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May 8, 2017

Maine bill to ban towns from having pesticide ordinances fails!

AUGUSTA.  LD 1505: “An Act To Create Consistency in the Regulation of Pesticides“ had a public hearing on May first, followed by two work sessions by the Maine Legislature's State and Local Government committee on  May 8th and May 15th.

The May 15th worksession  lasted only 90 seconds but that  was long enough for the committee to give LD 1505l an Ought Not To Pass

Listen to the May 8th Worksession  in which they ponder the info they'd gotten 
Part 1. Introduction; summary of public hearing comments. 9min 19sec

Part 2, Gary Corbin ME Municipal Assoc 8min 24sec

Part 3. Lebelle Hicks, State Toxicologist 6min 25sec

Part 4. Deven Morrill, chair Board of Pesticides Control  12min 12sec

Part 5. Mary Ann Nahf, Harpswell Conservation Commission. 6min 11sec

Part 6. Discussion and decision to hold another mtg 5/10/17. 3min 51sec

The bill would both kill all existing town pesticide related ordinances in Maine, and forbid  creation of new ones. The state offered an amendment that would still kill the ordinances but would allow towns to apply  to the Board of Pesticides Control for approval of new plans. 

Many in the committee remain opposed to the bill, especially as an infringment on municipal Home Rule which allows towns to pass ordinances that are strong than certain state laws.

The committee voted to hold another worksession Wednesday before voting on the controversial bill. 

Three Penobscot Bay towns have pesticide ordinances Rockland, Owls Head and Castine  Twenty six other Maine towns also have such ordinances.

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