm Wabanaki tribal interests.
Rep. Aaron M. Dana, the non-voting Wabanaki tribal representative, did not sign the letter.
Rep. Kathy Javner (R-Chester), whose Penobscot County district is about 28 miles from Millinocket, called the Democrats’ letter “tone deaf” and said their unwillingness to travel to northern Maine was disrespectful of Mainers living in her district..
“Driving in the dark is a safety issue? That is what every person experiences here on a daily basis,” said Javner.
“The loggers are on the road by 2:00 am. That is just reality. And for these Legislators to actually put in black and white that they feel this is a “hardship” is absolutely asinine,” said Javner.
Javner was especially ticked that Sen. Tipping, whose district contains many of the communities nearest to Pickett Mountain, would sign off on the letter.
“He represents all the way to Springfield,” she said. “I am sure they are NOT pleased with their Senator putting his name on this letter.”
Holy Cow that’s a lot of signatories. Rent a bus and travel together. To save money, stay in a hostel for the night. They are usually cheap but lack the privacy and luxury of a Holiday Inn. At this time of year, they could make a fun weekend of it with leaf peeping and hiking or climbing – act like a tourist – its own the house!.
About that mining stuff, if the owners can prevent the drainage of chemicals into the surrounding water table, the risk is much lower. If they are going to process the metals on site, then they need to prevent exhaust containing gases or particulate from getting into our atmosphere.
Enforce the rules. Some people seem to have difficulty with the enforcement piece.
So the “nimby” crowd is now the “I wish it was closer to my backyard so I could more comfortably protest” crowd?
I was on the team that originally found this deposit in 1979 – and 44 years later still no development. At that time, a leading Bangor citizen commented to me that she hoped we never found a mine – this despite the fact that she had never been north of Old Town in 50 years. I wonder how many of the protesting legislators have ever spent any time north of the CP line – or even know what it means. If America is to transition to EVs, we must have more of the metals that Pickett Mountain can produce. The protesting legislators are a bunch of myopic sissies – too scared to drive all the way back from Millinocket at night! If the property is sacred to any Native Tribes, I never saw any indication of it in 2 years on the property. In fact, I never saw anyone on the property except our team and a bunch of moose. The legislators in question need to recognize that their anti-everything stance has produced the oldest demographic state in the country, where economic security and opportunity is offered only to government employees and trust-funders.
Too bad they will be inconvenienced.
I think the only reason these Democrats are opposed is they are communists basically. I think like communists they seek to shut down the only basic activities in America that produce any material wealth. Those would be mining, timbering, fishing, and farming. I think the object is to weaken America for Communist takeover and foreign invasion, and then a second Holocaust, of all Americans. In Wyoming where I lived several years, I learned that every metal or mineral or gemstone discovery for decades has been opposed and generally shut down by Democrats and their agents in federal and state government. In the case of opal deposits, this went as far as to use a non-endangered non-threatened non-rare and non-native plant to try to shut down mining. See a government preserve of some sort? It is the strongest indicator of their being a valuable deposit of some mineral there. Democrats want to tie Americans up and subject them to poverty and misery and death.
I think the only reason these Democrats are opposed is they are communists basically. I think like communists they seek to shut down the only basic activities in America that produce any material wealth. Those would be mining, timbering, fishing, and farming. I think the object is to weaken America for Communist takeover and foreign invasion, and then a second Holocaust, of all Americans. In Wyoming where I lived several years, I learned that every metal or mineral or gemstone discovery for decades has been opposed and generally shut down by Democrats and their agents in federal and state government. In the case of opal deposits, this went as far as to use a non-endangered non-threatened non-rare and non-native plant to try to shut down mining. See a government preserve of some sort? It is the strongest indicator of their being a valuable deposit of some mineral there. Democrats want to tie Americans up and subject them to poverty and misery and death. It really makes me wonder how many leading Democrats might be working for foreign mining interest who don’t want any American competition, too.
Their EV’s can’t go that far, aww whatta shame. If the Commies can’t control it (ie. zoom meetings) they ban it. I have not one iota of care about them or their destructive policies which only impact working Americans. A pox on them and their agenda. They can cry me a river, build a bridge and GTFO it or not – I still don’t care.
Brenner,Gramlich and Tipping all co-sponsored LD1619 (full-term abortion bill) sponsored by none other than RTR. And, these political hacks are whining about traveling to Millinocket. Why don’t they just collect more donations from Planned Parenthood for their trip?
Isn’t it usually the gov that ends up doing the polluting? Burning war machines, depleted uranium dust from war machines, fuel burned to run them. Fumes from munitions fired, burning buildings and munition storage areas that get exploded. I could go on but I know you’re bored already. If this meeting was in Atlantic city they’d be all over it.