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Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco On Tuesday, the Maine Land Us Planning Commission (LUPC) followed staff recommendation and voted 5 to 2 to approve the site law certification for Central Maine Power’s highly controversial New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC) corridor project. The NECEC will now proceed to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. Before the vote, some LUPC commissioners expressed concern with the project and the pressure their commission received from Central Maine Power to accelerate their process. Today we hear some of the commissioners statements and an interview with LUPC Regional Supervisor, Bill Hinkel. Today we also look at efforts to reform Maine’s waste law at the legislative and agency levels. On Friday January 17th, the Legislature’s Environment and Natural Resources Committee will hold a work session on waste bills held over from last session, including LD 401 An Act to Preserve State Landfill Capacity and Promote Recycling. On January 13th, representatives of communities impacted by landfills will deliver a petition to the Maine DEP to amend its rules to provide an accurate definition of Maine-generated waste and to require consideration of impacts on environmental justice when determining the public benefit of licensing landfills. Guests: Betsy Fitzgerald, Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC) commissioner, Machiasport Jay May, LUPC commissioner, Mapleton Bill Gilmore, LUPC commissioner, Freeman Twp Bill Hinkel, LUPC Regional Supervisor www.maine.gov/dacf/lupc/agenda_items/010820/slc9_Memo_Draft_Decision_Document.pdf e) Hillary Lister, Don’t Waste ME Today’s program was co-produced by WERU FM/RadioActive and Sunlight Media Collective.