Activists unite on set of principles linking economy, clean environment

Concerned that the current economic downturn and new business initiatives threaten two decades of efforts to strengthen environmental protection in Maine, more than two dozen organizations have voted to adopt a set of common principles linking the state’s economic future with a clean environment.

Jeffrey H. Kaelin, executive director of the Maine Sardine Council and president of Associated Fisheries of Maine, explained that the aim of the new network of organizations is to explain to the public that economic vitality and environmental protection aren’t mutually exclusive. In fact, the industries that he represents are dependent on “environmental integrity.”

Kaelin, Brownie Carson, executive director of the Natural Resources Council of Maine, and John Dieffenbacher-Krall of the Maine Peoples Alliance were in Bangor on Tuesday to explain how the diverse group of organizations had gathered in January out of shared concern for the future of environment protection and public health and developed six principles on which they all agreed.

This new alliance of groups, which includes the Maine AFL-CIO, the Maine Women’s Lobby, the Maine Lung Association and all the major environmental groups in the state, is intended to serve as a political counterforce to a newly created business group — the Environmental and Economic Council of Maine.

EECOM, headed by Alton E. Cianchette, was founded last fall to promote policies that “allow the use of natural resources without the abuse of natural resources.” The council has taken aim at environmental regulations which it argues are unnecessarily complex and expensive.

EECOM has called for the Department of Environmental Protection to speed up its review of applications for permits. The council offered its own guidelines and gathered enough signatures to force the state to review its proposal.

There are other legislative initiatives that the new environmental network is concerned about, said Carson of NRCM. He pointed to a Chamber of Commerce promoted bill to speed up bureaucratic processing.

Carson stressed that the network isn’t opposed to speedy reviews of environmental applications, but doesn’t believe that the problems have been documented yet. “Show us what the problems are, then let’s design a solution,” he said.

The principles adopted by the informal network are:

Maine’s quality of life is our richest asset.

A strong resource base and public health are the foundation of a dynamic economy for Maine.

Pollution is more expensive than prevention.

Human health and the environment are too valuable to waste.

Public access is essential to credible decision making.

We all share the responsibility for human and ecological health and for cooperation to create an environment for success.