MFPC newsletter July 2018

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Sign up for MFPC’s 58th annual meeting, Sept. 16-17, Sebasco Harbor Resort in Phippsburg

We’ll devote Sunday, Sept. 16, to fun and fellowship, including a barbecue and golf (“course highlights include the Par 3 second hole, where your approach may differ at low or high tide”) and a barbecue. Monday, we’ll get down to business, with a full program of speakers and reports on what’s happening in Maine’s forest economy, including:

Mary Anne Hansan, president of the Paper and Packaging Board(P&PB), will tell us about the unified paper industry’s effort to slow the decline in paper consumption and increase the use of paper-based packaging through its “How Life Unfolds” campaign. Since 2015, about $20 million annually has been spent to reach a target audience of 38 million Americans. Hansan will share P&BB’s latest consumer research, including messages that resonate with consumers, and the campaign’s overall progress.
Marco L’Italien, vice president of International Grand Investment Corp., will fill us in on what’s been happening at the Woodland Mill since its purchase by IGIC in 2010 and the launch into tissue production to complement our pulp manufacturing.
Steve Schley, Pingree Associates, will report on the progress of the Forest Opportunity Roadmap (FOR/Maine).
Charlotte Mace, Biobased Maine, will give us an update on promising companies that have been identified as part of the Maine Technology Institute process.
We’ve invited all four gubernatorial candidate forum to share their perspectives on Maine’s forest products industry and answer your questions.

And of course you won’t want to miss Happy Hour, the Silent Auction/Live auction with auctioneer Jim Robbins or the banquet and awards ceremony. Sign up today. Make reservations at Sebasco Harbor Resort at 1-207-389-1161.

Maine should opt out of Ozone Transport Region

MFPC members came out in force July 30 to testify in support of DEP’s petition to withdraw all of Maine except Acadia National Park and the 10 coastal communities in York County from the 11-state Ozone Transport Region (OTR).

Maine has been in attainment with ambient air quality standards for ozone for many years, even though the standard has been lowered over time. We get bad air from points to our south and as DEP’s petition — based on the EPA’s own data and models — shows, sources in Maine do not significantly or meaningfully contribute to ozone problems anywhere else in the country.

Patrick Strauch and Jim Robbins Sr. confer at hearing July 30.

Yet Maine companies are required to implement Reasonably Achievable Control Technology (RACT) requirements for VOCs and NOx for existing sources everywhere in the state. Requirements also include new major sources and major modifications of NOx and/or VOCs to meet Lowest Achievable Emission Rate (LAER) requirements and obtain scarce and expensive offsets.

These OTR regulatory structures “create additional barriers without appreciable value,” according to DEP, which means that Maine’s mills are subject to more stringent air quality regulations than other competing wood industry states, including Wisconsin, Minnesota, Washington and states in the southeast. Not only do these requirements burden existing businesses, but deter much-needed new investments — without any benefit to the state’s air quality.

Does it make sense to continue to impose more stringent requirements on Maine’s sources than you would elsewhere, when Maine complies with the ozone standard and the added controls will do nothing to help any other area in the country achieve the ozone standard? No, it does not.

We have to establish air quality standards and live up to those standards, but Maine also has to realize that manufacturing is important in this state. We have attained the standards that protect the public’s health. So it’s time to celebrate that success and opt out of the OTR.

Gross winners Alan Orcutt, John Cole, Toby Pineo and Josh Philbrook.

Winners! July 12th was great day to play golf. We had perfect weather, 116 golfers had a grand time at this year’s MFPC Tournament at Bangor Municipal. A special thank you goes out to all who helped with the tournament, Brian Flewelling from Key Bank, Peter Triandafillou from Huber and Carin Sychterz from Rudman and Winchell. We also would like to thank all of this years sponsors and those who contributed to the raffle. Click here to see this years sponsors.

GROSS: 1st – John Cole, Josh Philbrook, Toby Pineo, Alan Orcott; 2nd – Jason Clifford, Scott Gardner, Randy Bishop, Kevin Lee, and 3rd – Jeff Teunisen, Rich Smith, Matt Shannon, Mike Lane.

NET: 1st – John Bryant, John Collannino, John Cashwell, Matt Jacobs; 2nd – Ed Bearor, Josh Tardy, Chris Hatch, Josh Randlett and 3rd – Charlie Einsiedler, Brian Oliver, Herb Jordan, Tomy Doyle

Closest to the pin: Irving Forest Products; Longest Drive: Jason Clifford (men), Jen Barnes (women).

Alice dreamed of a tiny house: She called it a “She Shed” where she could hang out with her friends — through her long and difficult treatment for brain cancer. Donors and a hard-working crew from Maine’s Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI) built Alice’s tiny house from her own plans and on June 25, 2018, Make-A-Wish Maine surprised the Newcastle 14-year-old with her custom-made “she shed.”

MFPC newsletter July 2018

129th First Regular Session of Maine Legislature