AUGUSTA, Maine - Rules for large-scale mining in Maine that failed just last year are back again before the Legislature.
Alice Bolstridge from Presque Isle was among the dozens who drove hundreds of miles to testify on the rules, proposed by the Department of Environmental Protection.
"We need rules that are strong enough to protect the most environmentally risky sites, such as the proposed mining site at Bald Mountain," Bolstridge said.
Opponents say the owner of Bald Mountain, New Brunswick-based JD Irving Limited, is behind the proposed rules.
Some supporters argue that the rules are adequate to protect the environment and that metals are needed in modern economies. They say Maine should do its part in providing those needed metals.
