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Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Gov. Mills signs law to prepare Maine for severe weather fueled by climate change
Apr. 22—AUGUSTA — Gov. Janet Mills signed a new law Tuesday to help Maine communities get ready for increasingly severe weather and the long-term impacts of climate change. Her action came after the bill was approved 32-0 in the Senate earlier Tuesday. It received similar bipartisan support in the House of Representatives last week. "I'm proud to sign this bill into law, a bill that will allow Maine communities, homeowners, businesses, emergency response leaders and others to prepare for the extreme weather events of the future and make Maine a safe place to live in the process," Mills said during a signing ceremony at the State House. The new law includes a grant program that would help residents safeguard their homes against extreme weather, makes one-time investments in the Maine Emergency Management Agency, and utilizes federal funds to establish a new state office to reduce storm damage and protect infrastructure. The legislation, LD 1, responds to recommendations from the Infrastructure Rebuilding and Resilience Commission, which Mills established last year after a series of winter storms caused an estimated $90 million in damage to public infrastructure, mostly from flooding across the state and a destructive storm surge on the coast. It is an emergency bill, which means it will take effect immediately. The bill comes with a $39 million price tag but will be funded with surplus state funds and federal funds and does not rely on general funds from the state budget. It includes several key initiatives, the first of which would provide $15 million in one-time funding to establish the Home Resiliency Program to provide grants of up to $15,000 to homeowners to make investments to safeguard their homes against future storms. The program will be operated by Maine's Bureau of Insurance and focus on reducing roof damage, basement flooding and other targeted interventions to minimize storm damage and insurance losses. The program still must be set up and go through the rule-making process, with a first round of grants expected to be available by May 2026. One-time funding from the Bureau of Insurance will be used to invest $10 million in the State Disaster Recovery Fund to secure federal matching funds to respond to natural disasters, establish a new state fund to secure federal loans for storm mitigation and improve emergency communications technology and early warning systems at MEMA. The law also establishes a new State Resilience Office within the Maine Office of Community Affairs, funded through a five-year federal grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to support planning that reduces flood and storm damage, protects public and private infrastructure, and supports public safety. Finally, it launches a Flood-Ready Maine Program to modernize data on flood risk and make it accessible online to municipal leaders and Mainers. The program would work to improve communication to communities, businesses and residents about flood risk, and to increase the number of flood insurance policies in use in Maine. The bipartisan legislation, which was the first bill the governor introduced this session, was sponsored by all four leaders in the Senate and House: Senate President Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick; Speaker of the House Ryan Fecteau, D-Biddeford; Senate Minority Leader Trey Stewart, R-Presque Isle; and House Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham, R-Winter Harbor. In a written statement Tuesday, Daughtry said the new law will be proactive in helping Maine safeguard against the threat of storms. "This legislation reflects our commitment to protecting our people, our resources and our homes for generations to come," Daughtry said. "It will also ensure that Mainers will finally be able to prepare instead of constantly having to repair." Rep. Amanda Collamore, R-Pittsfield, a Republican on the Housing and Economic Development Committee, said the law "reflects months of hard work and collaboration to streamline state resilience efforts under one roof." "By working closely with the Mills administration, we consolidated overlapping offices into the new Maine Office of Community Affairs, ensuring that our communities are better prepared, more efficient, and ready to meet the challenges of extreme weather head on," Collamore said. The new law builds on the $60 million the governor proposed and that lawmakers approved last year to support the recovery and rebuilding of Maine communities and businesses following the severe storms in December 2023 and January 2024. Maine Conservation Voters, which focuses on protecting Maine's environment through public policy and elections, was among the groups that celebrated the law's enactment Tuesday. "We applaud the governor and Legislature for recognizing that recovering from extreme storm damage, emergency management, and infrastructure resilience are not partisan issues," Cathy Breen, director of government affairs for Maine Conservation Voters, said in a written statement. "There is no corner of Maine safe from the severe weather we've seen in recent years and the serious conditions predicted for the future." Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Maine Legislature approves bill to prepare for severe weather fueled by climate change
Apr. 22—AUGUSTA — Lawmakers on Tuesday passed a bill to help Maine communities prepare for and respond to severe weather and the long-term impacts of climate change. Gov. Janet Mills introduced the bill and is expected to sign it into law Tuesday afternoon. It was approved 32-0 in the Senate on Tuesday after being approved in the House of Representatives last week. The bill includes a grant program that would help residents make investments to safeguard their homes against extreme weather. It makes one-time investments in the Maine Emergency Management Agency and utilizes federal funds to establish a new state office to reduce storm damage and protect infrastructure. The legislation, LD 1, responds to recommendations from the Infrastructure Rebuilding and Resilience Commission, which Mills established last year following a series of winter storms that caused an estimated $90 million in damage to public infrastructure across the state. It is an emergency bill, which means it will take effect immediately if signed by the governor. The bill comes with a $39 million price tag but will be funded with surplus state funds and federal funds and does not rely on general funds from the state budget. It includes several key initiatives, the first of which would provide $15 million in one-time funding to establish the Home Resiliency Program to provide grants of up to $15,000 to homeowners to make investments to safeguard their homes against future storms. The program would be operated by Maine's Bureau of Insurance and would focus on reducing roof damage, basement flooding and other targeted interventions to minimize storm damage and insurance losses. One-time funding from the Bureau of Insurance would be used to invest $10 million in the State Disaster Recovery Fund to provide matching funds to secure federal funding to respond to natural disasters, establish a new state fund to provide required matching dollars to secure federal loan funds for storm mitigation, improve emergency communications systems and to invest in two new staff members at MEMA. The proposal would also establish a new State Resilience Office funded through a five-year federal grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to support planning that reduces flood and storm damage, protects public and private infrastructure and supports public safety. Finally, the legislation would launch a Flood-Ready Maine Program to modernize data on flood risk and make it accessible to municipal leaders and Mainers online. The program would work to improve communication to communities, businesses and residents about flood risk, and to increase the number of flood insurance policies in use in Maine. This story will be updated. Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Maine must prepare for storms and climate change, lawmakers told
Feb. 28—Last year's back-to-back winter storms whalloped Lincoln County, washing out roads in Boothbay and Bremen, collapsing wharves in Southport and Bristol, smashing the bell tower at Pemaquid Point, and leaving thousands of people in the dark for up to a week. "While impactful, last winter's storms are not unique," said Emily Rabbe, executive director of the Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission. "Lincoln County has been experiencing stronger and more frequent flooding, winter storms, and wind events for the past several years." Since then, the commission has helped write 26 grants for more than $5 million in local and regional resiliency projects. The communities know how to become more resilient, but they need help to do it, Rabbe said Thursday at a legislative hearing on a $34.5 million storm and climate resiliency package. Introduced by Gov. Janet Mills, the bipartisan bill would create a $15 million grant program to help Maine residents prepare their homes for storms, increase state funding for disaster relief and preparedness, and create a $10 million revolving loan fund to help communities qualify for federal disaster relief. The legislation, LD 1, adopts recommendations in the first report of the Infrastructure Rebuilding and Resilience Commission that Mills created last year following a series of winter storms that killed four people and caused an estimated $90 million in damage to Maine's public infrastructure. The proposal would be funded by existing fees collected from insurance companies, most of whom are from out of state, and not from the general fund of the state budget, according to Bob Carey, the state's insurance superintendent. As emergency legislation, it would take effect immediately upon enactment. The legislation would provide $15 million in one-time funding to create a home resiliency program that would provide grants of up to $15,000 to Mainers to perform targeted improvements like strengthening roofs and flood-proofing basements to minimize storm damage and insurance losses. The Bureau of Insurance has documented an increase in homeowners' insurance non-renewal notices, Carey told lawmakers. About 75% of the non-renewals are because of substandard roofs, he said. A $15,000 grant wouldn't cover the entire cost of a new roof, he said, but it would certainly help. Participants would likely pay lower premiums, he said, while fewer roof claims may lower costs for all. In other states with similar programs, including Alabama, Florida, and California, even people who do not qualify for resiliency grants have begun storm-proofing their properties. In Alabama, 10,000 people have fortified their roofs with state funds — but another 40,000 people who did not participate did the same. "The spillover effect may be as important as the direct benefit of this program," Carey told lawmakers. While the bill was generally applauded, some supporters urged lawmakers to give grant preference to low-income Mainers who can't afford improvements or to move out of harm's way, and to certify program contractors in all parts of Maine so even rural applicants can benefit from the program. "A means test is critical to directing funds where they are most needed and can have the greatest impact to mitigating future risk," said Rebecca Graham, a legislative advocate at Maine Municipal Association, who submitted testimony but took no position on the bill. Carey told lawmakers he supports a proposed amendment to offer tiered grant awards based on income or financial means. This type of structure is similar to the tiered grants provided by Efficiency Maine for heat pumps and other home improvements. Some insurance industry representatives spoke out against the way the bill would be funded. While 70% of the fees that would be used to fund the program are collected from out-of-state agents and brokers, a lot of Maine insurance agents and brokers are also licensed in other states. What happens if Florida and Massachusetts raise the licensing fees charged to Maine agents licensed in their state to fund their own storm and climate programs, asked Daniel Bernier, a lobbyist for the Maine Insurance Agents Association. Local officials voiced support for the bill's investment of $10 million in the state disaster recovery fund to help municipalities seek federal disaster funds, improve emergency communication systems, and beef up staffing at the Maine Emergency Management Agency. Old Orchard Beach Fire Chief John Gilboy said the record high tides and storm surge of the 2023-24 winter storms destroyed sand dunes, cut off whole areas of town, forced air boat rescues and evacuations of residents who had never been flooded before. "We need to work towards improving infrastructure, making all communities more resilient as the storms we see are increasing in severity," Gilboy said. We need to "increase emergency communication, increase public awareness and education and increase the capabilities of public safety." Small towns like Jay, which was hit by three federal disasters in 2023 that caused $4 million in damages, lack the staffing and financial reserves to respond and recover. Many must take out loans. Jay is still waiting for federal reimbursement for a $1.6 million storm recovery project, officials said. 'These FEMA disasters were among the most stressful periods of my tenure, which says a lot given that we've seen a paper mill explosion and ultimately the closure of two mills in Jay," said Jay Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere. "Knowing that the state is there in support is huge." The legislation would launch the Flood-Ready Maine Program to modernize data on flood risk and make it publicly available online, improve communication to communities, businesses and residents about flood risk, and work to increase the number of flood insurance policies in use in Maine. Only 1.3% of Mainers participate in the national flood insurance program. The national average of 3.3%. All property owners should know their property risks, but access to such address-level risk data has typically only been available to large insurers and those who subscribe to high-level forecasting services, said Cape Elizabeth real estate broker Julia Bassett Schwerin. This bill would change that. "I know the value of the Maine coastline," Bassett Schwerin said. "It's up to all of us to understand the risk from flooding and other catastrophic damage and manage it to avoid having to recover and rebuild over and over and watch our insurance premiums soar." Last year, Maine approved $60 million to help local communities and businesses recover from severe back-to-back-to-back winter storms, which the state said was the single largest investment in storm recovery in Maine history. While the winter storms caused destructive river flooding, coastal properties and beaches also took a beating from storm surges and waves. And coastal storms are expected to become more destructive as sea levels continue to rise and reshape the Maine coast due to climate change. The Gulf of Maine has risen about 7.5 inches over the last century, with about half of that happening since the 1990s. The Maine Climate Council projects seas will rise another 1.1 to 3.2 feet by 2050 and 3 to 9.3 feet by 2100, depending on how much we curb global emissions rates. Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gov. Janet Mills introduces legislation to help state cope with 'weather of the future'
Maine Gov. Janet Mills has introduced legislation to help the state respond to severe weather and the long-term impacts of a warming planet. As reported by the Portland Press Herald, the proposed legislation is sponsored by legislative leaders from both parties and includes establishing a new state office and a grant program to help Maine residents protect their homes from severe weather. The proposal includes several key initiatives, such as providing $15 million to establish the Home Resiliency Program. This program will provide grants of up to $15,000 to homeowners to make investments to safeguard their homes against storms, with a focus on preventing roof damage and basement flooding. Should the government be allowed to restrict how much water we use? Definitely Only during major droughts No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. The proposal also outlines using funds from the Bureau of Insurance to invest $10 million in the State Disaster Recovery Fund and establishing a State Resilience Office using a five-year federal grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The office would oversee a program to reduce flood and storm damage, protect infrastructure, and increase safety. A Flood-Ready Maine Program is also part of the proposal. It will collect data on floods and storms and improve communication with local communities. Severe weather events are becoming more frequent and severe due to the warming of our planet. The burning of dirty energy sources, including coal, oil, and gas, releases heat-trapping pollution into the atmosphere. Adapting to severe weather, such as floods, hurricanes, and wildfires, is essential to prevent them from destroying communities. This legislation will help communities adapt to an increase in severe weather. It will also help protect properties and infrastructure and increase safety, which could save lives. Meanwhile, other states, including Vermont, are enacting legislation that aims to require polluting companies to pay for climate damages. The legislation was developed in response to recommendations Mills received from Maine's Infrastructure Rebuilding and Resilience Commission, which she established last year after several winter storms caused an estimated $90 million in damage across the state. "This legislation, based on interim recommendations from the Infrastructure Rebuilding and Resilience Commission, will improve the ability of Maine communities, homeowners, businesses, and emergency response leaders to plan for the extreme weather of the future — making Maine a safer and more prepared place to live," said Mills in a written statement, per the Portland Press Herald. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
