LEGISLATIVE BONDAGE

If lawmakers doubt the value of environmental bond money, they should consider how quickly more than $1 million was snapped up to pay for work at the closed Lincoln and Brewer paper mills. Fortunately, that money was available to secure toxic chemicals and other hazards at the abandoned mills, while state officials negotiated a purchase. However, the money would not have been there if the Legislature and then Maine voters had not approved of a bond to get it.

That’s why an effort to tie approval of this year’s environmental bond to passage of the state budget is troubling. If lawmakers have concerns about the bond, now at $17.775 million, they should air them, but money to upgrade water pollution control facilities, to clean up hazardous waste sites and to build public water systems should not be tied to the fate of the overall budget, which itself faces rancorous debate when lawmakers return to Augusta next week.

The bond, LD 1876, would provide $11 million to construct and upgrade water pollution control facilities. This money would be matched by $12.5 million in federal funds. It also includes $3.275 million to the Department of Environmental Protection to clean up uncontrolled hazardous waste sites and $500,000 for grants to assist municipalities to comply with new federal storm water regulations.

Two million dollars would go to the Department of Human Services for grants and low-interest loans to construct and upgrade public water supplies. This would be matched by $10 million in federal funds. Finally, $1 million would go to the Maine State Housing Authority to minimize lead paint hazards in public housing.

The original bond was for $16.6 million, but the $1.175 million that went toward work at the two mills was added into the total so that 17 projects the money was originally allocated to would not be dropped.

There will always be those who feel that borrowing money is bad. However, without bonds, this work necessary to improve drinking water quality and minimize environmental hazards would not get done. These projects can also have economic impacts. According to the DEP, companies have chosen not to locate in some Maine communities because their water systems did not have the capacity to handle a large new user. Improving systems now and adding new capacity can avert such situations.

Further, now is a good time to borrow money. Interest rates are especially low and so is Maine’s bond debt. Maine, like many states, tries to keep its annual debt service below 5 percent of revenues. Currently, the debt repayment is at 3.9 percent.

Finally, voters have long supported environmental bonds such as this one. Over the last five such referendums, an average of 65 percent of voters have supported the bonds.

Legislators should move this package forward on its own and then turn their attention to the bigger budget debate.