Latest news with #Flood-ReadyMaineProgram
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
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.
