The Army Corps of Engineers is currently deliberating on whether to issue a permit for the Central Maine Power corridor.

The Army Corps is the lead federal National Environmental Policy Act agency on the CMP corridor. The public can still file written comments to the Army Corps and share their concerns about New England Clean Energy Connect’s negative impacts regarding the source of hydropower and impacts on Maine’s wetlands and waterways.

The Army Corps of Engineers should perform an environmental impact statement rather than an environmental assessment to meet its National Environmental Policy Act analysis requirement for this project. An environmental impact statement is a much more thorough study than an environmental assessment.

The federal government performed an environmental impact statement in New Hampshire for Northern Pass and in Vermont for the TDI New England project. The project proposed in Maine does not deserve less.

The Army Corps should hold a public hearing on the permit for the CMP corridor. Opposition to this corridor is overwhelming, and the Corps needs to hear directly from Maine people before it makes any permitting decisions. It’s time for Maine’s federal delegation to weigh in on this federal review process to ensure that this project receives the same scrutiny as other, similar projects in New Hampshire and Vermont.

Kimberly Lyman

administrator, Say NO to NECEC Facebook page

Caratunk

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