Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.

PFAS are widely used and long lasting chemicals that break down slowly over time, and that threaten the health of our people, our wildlife, and our environment. That's why my Administration has worked with the Legislature to implement one of the strongest efforts in the nation to address PFAS contamination in Maine.

In 2021, the Legislature passed, and I signed, nation-leading legislation establishing an interim standard to regulate the presence of PFAS in drinking water. The standard we created in state law was only temporary because we knew that the federal government was going to work on this on its own and issue its own standard. This week, the United States Environmental Protection Agency released its final, national drinking water standard for PFAS.

The Maine CDC is closely reviewing these new Federal standards, which apply only to public drinking water systems, and they will propose a final state standard that brings our drinking water requirements into alignment. The Federal government has given states five years, and additional funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to implement these new standards. That's a recognition that PFAS contamination is a nationwide challenge and Maine is ahead of the curve.

I appreciate this action by the federal government because it builds on our work to protect the health of Maine people from PFAS.

That work started just three months after I took office, when I established a Governor's Task Force to review the prevalence of PFAS in Maine and to put forward a plan to address it.

Led by that Task Force, Maine has dedicated tens of millions of dollars in state funding to remediate PFAS contamination in drinking water treatment systems.

We have also established screening levels for PFAS in soil, fish tissue and milk. And we've have prohibited the spreading of sludge, a widespread source of PFAS historically.

We have established a $60 million PFAS Fund to support farmers whose land and or water has been tested as having a high level of PFAS. We want these farms to survive, we want to remediate any damage to their soil and water, and make sure they stay in business.

We have dedicated funding to test hundreds of deer, turkey and fish to better understand how PFAS in the environment impacts Maine's fish and wildlife.

And we've have expanded the statute of limitations for Maine citizens to file claims related to PFAS contamination and Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey has sued PFAS manufacturers for the damage they have caused. That lawsuit is still pending.

In all, my Administration has worked with the Legislature to dedicate more than $100 million over the past several years to reduce PFAS contamination in Maine and to protect the health of our people, our wildlife, and our environment.

We know there's more to work to do too. So, my Administration will be reviewing this new Federal standard for drinking water, and the science supporting it, to inform our future actions in dealing with PFAS contamination in Maine. This is a nationwide challenge, but I am proud that we are leading the nation when it comes to addressing this.

This is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening. Happy Patriot's Day!

WHEREAS, sexual assault impacts all communities in Maine, and people of all races, genders, and economic backgrounds; and

WHEREAS, over 19,000 people in Maine are sexually assaulted each year and one in five Maine citizens will experience sexual violence in their lifetime; and  

WHEREAS, the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported more than 2,900 probable cases of Lyme disease in 2023; and

WHEREAS, the actual incidence of Lyme disease in Maine is likely much higher than reported, disproportionately affecting children between five and fifteen years and adults over sixty-five years; and

Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.

Well, the Gulf of Maine, you know has some of the strongest and most consistent winds in the entire world; with Maine’s deepwater port assets; our proximity to international markets; and with the University of Maine’s extensive research and offshore wind technology, our state is well-suited to seize the economic and environmental benefits of the offshore wind industry.

Advancing offshore wind in Maine will create good-paying jobs, will generate renewable energy for our homes and businesses, and it will stabilize our energy bills over the long term. That’s why, for the past five years, my Administration has been working closely with people all across Maine to maximize the benefits of offshore wind.

But, like I’ve always said, offshore wind has to be developed responsibly. It has to be done in a way that is right for Maine. That means minimizing impacts to our commercial fishing industry, for instance, and to our coastal communities, and other maritime users. 

That is very important to me.  

To avoid any impacts on commercial fishing from offshore wind developments, I signed legislation three years ago to prohibit offshore wind projects in state waters, within the three mile limit, and that’s where most of Maine’s commercial lobster harvesting occurs. That law cemented that our preference for offshore wind projects being only in Federal waters in the Gulf of Maine.

Last June the Federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, or BOEM, released a draft plan for commercial leasing of offshore wind areas in the Gulf of Maine, a welcome step forward for offshore wind and its potential to create jobs, and stabilize energy prices, and fight climate change in Maine. But the problem with what BOEM proposed was that it included critical fishing grounds for our lobstermen, groundfishermen, herring fishermen and scallopers. The majority of these grounds are covered by a management area known as “Lobster Management Area One”. 

So, Senators Collins and Senator King and Representatives Pingree and Golden and I wrote to BOEM to urge them to listen to the voices of Maine fishermen and remove LMA 1 from their commercial leasing plan. BOEM then released an updated plan last October that removed most of Lobster Management Area One – which was some progress, but it still included potential problematic areas within that area, exposing them to potential development.

Well, the Congressional Delegation and I then wrote again to BOEM, saying that their new proposal was appreciated but still unacceptable, given how important these fishing grounds are to us. We urged BOEM to ensure that any areas leased in the Gulf of Maine would avoid, and at the very least, minimize impacts to the fishing industry whenever possible.

Following our push, I am pleased to say that BOEM released its final plan for commercial leasing of offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine this week and it does not include any part of Lobster Management Area One. Excluding these critical fishing grounds from offshore wind development will help avoid any conflicts between these two important industries.

I appreciate that BOEM has heeded the concerns of my Administration, the concerns of our Congressional Delegation, and many of the concerns of Maine’s fishing communities in its final plan for commercial development of offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine. 

I will keep urging BOEM to engage with Maine’s fishing industry, with our coastal communities, Tribal governments, and other key maritime users and stakeholders as the commercial leasing process goes forward.

I strongly believe that offshore wind, done responsibly, can help us build a stronger economy with more good-paying jobs and a brighter, more sustainable future for Maine people. 

This week’s decision by BOEM to respect the voices of Maine’s fishermen is an important step forward as we work to responsibly advance offshore wind in Maine in a responsible way.

This is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening. 

Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening. 

By focusing our efforts things like high-speed internet, and good schools, safe communities, good-paying jobs, and a clean environment — we are attracting new families to our state, and we are strengthening our economy.

That’s good news, but we know that the biggest impediment to our economic growth is a lack of affordable housing for our growing workforce.

Maine’s not alone — the entire country is short millions of units of housing, both for rent and for sale, in part because new housing construction slowed after the Great Recession of 2008 to 2009 and it never truly rebounded.

While this problem is not unique to Maine, at least here we are doing something about it.

In the short term, we’re working with municipal and private organizations on emergency housing to keep people from sleeping on the street, especially during the winter months, and to reduce pressure on local budgets.

At the same time, we are building our housing inventory — something that will increase supply, and reduce prices, and result in good homes for Maine people in the long term.

For example, I signed legislation to create the Affordable Homeownership Program and the Rural Affordable Rental Housing Program, through MaineHousing, to encourage private developers to build affordable homes for people to purchase or to rent.

So far, the Affordable Homeownership Program has 180 units in the pipeline. And in the current supplemental budget, I’ve proposed $10 million to construct another 130 affordable units statewide.

Separately, the Rural Rental Program has funded 106 new units of rental housing in Maine’s rural communities.

Last week, I was also pleased to sign legislation for MaineHousing to issue more bonds to finance affordable rental housing as well as mortgages for first time homebuyers.

Thanks to this new law, and just a portion of the new funding provided by the biennial budget, construction of 105 new affordable rental homes will start soon in Hallowell, Newcastle, Rockport, Rumford, Sanford, and Waterville.

Taken all together, my Administration has authorized almost $285 million in funds that will support the construction of more apartments and homes across Maine. 

These state and federal funds have resulted in more than 600 new residential units being built so far, with more than 1,000 homes under construction, and more than 2,000 units in the pipeline — the highest number ever in MaineHousing’s history.

Well, I am proud of the progress we have made, and I am committed to continuing to work with all these partners statewide to figure out the best ways to target the resources we have to build more housing in Maine, while at the same time minimizing sprawl and preserving open spaces and our special sense of place in Maine.

Whether someone is experiencing homelessness or seeking a new life in our state; whether a person is retired or working full time; whether a person is looking to rent an apartment in a rural town or buy their first home in the city — there should be a place for everyone in Maine.

For the towns and people in those towns who question whether there should be no new projects in their neighborhoods, there is nothing to fear. We need to work together. The whole state needs you to do your part.

We’ve got to work together to increase the availability of comfortable, affordable housing options across Maine until we can tell every person who wants to live and work here, “welcome home.” 

This is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening. And to those who celebrate, I wish you a Happy Easter.

This is Governor Janet Mills, and thank you for listening.

Well, on April 8th, more than half of the state of Maine will be able to see the total solar eclipse for up to three and a half minutes.

This makes our state the best place in New England and one of the best places in North America to witness this once-in-a-generation event.

We’ve been preparing for this eclipse since last year to make sure Maine makes the most of this great opportunity and the many economic benefits that will come along with it.

The Maine Emergency Management Agency has been coordinating with other state agencies and local, municipal, and county workers to make sure people are safe.

We expect tens of thousands of people to come to Maine to enjoy this great event, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome them.

But we also want to make sure the residents and visitors alike can enjoy the eclipse safely anywhere in the state of Maine.

I’d like to share a couple of tips.

First, arrive early at your destination, and because Maine has so much to offer, we encourage visitors to stay late.

If you’re driving, stick to paved and public roads and watch for any disoriented wildlife that may wander to the roadway, especially during the eclipse.

Make sure you have a full tank of gas and paper maps and plenty of snacks and water.

Second, make sure the location you’ve chosen to watch the eclipse from is accessible. For example, Baxter State Park and other state park campgrounds will be closed and dirt roads may be impassable because of muddy conditions. If you plan to hike through the woods to a viewing location, please stay on marked trails and match your level of experience.

Of course, no matter where you go, you should also pack warm clothes because it is April in Maine and the weather is unpredictable. During the eclipse, the temperature may drop as much as ten degrees.

Remember, when you’re enjoying the eclipse, make sure you’re wearing appropriate eye protection. Regular sunglasses won’t do it at all. Eclipse glasses block the sun’s radiation from reaching your eyes and causing permanent damage. You can buy them at stores and you can purchase them online. Be sure to look for the term “ISO-certified.”

Be prepared for the possibility of traffic delays, of course, following the eclipse. A lot of people will be getting back on the road. So please be patient. Be ready. Make sure you have what you need in your vehicle.

Look, a lot of these recommendations don’t come as a surprise. They’re pretty common sense. But they bear repeating so that folks understand the importance of them ahead of time.

If you plan properly, you’re setting yourself up to have a great time and your family too, enjoying this once-in-a-generation event safely. That’s what we want.

These tips and other information about how to safely view the eclipse are available on our Eclipse website at maine.gov/eclipse2024. That’s maine.gov/eclipse2024.

Of course, you don’t have to travel to western or northern Maine to get a great view of the eclipse. Many Maine communities, including Bangor, for instance, will experience a partial eclipse, and there are many eclipse-themed events that are happening in towns across our state. You can find a list of those events on the Maine Office of Tourism’s website at VisitMaine.com. That’s VisitMaine.com.

I know the Astronomy Center staff at the University of Maine will also be hosting public stargazing events and that students from the university will be livestreaming the eclipse with a high-altitude weather balloon launched in hopefully clear skies. So you might be able to watch the eclipse by live streaming as well.

In 1963, during the last total eclipse in Maine, hundreds of thousands of people descended on small towns in Aroostook County with handmade pinhole cameras to witness nature’s most startling phenomenon. Down East Magazine remarked at that time that Maine would not be visited by another total eclipse within the next 200 years. And yet, on Monday, Maine will once again have the best seats in the House for a historic total solar eclipse.

I encourage you to arrive early, stay late, check on traffic. And I look forward to watching this eclipse with all of you on Monday, April 8th.

This is Governor Janet Mills, and thank you for listening.

WHEREAS, the State of Maine has experienced a severe spring storm with wet snow, heavy rains and high winds causing extensive tree damage and power outages; and

WHEREAS, fuel delivery crews will need to work continuously to ensure continuity of supply, particularly for generator customers during the storm recovery effort; and