A giant pile of coal? It’s not Christmas — it’s Portland
When Katie and Harley Marshall moved to Portland’s West End 15 years ago, they didn't realize they’d be living within eyesight of 40,000 tons of coal at Sprague Energy Co.’s Cassidy Point terminal. It’s one of the last remaining coal piles in New England. (The other two are in New Hampshire)
"Never thought about it, nobody said anything, the realtor didn’t say anything," said Katie Marshall.
Coal dust is a well known hazard to human health. It's been linked to lung diseases and other illnesses in miners.
Sprague Energy says it follows best practices to keep coal dust in check, by cleaning continuously while coal is unloaded, preventing spills and spreading a crusting agent on the pile to mitigate wind blown dust.
Coal is transferred from Sprague's terminal to the Nine Dragons Paper Co. mill in Rumford, where it is burned to generate electricity and steam. Nine Dragons spokesperson Scott Reed says coal accounts for about 6% of the mill's fuel needs.
Reed says eliminating coal isn't as black and white as it might seem. There are technological considerations for example. And without an alternative in place, Reed says operations might be disrupted.
"There are technological limitations that require the use of some coal; therefore, eliminating the use of coal without an operationally viable alternative in place would have serious consequences for the mill," Reed said.
Coal contains more carbon than oil or gas. Burning coal for energy releases CO2 and nitrous oxide, another greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming and climate change.
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection says there are no state or federal regulations that require covering open air coal piles. Regular air quality tests around the pile do not show dangerous levels of particulate pollution, according to the department.
But nearby residents and business owners have complained about fugitive emissions from the pile and argue coal dust can cause and worsen respiratory illnesses and other health problems and contaminate the environment.
Sarah Southard helped organize a successful campaign to cover the pile after learning there were no state or federal regulations on open air storage. She says there’s less attention on hazardous coal dust drifting off open piles like the one on Cassidy Point. And many people are unaware it's even there.
"It's something that didn’t really have a lot of regulation before, or a lot of awareness around," Southard said. "It is good for people to be asking questions about and that was one of the big goals of the project."
Organizers collected enough signatures to put restrictions on coal storage to city voters in a fall referendum. But at a recent Portland City Council meeting, instead of voting to send the measure to voters, the city council unanimously adopted it.
Now, the open air coal stockpile on the Portland waterfront will have to be covered and eventually removed. The ordinance requires that any coal operations have to be conducted under a permanent covering by 2027. By 2030, it will be illegal to deliver, handle or store more than one ton of coal in the city.
~ By Pete McGuire. For more, listen to the full story here.
Art used as data drives ecology exhibit on Monhegan Island
Anyone who has spent time on Monhegan, a small island 10 miles off the coast of Maine, knows how much artists love to paint there. Famous artists like Edward Hopper and Rockwell Kent have captured the light and landscape of the island going back over a century. Now, an exhibit from Bowdoin College and the Monhegan Museum is using that rich artistic body of work as ecological data.
Open water swimmers along the Maine coast are 'shark aware' but have little fear
More than a dozen great white sharks were spotted off the coast of Maine in August. The conservancy has documented hundreds of sightings over more than a decade – data suggests that the great white shark population is increasing throughout New England.
Warming climate is worsening droughts in Maine
Drought expanded in Maine again in the last week of August, with about 1.2 million people living in abnormally dry conditions. It took about a month for the state to go from having almost no areas with drought to 87% of the state in at least abnormally dry conditions.
Colby College to open new facility to study economic, climate concerns facing Maine
Colby College is announcing its new Center for Resilience and Economic Impact in Port Clyde. The initiative was inspired by the numerous challenges Maine towns have had to face in recent years, such as businesses closing down, destruction from storms, and the pandemic.
Maine pilots 'Outdoor School for All,' seeks additional funding
Maine is one of four states to commit to bringing outdoor learning to all schools. The "Outdoor School for All" program needs at least $6 million to be fully funded. The pilot program will serve over 20% of Maine students.
Invasive stiltgrass spread in Maine prompts call to action
A new and concerning patch of the plant was found in York in August, indicating it may be present outside of a few spots the state has been trying to eradicate.
DMR successfully disentangles one of three large whales in the last month
On August 12, the Maine Marine Patrol successfully disentangled a humpback that was first reported by a whale watching company two days earlier swimming southeast of Bar Harbor.
Last time I asked readers to pause and look within — your trash cans, that is. We took stock of our waste by doing a trash audit. Now, we’ll look at what we can do about it.
A good portion of household waste can be attributed to disposable food/takeout containers. For example, take the coffee cup. Americans discard an estimated 25 billion polystyrene (Styrofoam) cups annually. And a study from 2018 found that the broader category of containers and packaging made up 28% of waste generated in the U.S — this includes packaging and boxes as well as plastic and paper containers.
During COVID, people found it harder to avoid single-use plastic (with good reason — we were extra worried about hygiene). According to data from the USDA, consumer spending on takeout and delivery orders from fast-casual spots tripled from 2019 to 2022; delivery orders from full-service restaurants via app quadrupled. And the numbers haven’t come back down to pre-COVID levels. A 2023 paper from the Department of Agriculture calls the increase in takeaway business ‘permanent.’
But we can avoid all of this by bringing our own containers, straws and cups when we go out for, or pick up, food or coffee.
Some quick fire facts from my research:
- Reusable takeaway packaging is more sustainable than single-use
- Washing reusable containers takes less water than creating new single-use containers
- Reusables also score better on emissions and energy use
- The most likely final destination of single-use containers is a trash incinerator; reusable containers are more likely to be recycled
- Paper packaging is not always recyclable and puts too much pressure on forests
- It is possible to meet hygiene standards in restaurants while using reusable packaging
- Start small: practicing the skill of bringing reusables is enough to make a difference
There are a smattering of zero-waste stores in Maine, from We Fill Good in Kittery to Go-Go Refill in South Portland to Goodpost up in Wayne. These can be helpful for finding things like reusable produce bags, metal straws, bamboo sporks and the like. But remember: sometimes the best, and most eco-friendly, solution is something you already have in your house — you don’t have to buy anything new to start making changes.
Bringing your own reusable alternative is like training a muscle — building the habit will take some effort, but the more we do it, the easier it gets. I’ve personally been focusing on bringing a glass cup and straw to the coffee shop every morning for my caffeinated beverages, but I’m ready to ramp it up further: leaving a tote bag in my car with a spare Tupperware in case of leftovers at a restaurant, bringing a glass container when I order out a salad, bringing cotton produce bags to the grocery store … Join me?
See you next time,
Molly
planet maine: a climate newsletter is made possible by the generous support of: