Jim Fossel’s recent column about opposition to the proposed Central Maine Power transmission line project, the NECEC, seemed very biased with the ultimate intent and purpose being to discredit the opposition (“Demand transparency from all political organizations,” March 24).
The truth is that the No NECEC opposition is a grassroots effort organized by whitewater guides wanting to protect the beauty and natural resources of the area from CMP’s plan to bring hydropower to Massachusetts by destroying 53.8 miles of Maine’s western mountains, streams and remote lakes and ponds containing native brook trout (the iconic Maine brand).
The opposition is using very limited financial resources to challenge two very wealthy foreign corporation, Ibredrola and Hydro-Quebec, who are using gaps in Maine statutes regarding the review of public utility applications to wage an improper and unethical campaign. There are trying to buy the support of Gov. Janet Mills and to win the approval of the Maine Public Utilities Commission by throwing hundreds of millions of dollars at Maine projects and efforts that have nothing to do with the NECEC application.
CMP also has set up an organization called Western Maine Mountains and Rivers Corp. and funded it with $250,000 to act as an intervenor in support of the project. This organization goes further in purporting to be, in filings with the IRS, a not-for-profit corporation engaged in natural resources in an effort to allow CMP to gain offset credit for their environmentally damaging project proposal.
Jim Fossel ‘s next column should be about how two billion-dollar foreign corporations are using gaps in Maine statutes to gain approval for a project that does not benefit Maine people.
John Nicholas
Winthrop
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