The Portland Press Herald published an update on the New England Clean Energy Connect power line this week after a recent meeting of the Maine Board of Environmental Protection to review appeals to the permit was unexpectedly postponed. Elizabeth Boepple, who represents a group of local residents that are opposed to the transmission line, was quoted:

An attorney representing local residents opposed to the project, organized in the case as the West Forks Group, cautioned that the recommendation came from the DEP staff before the board had done its own independent review or decided whether to hold hearings on any of the appeals.

“This is far from a final decision and order from the board,” said the attorney, Elizabeth Boepple. “We fully expect that reason will prevail when the board takes this up. We believe the board will understand the necessity to hold public hearings, particularly in light of the already cut corridor and the more than likely outcome that at least a portion of Section 1 will never become operational.”

At a minimum, Boepple said, a decommissioning and restoration plan must be reviewed, assessed and approved.

Read the entire article here.