If Maine’s environmental integrity wasn’t at stake I would be laughing in my Moxie. I mean, the whole NECEC debacle is just a perverted comedy of errors. Here we have a company – CMP – that is rated dead last in customer satisfaction (they even finished behind the ‘guys’ who nearly burned down California) jamming through a billion-dollar project (NECEC) that is essentially an extension cord. The Massachusetts AG – being one of the chief recipients of this power – doesn’t want it because it’s not a new source.
Then we have a Spanish company, Iberdrola, (they own CMP) and a Canadian Company, Hydro Quebec (aka. the Canadian government) dishing out millions of dollars to convince us that carving a 140 mile long, permanent scar from Canada to Massachusetts is a good deal for Maine? (I hope that I am not quite that stupid). And, of course, no one would think of providing concrete, quantifiable information by implementing an Environmental Impact Statement because this is just so good for Maine, why bother with science? All we get is slick deception, smoke and mirrors, and snake oil salesmen-caliber rhetoric. Some of the crap I hear on the radio is such a perversion of the truth I need to cover my dogs’ ears and I see slime oozing from my control panel. Good for Maine??? Right, how about good for CMP, Avangrid, Iberdrola, Hydro Quebec and a few selected Pierce Atwood slick suits? AND … We have the Queen of Hearts directing, deflecting and vetoing anything remotely associated with tanking or delaying the NECEC.
The Queen has twice been involved in back room deals about Maine Public Lands. Apparently, there is no need to involve the legislators because clear cutting Public Lands doesn’t qualify as a significant change in use? I’ll get back to you on that one.
Four of our legislators recently visited a site in Segment 1 (the new 53.5 mile swath) and found that the 54 foot wide right of way was actually 102 feet in width. According to my grade school math competence 102 feet is a larger number than 54 feet. This is a clear violation of the contractual agreement with CMP but our very own Maine Department of ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION told the 4 legislators that they would “disregard” their report for the time being. Huh?
Recently a former Board of Environmental Protection member observed significant sedimentation control failures in Segment 1. He learned, in speaking with one of the “local foremen” who recently arrived from Wisconsin and was hired by CMP/NECEC (so much for hiring local labor), that not only was this “local” foreman unaware of Maine’s sedimentation rules, and knew nothing of Brook Trout or Salmon habitat concerns, but also knew nothing about the CMP Permit conditions under which he was working. Stellar job guys.
Unlike Netflix or Amazon Prime one doesn’t have to wait a year for another season. This comedy just continues week in and week out. Stay tuned, folks, because this is just the tip of the iceberg. More exciting episodes follow – sneak peeks such as ‘The Thorn in Your side’; the lobbying ‘NGO’ Clean Energy Matters finally changes its name to Clean Money Matters More; MDEP Commissioner Loyzim is Still Searching for Her Spine; Maine’s Own Tucker Carlson (Bryant Pond) wades in; and CMP finally Learns how to use a tape measure are just some of the tantalizing new episodes to be explored. So, grab a bucket of popcorn and a case of Moxie and stay tuned. I am still working on the grand finale: “Facts and Honesty Defeat Money and Power”. Now, wouldn’t THAT be the last laugh?
Richard Aishton
Farmington
