News Updates - 2023
NEWS: NEtwork Weekly Stuff

The legislative process has slowed down for issues involving the Network, but if you are seeking to contribute, consider the Kent Street Coalition website. 

The Network is doing final planning for the June 17th Gathering, which is an opportunity to see where the NH Network has been and goals for where we are going.  Feel free to join the planning committee on May 24th.

Meetings

Wednesday, May 24  8 am Planning for Network Summit

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82680045732?pwd=Z1ZTOFBVWkNHaXRCWVI4ZnhhOU5WUT09

Monday, June 5  — 5:30 to 7 pm: Clearing the Fog on Offshore Wind. Registration in the Banner at the top of this page.

Saturday, June 17th  —  NH Network Gathering in Concord

Legislative Actions

Please consider supporting HB253, which gets a hearing before the NH Senate at 9:00 this Tuesday - to weigh in, follow this link: https://gencourt.state.nh.us/remotecommittee/senate.aspx

HB253 is for "establishing a committee to study extended producer responsibility."  

Prime sponsors are Lucius Parshall (D), Tony Caplan (D), Sherry Dutzy (D), Karen Ebel (D).  

The full text is at  https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_Status/pdf.aspx?id=9974&q=billVersion  

Action items

Join the NH Renews coalition as we make our voices heard and show our collective power.

NH Renews is having a Lobby Day with NH Reps from the Science, Technology, and Energy Committee and the Environment and Agriculture Committee on June 8th. The luncheon is from 11:30 to 1:30 at Tandy's in Concord. 

If interested, there is a training for this meeting.  

This is to get the NH Reps on these committees familiar with NH Renews, a coalition made up of Rights and Democracy, 350 NH, NH Youth Movement, American Friends Service Committee, Slingshot, the Cowasuck Band of the Abenakit Penacook People, the Granite State Organizing Project, and Unitarian Universalist Action NH. We hope to have as many constituents there as possible to schmooze with the reps to let them know that people in NH care about the climate and climate action. We also hope to use this as a jump off point to put a legislative bill together for next session.

People can register FOR THE MEETING AND/OR THE TRAINING through Facebook links below.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSefN2AQK0_jEF9tiEIJ3ktmH3LtfeQfXieeHZRj_zvDUnGqsQ/viewform

https://www.facebook.com/events/552369890414668?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22surface%22%3A%22external_search_engine%22%7D%2C%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22search_results%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22bookmark_search%22%7D]%2C%22ref_notif_type%22%3Anull%7D

https://www.facebook.com/events/217231600926420/217231610926419/?active_tab=about

From Jon Swan

Please note that Jon has had Casella’s defamation suit against him dropped.  See article below.

I have created a new GoFundMe fundraiser to assist in paying my legal expenses. To date, and thanks to so many of you and your generous donations, I currently only owe $3797.50. I appreciate all of the love and support I have received over the past 3 years+ in this fight to #SaveForestLake. Thank you! 

Link: https://gofund.me/b6c77a27

If you prefer to avoid fundraising fees from GoFundMe, you can mail a check to my attention at:

25 Cashman Road

Dalton, NH 03598

Thought I would share these 2 news reports from the Cal-Rec:

North Country: Casella Takes On Opponents In Defamation Lawsuit  (April 2020)

Fast Forward:

Casella Drops Defamation Lawsuit Against Dalton Landfill Opponent  (May 2023)

Please note the request from the Steering Committee re: plans for the June 17th Summit.

Overview

• Meetings (both local and international)

  • Agenda details for PWG May 14th meeting

• GOOD NEWS on single use plastics from US PIRG

• Seeking input for Ken Wells re: a junkyard and its potential outcome

• Feed your Brain:  NH Food Alliance, The Radical Centrist, NH Electric Co-Op

Meetings

Sunday, May 14th — 6 pm  Plastics Working Group

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81275611544?pwd=dU5uRGwvSHh6KzQ4M2RETVB4RkMwQT09

Meeting ID: 812 7561 1544   Passcode: 201544

One tap mobile  +16469313860

Monday, May 15 —  9 am Steering Committee Meeting

Agenda:  Focusing on June 17th Summit planning.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88415896754?pwd=eTlyTWtiZlpQdnhyY2tWRVNrSWw1UT09

Meeting ID: 884 1589 6754

Passcode: 625452

Tuesday, May 16  6:00-7:00 PM 

• What:  A Free-Enterprise Solution to Climate Change? 

• Who:  Speaker is former Congressman Bob Inglis (SC), RepublicEn.

The NH Healthcare Workers for Climate Action group is hosting a terrific event you can share with your Conservative friends, community leaders, and state leaders.  Bob Inglis is a highly regarded speaker and Conservative thought leader on environmental issues.  He is a former Congressman from South Carolina and now leads RepublicEn, an organization focused on market-based solutions to address climate pollution and other environmental concerns.

Register at https://www.nhclimatehealth.org/our-events/a-free-enterprise-solution-to-climate-change

Tuesday, May 31, 12 to 4 pm

GAIA and Zero Waste Europe are glad to invite you to participate in the Global Zero Waste Cities Summit. The event will be virtual so that anyone from around the world can join us! 

Together with experts and advocates, we will discuss the latest developments on zero waste as a proven, cost-effective strategy to both reduce waste pollution and help cities reach their climate goals. Through this interactive, virtual summit, hundreds of municipal officials and waste management implementers from around the world will gather under the overarching theme, ‘Local Leadership for Climate Resilience’. 

This 4-hour event will provide you with:

• informative resources and inspiring case studies on successful waste systems across the globe;

• technical and practical information on how to implement economic & policy instruments, methane emission reduction strategies, among others; 

• the chance to meet hundreds of fellow municipal officials, zero waste implementers, and fellow changemakers; and

• networking opportunity with fellow participants in a virtual lobby setting, and numerous 1:1 interactions.

Be a part of the Global Zero Waste Cities Summit by registering at our interactive platform: https://www.no-burn.org/gzwc-summit/. You can review the event program here: bit.ly/GZWC-Summit-Agenda (go to filter by track and select the “Americas” option - times will be listed in GMT). 

GAIA is a network of grassroots groups as well as national and regional alliances representing more than 1000 organizations from 92 countries who are working together to advance zero waste systems at all scales. Zero Waste Europe is the European network of communities, local leaders, experts, and change agents working towards the prevention and elimination of waste in our society. We advocate for sustainable systems; for the redesign of our relationship with resources; and for a global shift towards environmental justice, accelerating a just transition towards zero waste for the benefit of people and the planet.

Agenda Details for PWG May 14th meeting

Here is a link to the agenda so far (please email chea...@gmail.com with any additions).

We'll cover:

• Our collective response to the EPA's draft 'National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution' (thank you to Cynthia & Carol for sharing this information).

• Nutshell:
  Working closely with industry leaders and additional stakeholders, EPA identified three key objectives for the strategy: 

• Objective A: Reduce production and consumption of single-use, unrecyclable, or frequently littered plastic products, and minimize pollution across the life cycle of plastic products. 

• Objective B: Improve post-use materials management.                         

• Objective C: Prevent trash and microplastics from entering waterways and remove escaped trash from the environment.

• Deeper Dive (feel free to comment individually)                                               Draft “National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution” and provide comments.

Map Interactive map of recycling markets                             
Data EPA data on plastics
Info EPA’s work to promote a Circular Economy

GOOD NEWS on single use plastics from US PIRG

More states are giving the boot to some of the worst single-use plastics.

With northwestern neighbors Oregon and Washington each passing new plastic reduction laws in recent weeks, we can celebrate a big step forward in the effort to get the worst, most unnecessary, most wasteful single-use plastics out of our lives.

Of course, there's still so much more we need to do -- but victories like these remind us that the grassroots momentum behind cutting out single-use plastics is helping turn the tide on the plastic waste crisis.

Oregon lawmakers have voted to phase out polystyrene foam foodware, packing peanuts and coolers statewide. All this wasteful plastic "stuff" sticks around for centuries after being thrown out and is nearly impossible to recycle -- instead clogging our landfills and polluting our environment.

In recent years, PIRG staff have knocked on tens of thousands of doors in Oregon to talk about the need to move beyond polystyrene foam. The overwhelming response: "It's about time!" But the Beaver State's new laws don't stop there. Lawmakers also passed a PIRG-backed bill requiring an update to the state's health code to make it easier for restaurants to provide reusable container options.3

Washington, meanwhile, is already a national leader when it comes to reducing waste and pollution from single-use plastic foam products -- in 2021, following PIRG's advocacy, lawmakers passed the strongest ban on polystyrene foam in the country.

Now, the state is taking on more harmful and unnecessary single-use plastics. A new PIRG-backed law requires that new buildings constructed with water fountains also contain bottle filling stations; phases out the use of small plastic containers, wrappers and packaging for personal care items like shampoo or soap by hotels and other lodging establishments; bans soft film-wrapped floats and docks; and mandates a study of hard-shell foam-filled floats and docks.4

A call for some wisdom or help from Ken Wells

This message is from Ken Wells (kenw...@gmail.com), but probably not a unique story.  Any advice?

Hyper-local politics is exasperating! The latest drama locally is that the estate of Walter Locke is trying to sell the site of Andover Auto Wrecking to a MA operator. Old timers recall that "bad stuff" was buried there when it operated as a dump from 1910, and the auto wrecking yard was operated by Walter since 1936.  His heirs and the selectboard insist that it "grandfathered" although my reading of RSA236:109-126 says that if they applied in 1965 for a Certificate of Approval of Location, they could get one, but it would have to be approved by the zoning board. I don't believe an application was made back then, so no such certificate is available for inspection, as required by statute to "...operate & maintain" a junkyard

I'm hoping that another group could purchase it, apply with the Town for a grant to do the remediation, and then build workforce housing (it's centrally located).

Do you know of anyone in the Network with experience or expertise in this area?

... and Ken writes further:

The old yard fronts on Rte 4/11 and the Backwater River. It’s an environmentally sensitive site right in the village, and would never be approved today as a junkyard site. I find the prospective operators description of their business disturbing: bring in wrecks from MA & NH to break down to sell parts (doors, etc) in the Boston market. Why couldn’t they do that at their existing MA location, where the regulations are more stringent than NHs?

Feed your brain (and other possibilities)

• Join the Food Alliance Newsletter to receive information on food issues ranging from action items to job opportunities.

https://mailchi.mp/nhfoodalliance/nh-food-alliance-newsletter-sign-up

• The Radical Centrist - a recommended podcast   https://centristchange.blogspot.com/

The Radical Centrist Podcast explores a politics that steps outside of the realm of the poisonous partisanship that has infected our country in recent years and seeks ways to place the American voice - and the American idea - above tribalism, partisan politics and blind allegiance to ideology and to challenge ourselves to ask question and seek answers that can bridge the divides between people, parties and ideologies.

• IF YOU BELONG to the NH CO-OP.  (Contact Jeff Beck for detailed candidate responses at bentrimone@gmail.com)

This is the 4th year that the Pemi Climate Emergency Coalition (PCEC) has produced a climate questionnaire for candidates running for seats on the NHEC Board of Directors. We got off to a late start (my bad). Voting has already started so I would really appreciate it if NH Network members could distribute the results to their memberships as soon as possible. Below is what was sent to the PCEC membership.

===

If you get your electricity from the NH Electric Coop (NHEC) you are a “member”, not a customer, and as a member you have a say in how NHEC operates. The Board of Directors establishes the policies and general direction for the Co-op. Voting for Board members is currently underway. You may have already received your ballot in the mail or electronically.

The Pemi Climate Emergency Coalition (PCEC) strongly encourages you to VOTE. This is the 4th year we have put together a questionnaire to help members understand the candidates’ positions on climate issues. We hope you will consider their responses when casting your ballot. The results of our questionnaire are attached.

You can find NHEC’s guide to the candidates here:
https://www.nhec.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/CANDIDATE-GUIDE_WEB.pdf

The NHEC annual meeting is happening at 10:00 on June 7 at the Merrill Place Conference Center on the campus of Plymouth State University. You can register to attend either in person or via Zoom here:
https://www.nhec.com/2023-annual-meeting/

A number of climate concerned members will be attending and asking questions. If you have the inclination and the time, we’d love to have you join us. We will be meeting via Zoom the evening before (June 6) at 7:00 to prepare. Please email Jerry Beck at BentR...@gmail.com if you are interested in joining us for the preparation or if you have any other questions.

As we head toward the 2023 legislative finish line, deep gratitude for the Network Executive and Steering Committees for the efforts in executing monthly meetings and pushing forward on legislation.  Special thanks to Joe, Susan, Reinmar, Donna, Patsy, Cindy, John Gage and others who I am in jeopardy of forgetting.

There are any number of meeting opportunities this week.  Detailed descriptions of each meeting will follow the abbreviated calendar.

Legislative Actions 

From Joe Kwasnik

This will be another short report as the Legislature is moving forward to the end of this session.  There are only a few bills in hearing this week and some subcommittee meetings and Executive Sessions.

In the House

SB267: Relative to requiring the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Services (DES) to consider "cumulative impacts analysis" in rules and statutes.  Public Hearing.   Environment and Agriculture Committee, Tuesday, April 25, 2023, 10:45AM, LOB 301-3.    SUPPORT

SB61: Relative to surface water setbacks for landfills. Public Hearing.   Environment and Agriculture Committee, Tuesday, April 25, 2023, 12:45PM, LOB 301-3.  OPPOSE.   (Note that the Senate killed HB 56 which was the bill requiring all new landfill permit applications to comply with setbacks from surface waters based on ground water flow characteristics of the site.  SB61 which is supported by the DES provides significant opportunity for issuance of new landfill permits under current siting rules if the DES does not adopt new siting rules within 24 months of the enactment of SB61...a very high possibility) 

SB54: Relative to purchased power agreements for electric distribution utilities.  Work Session.  STE Committee, Monday, April 24, 2023, 9:00AM, LOB 302-4.   SUPPORT

SB53: Relative to permitting use of certain refrigerants that are compliant with the Clean Air Act (42 USC section 7671k).   Executive Session.   Executive Departments and Administration, Wednesday, April 26, 2023, 2:00PM,  LOB306-8.   SUPPORT

HB609: Relative to elimination of the Site Evaluation Committee.  RETAINED in Committee.   This is good news as my view is the SEC needs restructuring and improvement not elimination.  This bill would transfer the functions of the SEC to the PUC which is currently hostile to environmental issues, issues untimely decisions and would be an unfriendly place for citizens to contest decisions on projects.

The next House Session will likely be held on Thursday, May 4th.

In the Senate

HB281: Relative to elimination of the requirement for electric utilities to submit for review Integrated Resource Plans to the PUC.   This bill should be RETAINED in Committee as it eliminates a key least cost planning tool for the utilities and a means for the PUC and the public to understand planning (and spending) for the future of the grid in NH.    Retaining the bill will permit the Committee to make essential changes to the bill to preserve this important planning tool.    Although not confirmed, a public hearing may be held on May 9th...to be confirmed.

I am uncertain of the date of the next session of the Senate.

All of these bills along with more details on the contents of each bill can be found in the NH Network's Bills of Interest at:

newhampshirenetwork.org/NH-bills

From Jon Swan

Good Morning NH Network!  Asking for your help, once again, as our HB56 was killed in the Senate in favor of the pro-industry SB61.  We are asking that you visit the NH House of Reps Online Testimony portal to submit your OPPOSITION to Senator Avard's SB61, and I ask that you also provide some brief commentary, basically along the lines of "Please amend SB61 to include HB56, to ensure that NH waterbodies are protected from poorly-sited landfills".  We really need a strong showing on this one! In part, John’s letter reads:

I am opposed to SB61 for the following reasons:

1. SB61 comes before your committee from the NH Senate, the same body that killed bipartisan HB56. HB56 was killed strictly for political reasons, because like last year’s HB1454, the GSL Landfill project would not be able to meet the setback criteria that would have been established.  This poorly-sited project is why legislation has been proposed for four years now, and with four bills being successfully passed by the House: HB1319, HB177, HB1454, and now HB56.

2. SB61 calls for an arbitrary, 2-year moratorium for the issuance of new landfill permits. Why does SB61 not include ALL new landfill permitting work, during the 2-year moratorium? Why allow for NHDES personnel to expend valuable time and energy on ANY new landfill permitting work? I see this as a blatant attempt to game the system, by those friendly to the Casella GSL Landfill project, in an effort to appease public demand for stronger environmental protections for water bodies from poorly-sited landfills. Two years is the timeframe for permitting a new landfill, as stated by Director Wimsatt in House E&A committee testimony on March 21, 2023.  Simply put, all permitting work could be completed within the 2-year moratorium, despite the possibility that the new setback requirements could completely alter the project.…SB61 will ultimately pave the way for the GSL Landfill project, unless it is amended or killed.

I recommend that your committee amend SB61 by merging it with HB56, or ITL it, if that is not amenable. During the April 13, 2023 Senate floor discussion on HB56, both Senator Altschiller and Senator Watters stated that HB56 was a perfect companion bill for SB61. Also, allow me to remind you that the House approved HB56 in bipartisan fashion on March 22, 2023, by a vote of 224-155. Please do not allow the Senate to so easily dismiss the will of the House and the intent of HB56.

Meetings

Monday, April 24, 2023, 7:00-8:30 pm  “Your Favorite Climate Solutions”hosted by the NH Network (See additional details)    RSVP at newhampshirenetwork.org/events

En-ROADS is a climate policy visualization tool developed by Climate Interactive and MIT that models climate policy options and combinations on a wide variety of impacts. 

Tuesday, April 25, 6 PM to 7:30 PM

EVENT NEWS FROM AFSC: Introduction to Deep Canvassing: The Proven Method to Change Hearts and Minds -. Hosted by People’s Action. Are you an organizer, community leader, or activist looking to engage with your community around deeply polarizing issues? Are you an individual hoping to understand how to have compassionate, non-judgmental conversations across lines of difference? Or, are you someone who’s heard about this thing called “deep canvassing” and you’re curious to learn more? This information session will cover the core components of deep canvassing and help you decide if our two-day, six-hour “Deep Canvass 101 Skills Training” is for you.

Wednesday, April 26 at 5:30pm in Littletown, NH with two of our River Stewards, Kate Buckman (NH) and Kathy Urffer (VT). Our River Stewards engage in public advocacy in support of CRC’s mission and collaborate with partners across the Connecticut River Watershed to protect and serve rivers  (Additional details below)

Saturday, April 29, 8:30 to 2:30                                                                                                                                                                        

Unitarian Universalist Church of Concord, 274 Pleasant St, Concord, NH         

All organizations are invited to the morning session where James T. McKim will be our keynote speaker and then there will be a panel of people focusing on air, water, land.The keynote starts at 10:00 and then the panel is right after and the program ends at 12:15. People can at register at UU Action NH: uuactionnh.org

Clean Energy NH is sponsoring a number of interesting programs May 1 - 5.   Check out the schedule at:    http://nhenergyfuture.org/nhew/

Monday, May 1, 2023. 10:00a - 11:00a

NH Energy Week Kick Off: This year's schedule will start with our virtual Kick off Event. Our most watched programming will feature remarks from U.S. Senators, energy thought leaders, national energy developers and more!    Virtual - REGISTER HERE

Tuesday, May 2, 2023. 11:00a - 12:00p

Investing in Resiliency: Billions of dollars are heading to states for investments in energy and climate resilience - what does that mean for the people of NH? Virtual - REGISTER HERE

Wednesday, May 3, 2023. 6:00p - 8:00p

Energy Trivia 101: Join us for some food and drink and show off your trivia skills! Teams and individual players can join us at the family-friendly event at Smuttynose Brewery with trivia hosted by DJ KOKO.  In-person - REGISTER HERE

Thursday, May 4, 2023. 11:00a - 1:30p

Virtual Career and Resource Fair: The NH Energy Week Career Fair and Resource Event is a fully virtual, engaging and interactive job fair and networking event in partnership with New Hampshire Employment Security. Virtual - REGISTER HERE

Friday, May 5, 2023. 1:00p - 4:00p

Powering NH's Energy Future Celebrate the end of NH Energy Week in-person! Hear about emerging technologies in energy and congratulate the 2023 winners of the Energy Champion Awards. Categories include: Small Business, Large Business, Municipalilty, Legislator, and Young Professional. In-person - REGISTER HERE

Detailed descriptions of upcoming meetings

Monday, April 24, 2023, 7:00-8:30 pm (admission is free)  “Your favorite Climate Solutions” hosted by the NH Network

RSVP at newhampshirenetwork.org/events

There is climate hope. But all of our individual efforts combined will not hold global warming to 1.5 ⁰ C, even if every one of us increases the energy efficiency of our homes, installs solar panels, and drives an EV.  Additional policy changes are needed to accelerate the investment, innovation, and choices throughout the economy to achieve national and international climate goals.  

En-ROADS is a climate policy visualization tool developed by Climate Interactive and MIT that models climate policy options and combinations on a wide variety of impacts.  A climate solutions workshop will be offered on April 24 using En-ROADS to compare and combine dozens of climate levers to gain insights and help better understand our options.  The objective is to help climate solution advocates focus their efforts more effectively, and give lawmakers an awareness of the relative power, tradeoffs, and interactions of climate and energy policies.

WHO:

• Peter Dugas 

  • En-ROADS Ambassador

  • The 2021 recipient of Maine’s SOURCE Award for Sustainability

  • Maine State Coordinator for Citizens’ Climate Lobby

• Moderator:  John Gage

  • Member of NH Network Steering Committee

  • NH State Coordinator for Citizens’ Climate Lobby

Event sponsored by:  NH Network for Environment • Energy • Climate and Citizens’ Climate Lobby

 The Inflation Reduction Act is a good start, but which additional policies offer the best chance to achieve important science-based climate goals?  Join us to explore the impacts of your favorite climate solutions on future energy sources, energy costs, carbon emissions, global temperature, sea level rise, human health, and more.  En-ROADS is a visual tool that helps understand the interactions of energy and climate policies at a global scale.  Do you know which policy combination would hold temperatures to 1.5 ⁰ C at the least possible cost?  En-ROADS can provide insights about what our best options are.  En-ROADS Ambassador Peter Dugas will lead an interactive workshop to help identify powerful solution options you, your friends, networks, and legislators can help deploy to put us on a path to a livable future.

April 29, 8:30 to 2:30 — Unitarian Universalist Church of Concord 274 Pleasant St Concord NH          

Keynote speaker James T. McKim

Chair of the Episcopal Church's National Executive Council Committee Anti-Racism & Reconciliation, Mr. McKim was the principal writer of the church's guidelines on anti-racism and reconciliation. As President of the Manchester Branch of the NAACP, he works regularly with government's and businesses to eliminate discrimination.   

Plenary Discussion                                                

Catherine Corkery, Director NH Sierra Club

Arnold Mikolo, Manchester Conservation Law Foundation, NAACP -- Air Quality monitoring between neighborhoods based on social and economic status 

Wayne Morrison, President of North Country Alliance for Balanced Change -- landfill contamination

Paul & Denise Pouliot  of the Cowasuck Band of the Abenaki-Penacook Tribe -- removal of dams and sustainability of mother nature

Representative Wendy Thomas   Merrimack Water Warrior -- PFAS contamination in town water

4/26 at 5:30pm in Littletown, NH

Hello,

I hope this email finds you well! I'm reaching out as the Events Assistant at the Connecticut River Conservancy regarding a Meet and Greet event we are hosting on 4/26 at 5:30pm in Littletown, NH with two of our River Stewards, Kate Buckman (NH) and Kathy Urffer (VT). Our River Stewards engage in public advocacy in support of CRC’s mission and collaborate with partners across the Connecticut River Watershed to protect and serve rivers. The Meet and Greet provides an opportunity for community members to stop by to meet Kate and Kathy, learn what CRC has been doing on the rivers with community support, and hear about CRC’s priorities for the watershed in NH and VT this year. Light refreshments will also be served. The event description and registration can be found here. Would you be willing to promote or share this opportunity with your members/community? Please feel free to reach out with any questions, and thank you for your time!

New NH Network Brochure

If you are tabling for Earth Day or other events, please feel free to download and make copies of the new NH Network Brochure, which is attached to this email and is also stored on the NH Network's Google Drive:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PYb9XknX7IRXCUZf3yhj4juNWVfqXSDd/view?usp=sharing

Please note, the brochure is a trifold, but it does not fold in a "Z." Rather, 

1. put the second page with "Our Vision" and "Working Groups" up and facing you, 

2. fold over the right third and you'll see "Let's Take Action."

3. finally, fold over the left third and you'll see the front with the New Hampshire Network logo.

Thank you for helping promote the NH Network!

Meetings

Monday, April 17 -  5 30 pm NH Network Steering Committee meeting  - anyone may attend and participate

Main item on agenda is planning June 17 summit, with an eye to the August 12 "Keep NH Green Again" summit.    

What are the questions we should be asking at this summit?  What are the structures that will help us work best?  

Items can be added at Agenda, April 17 - Steering Committee

Zoom link to attend:  https://umassboston.zoom.us/j/91601469837

Friday, April 21 - 9 to 11 am  Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Energy Board (EESE) meeting

https://17938795747767988963.googlegroups.com/attach/2b56068b6e55c/eese-board-agenda-april-2023.pdf?part=0.1&view=1&vt=ANaJVrHCv9XsdgAJjkI1lcPmOayI57IyILHke7QE1c1IOiS2eOS5mhRc7o8EfS8ghoxFXUP49KZYudwxPVDWimsOa75V4hiVavp0o0---d5gFIguhOlktaI

Monday, April 24, 2023 -7:00-8:30 pm  

NETWORK webinar Test Your Favorite Climate Solution

En-ROADS is a climate policy visualization tool developed by Climate Interactive and MIT that models climate policy options and combinations on a wide variety of impacts.  A climate solutions workshop will be offered on April 24 using En-ROADS to compare and combine dozens of climate levers to gain insights and help better understand our options.  The objective is to help climate solution advocates focus their efforts more effectively, and give lawmakers an awareness of the relative power, tradeoffs, and interactions of climate and energy policies.

  RSVP at bit.ly/20230424-nhnetwork-en-roads

Wednesday, April 26, 2023 at 7:00 PM  Registration required. 

Why Are NH Energy Rates So High?

Join a discussion with Consumer Advocate Don Kreis and contractor Ethan Cole, a NH Saves Partner and Efficiency Excellence Network Member.

To register:  https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIpcOispz4oGdD84pi1np1DXGZIijwSel4K 

Co-sponsored by the Plainfield and Cornish Democratic Committees

May 8 - 5:30-7:00 

Food for Thought: How We can Build a Climate-Resilient Food System in New Hampshire” - Colleen Stewart & panel including Karen Ebel, composting program, Paige from DES, support Solid Waste Management 

Legislative Actions

In the House

SB225: Relative to establishing a commission to study assessing power generation.  STE Committee, Monday, April 17th, 9:00AM, LOB 302-4   SUPPORT

SB52: Relative to the regulation and operation of electric vehicle charging stations.  STE Committee, Monday, April 17th, 9:30AM, LOB 302-4   SUPPORT

SB 54: Relative to purchased power agreements for electric distribution utilities.  STE Committee, Monday, April 17th, 10:00AM, LOB 302-4   SUPPORT   (Please note that the Community Power Coalition opposes this bill while Clean Energy NH supports this bill with amendments.   I am recommending support for this bill as it begins to solve the challenge of high default service energy costs and while not a perfect bill, with amendments suggested by CENH including CPCNH issues, this bill has the potential to moderate default service energy costs)

SB191: Relative to road toll registration surcharges for Electric Vehicles.   Ways and Means Committee, Tuesday, April 18th, 1:30PM  LOB 202-4   SUPPORT

In the Senate

No public hearings for Bills of Interest this week.

Also note that a number of bills will be in Executive Session in the House STE Committee on Tuesday, April 18th, 9:00AM, LOB 302-4. These bills are SB225, SB52, SB166, SB167, SB79, SB69, SB54, SB40, SB161, SB16, SB113 and SB68.

As always, please register your support/opposition to these bills electronically or plan to submit written or oral testimony.   Instructions for electronically filing your position can be found at: newhampshirenetwork.org/NH-bills

Legislative Actions: (From Jon Swan  saveforestlake@yahoo.com)

We have another Action Alert for you!  We need you to visit the NH House of Reps Online Testimony portal to submit your OPPOSITION to Senator Avard's SB61 and also provide some brief comments: 

https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/committees/remotetestimony/

The public hearing for SB61 before the House Environment and Agriculture Committee is scheduled for Tuesday, April 25, 12:45PM.  A "how-to" example attached.  Please be sure to provide at least a sentence of testimony to your submission, stating something along the lines of "amend SB61 to include HB56 to ensure NH waterbodies are protected".  My testimony is attached as well.  Thank you!

HB56 was killed in the NH State Senate on Thursday, April 13.  Video from the Senate floor:  https://youtu.be/vNKgpp2m8P4

I have to admit, I find it very odd and disturbingly-inappropriate that NHDES has worked so hard to oppose our efforts to protect NH waterbodies from poorly-sited, dangerous, toxic landfills, which lobbying on behalf of SB61.  Keep in mind, too, we're only going to perhaps need just one more in the distant future, but only in the instance where expansion at WM's Turnkey Landfill in Rochester is denied.  Otherwise, we have plenty of capacity in the state, and need to work on reducing what we generate in waste, and, address the out-of-state trash elephant in the room.  I have definitely to the conclusion that NHDES (along with Governor Sununu and AG Formella) is working on behalf of Casella's interests in NH, both on the legislative front, and at NCES, as that landfill is having some issues.  

On another note, we are going to commence with well testing in the vicinity of the proposed landfill site, primarily around Forest Lake, but would like to include others in the vicinity of the proposed landfill site, in Bethlehem and Littleton, basically encompassing the Ingerson property.  Lab test kits will be sent to my house for distribution, cost for the "18 PFAS compound" package is at a discounted rate of $250 per well.  This is to establish a baseline for PFAS contamination in the area, as NHDES will be deciding whether or not to permit an industrial development in an environmentally-sensitive, greenfield wetlands habitat, where no such contaminants currently exist.  This would be yet another point to challenge the project, as it's been established that landfills are home to PFAS contaminants. 

Please send me an email, along with your address, so I can get you a test kit and we can coordinate payment and delivery of your sample to the test lab in North Conway.

Feed Your Brain

From Cindy Heath  

Hi All,

I had the privilege of interviewing the filmmaker and producer of the film 'Whitman Brook', about a restored apple orchard in Quechee, VT. A remarkable, award-winning (NH Film Festival) film and poignant story of land stewardship, love, and loss.

You can learn more and 'pay as you can' to watch the film virtually as part of the Vermont International Film Festival (it was screened there last weekend) at this link through April 23.

It seemed to fit as a positive reminder of why land conservation and preservation are so important, which I thought was relevant to our work - I hope you do too.

Thu, Apr 20 9:00 P.M.    

NHPR 

NHPR in collaboration with NHPBS host a summit that brings together people from across the region to learn how local change makers are advancing discussions around climate change solutions and resiliency.

Episode Duration: 56 minutes and 46 seconds

Episode Number:

All broadcast times for this episode: (show all)

Thu, Apr 20 — 9:00 P.M. By Degrees Climate Summit     

Sat, Apr 22 — 9:00 P.M. By Degrees Climate Summit     

Sun, Apr 23 — 11:30 A.M. By Degrees Climate Summit     

Mon, Apr 24 — 1:00 A.M. By Degrees Climate Summit 

A short summary this week which includes positive developments from the Plastic Working Group, the upcoming meeting schedule, legislative action (there is a lot), and additional action possibilities from the American Friends Service Committee.

Plastics Working Group Update

Passing along this exciting development from Rob Grabill, Associate Pastor of  Dartmouth College United Church of Christ and Chair of the NH Environmental Justice Mission Group, which submitted a resolution to the 2023 General Synod (UCC national conference) for adoption titled 'Free From Plastic Pollution'.

"This news article was published on the national United Church of Christ Web page last week, giving the latest on the progress of the Plastics Resolution.  I was delighted to see a hot link to Ten Towns and also Beyond Plastic. There is growing momentum."

Meetings

• April 10 5:30 to 6:45 pm  Network Meeting on Beauties and the Beasts 

 REGISTER, Crossover Season

• Three prominent NH legislators and two scientists will discuss “the Beauties” and “the Beasts” – the environment, energy and climate bills that have survived committee, House or Senate to “cross over” to the other chamber of the Legislature. 

• We’ll discuss bills that should be supported, those to oppose, and why.

• Friday, April 21 9 to 11 am  Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Energy Board (EESE) meeting

https://17938795747767988963.googlegroups.com/attach/2b56068b6e55c/eese-board-agenda-april-2023.pdf?part=0.1&view=1&vt=ANaJVrHCv9XsdgAJjkI1lcPmOayI57IyILHke7QE1c1IOiS2eOS5mhRc7o8EfS8ghoxFXUP49KZYudwxPVDWimsOa75V4hiVavp0o0---d5gFIguhOlktaI

Monday, April 24, 2023 — 7:00-8:30 pm  NETWORK webinar Test Your Favorite Climate Solution

En-ROADS is a climate policy visualization tool developed by Climate Interactive and MIT that models climate policy options and combinations on a wide variety of impacts.  A climate solutions workshop will be offered on April 24 using En-ROADS to compare and combine dozens of climate levers to gain insights and help better understand our options.  The objective is to help climate solution advocates focus their efforts more effectively, and give lawmakers an awareness of the relative power, tradeoffs, and interactions of climate and energy policies.

  RSVP at bit.ly/20230424-nhnetwork-en-roads

Monday, May 8, 2023 — 5:30 - 7:00 

“Food for Thought: How We can Build a Climate-Resilient Food System in New Hampshire” - Colleen Stewart from NH Food Alliance & panel including Rep. Karen Ebel, composting program, Paige Wilson from DES, support Solid Waste Management 

Legislative Action (from Joe Kwasnik)

We are now beyond cross-over so bills passed by the House or Senate are now traveling to the opposite chamber for public hearings.   This week will see several bills in public hearing in both the House and Senate.  The following bills will need our advocacy this week:

******Priority SUPPORT for HB56 relative to landfill siting  (Senate Floor Vote) and SB166 relative to grid modernization (House STE Committee-Public Hearing) *****

******Priority OPPOSE for SB167 relative to green hydrogen energy (House STE Committee-Public Hearing)******

HOUSE

STE Committee...Monday, April 10, 2023, LOB 302-4

SB113...9:00AM...Relative to cost effectiveness of the joint utility Energy Efficiency Plan.   SUPPORT

SB161...9:30AM...Relative to low-moderate income community solar projects.  SUPPORT

SB 166...10:00AM...Relative to electric grid modernization.  PRIORITY SUPPORT

SB167...10:30AM...Relative to green hydrogen energy and infrastructure. After amendment:   SUPPORT

SENATE

Energy and Natural Resources Committee...Tuesday, April 11, 2023, State House 103

HB142...9:00AM...Relative to the Burgess BioPower Plant.   SUPPORT

HB385...9:30AM...Relative to the approval of community aggregation plans by the DOE.   MONITOR

All of these bills along with more details on the contents of each bill can be found in the NH Network's Bills of Interest at:

newhampshirenetwork.org/NH-bills

The Senate will be in Session on Thursday, April 13th at 10:00AM.

Consent Calendar

HB111...Relative to establishing a committee to study EV charging stations for residential renters...SUPPORT

Regular Calendar

HB56...Relatie to landfill siting...PRIORITY SUPPORT

HB233...Relative to the verification of useful thermal energy under the Renewable Portfolio Standard...SUPPORT

We encourage you to register your support or opposition to these bills...you can register to make your position known by accessing the NH General Court website  or follow the directions that are located on the NH Network Bills of Interest link provided above.  By registering, you will let legislators know whether a bill has public support or not and voter's pay attention.   Also consider attending the public hearings and providing oral and/or written testimony.

American Friends Service Committee State Watch

https://afsc.org/newsroom/state-house-watch-april-8-2023

Overview

• Meeting schedule

• Legislative Actions

• Legislative results as of March 26

• How to encourage your representatives to attend sessions

• Feed Your Brain including free six week seminar on taking action within your business, Building Public Renewables in NH,  Why Kentucky (similar to NH?) is last in solar and wind

Meetings

April 10 — 5:30 to 6:45 pm  NH Network Event  Crossover Season in the NH Legislature 

Our 2nd ANNUAL REVIEW! The Beauties & the Beasts of NH environment, energy and climate bills

 REGISTER, Crossover Season

• Three prominent NH legislators and two scientists will discuss “the Beauties” and “the Beasts” – the environment, energy and climate bills that have survived committee, House or Senate to “cross over” to the other chamber of the Legislature. 

• We’ll discuss bills that should be supported, those to oppose, and why.

Friday, April 21 9 to 11 am  Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Energy Board (EESE) meeting

https://www.energy.nh.gov/energy-efficiency-sustainable-energy-board

Monday, April 24, 2023, 7:00-8:30 pm  

NETWORK webinar Test Your Favorite Climate Solution

En-ROADS is a climate policy visualization tool developed by Climate Interactive and MIT that models climate policy options and combinations on a wide variety of impacts.  A climate solutions workshop will be offered on April 24 using En-ROADS to compare and combine dozens of climate levers to gain insights and help better understand our options.  The objective is to help climate solution advocates focus their efforts more effectively, and give lawmakers an awareness of the relative power, tradeoffs, and interactions of climate and energy policies.

  RSVP at bit.ly/20230424-nhnetwork-en-roads

May 8 - “Food for Thought: How We can Build a Climate-Resilient Food System in New Hampshire” - Colleen Stewart, NH Food Alliance & panel including Rep. Karen Ebel and Paige Wilson from DES, Solid Waste Management 

Legislative Action

From Jon Swan, Save Forest Lake

Please show your SUPPORT for HB56, as it has been scheduled for hearing by the NH State Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee on April 4, 9:15AM.  It PASSED in the House, 224-155.   Remember, this is the same bill as last year's HB1454, which passed in BOTH the House and the Senate, was vetoed by Governor Sununu, with the House then voting with 80% in SUPPORT of the override of Governor Sununu's veto, only to be defeated in the Senate by 5 votes. 

There is no excuse for the Senate, led by Jeb Bradley, who voted TWICE in favor of HB1454, not to pass this common-sense bill, again. 

We need you to show your support and send a strong message to the Senate to do the right thing and PASS HB56 to protect NH waterbodies from poorly-sited landfills!

Committee: Senate Energy and Natural Resources

From Joe Kwasnik

This week in the NH Legislature, cross-over will occur on April 6th although many committees of both chambers have already begun the process of public hearings on bills that have crossed over.

Some bills that are in Public Hearing in committee this coming week which need our advocacy are itemized below:

HOUSE

SB40: Relative to net energy metering by small hydroelectric generators.    STE Committee, April 3rd, 9:00AM, LOB302-4   SUPPORT

SB68: Relative to municipal host for purposes of limited electrical energy producers.  STE Committee, April 3, 9:30AM, LOB302-4  SUPPORT

SB69: Relative to allowing certain non-profits to participate as customer-generator group hosts under Net Energy Metering.   STE Committee, April 3, 10:30AM, LOB302-4   SUPPORT

SB79: Relative to the participation of customer generators  in Net Energy Metering, STE Committee, April 3, 11:00AM, LOB302-4    SUPPORT

SENATE

HB56: Relative to landfill setback requirements for new landfills, Energy & Natural Resources Committee, April 4, 9:15AM, State House 103   SUPPORT

All of these bills along with more details on the contents of each bill can be found in the NH Network's Bills of Interest at: newhampshirenetwork.org/NH-bills

We encourage you to register your support or opposition to these bills...you can register to make your position known by accessing the NH General Court website or follow the directions that are located on the NH Network Bills of Interest link provided above.   By registering, you will let legislators know whether a bill has public support or not and voter's are paying attention.

The House will be meeting on Thursday, April 6th at 9:00AM to consider all remaining bills prior to cross over.  One bill which will be debated and voted on during this meeting is HB234 which terminates the program of distributing free Renewable Energy Certificates to utilities.  We recommend that this bill be supported as it is an illegal "taking" of property (RECs) from residential and commercial solar energy generators that do not claim the RECs.  

Dear NH Network Members  (from Joe Kwasnik)

Please see the appeal from Chris Skogland of Clean Energy NH regarding a "all hands on deck" appeal for support for SB68 which if passed will expand the eligibility for communities and schools in NH to invest in solar energy projects and opens the door for more towns, cities, counties and schools to invest in local electric generation.   If you are willing and  interested in having your name on this letter under the NH Network banner, please contact me directly by email (jkwas...@gmail.com) on or before 6pm Sunday evening with your name and your town of residence.  Once we know who will be joining us from the NHNetwork, we will submit the names to Clean Energy NH.  Also consider coming to the public hearing on Monday to show your support for this bill.  I am offering up my name and residence (Concord) in support of this bill.  Thank you for your consideration.   

The details from Clean Energy NH: 

Apologies for the last-minute email blast. Appreciate that the timing on this is short, but a municipal member of CENH made this suggestion today. We are looking for responses by 8:30 AM, Monday, April 3rd.

Attached is a letter of support for Senate Bill 68, which will be heard by the NH House Science, Technology, and Environment Committee on Monday, April 3 at 9:30 AM. SB68 expands the eligibility for communities and schools to invest in solar energy projects and in doing so opens up the potential for many more NH towns, cities, counties, and schools to invest in local generation, lower their energy bills, and save local property tax-payers money. It is the next logical incremental step in New Hampshire’s energy policy, but important to managing high electricity prices and local government budgets.

Clean Energy NH is reaching out to ask the following:

1. Would you like your name (AND energy committee affiliation) on this letter?

2. Can you show up on Monday and talk about what this would mean for your community?

Chris Skoglund

chris@cleanenergynh.org  | 603-918-8353

www.cleanenergynh.org

Legislative Results

Here are the results of some noteworthy votes on the House and Senate floors this past week.   There are far too many to list in this summary but you can check in at LegiScan for a chronological listing of bills voted on in each chamber and their fate:

HB56-Passed.    The vote was 224-155.  The bill is relative to providing a formula for determining setbacks for new landfills from perennial lakes, rivers and coastal waters.

HB602-Retained in E&A.    This bill is similar to HB56.

SB61-Passed.   This bill is relative to NHDES adopting rules relative to surface water setbacks for landfills.

SB159-Passed.   This bill establishes a committee to study unlimited service area permits for landfills and out of state waste coming into NH.

HB226-Killed.   This bill is relative to enabling municipalities to regulate the distribution and disposal of certain solid waste within landfills.

HB246-Tabled.   This bill was relative to distribution of monies within the renewable energy fund.   

HB418-Tabled.   This bill was relative to the amount of money to be applied to energy efficiency from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative CO2 allowance auctions.

HB139-Passed.   This bill is related to the definition of municipal host for purposes of limited electrical energy producers.

HB524-Killed.   This bill is related to the greenhouse gas initiative funds. 

HB142-Passed.  The vote was 269-109.   This bill is related to the continued operation of the Burgess Bioplant in Berlin

Encouraging your representative to attend sessions (from Susan Richmond)

Background:  I asked Louise Spencer, head of Kent Street Coalition, and Matt Wilhelm, Minority Leader in the House, how we could help with attendance.  They had Amanda Sears of Civix Strategies call me -- she has been working with Matt, was pleased to know about us, gave me the big picture, and was glad for our suggestions from this Monday's Steering Committee meeting.   She also hopes we will help with RECRUITMENT, next election cycle.

Prior to each House Vote:  reps are asked to submit their attendance plans.  Of the 198 reps, 5 said they weren't attending, 1 maybe, and 18 not responding.  Then Matt, Amanda and others go to work -- is there a way to get the No's and Maybe to attend and the 18 to respond?  Phone calls, pressuring the Reps to show up.  (A  judge may change the court date for a rep who is a lawyer, someone will wait for the plumber [frozen pipes] so the rep can vote, someone can pick up a child at school if the session runs late, two had surgery and don't know if they'll be discharged, one is visiting an ailing mother in Wisconsin...)  

When the House is in session:  folks in the balcony monitor when Reps leave the hall, and have folks outside each door, so they can advise the Rep to wait a moment if an important vote is coming up.  

What we can do:  

1.  Call your reps the day before a House session.  (Maybe couch it in expressing the bills that matter to you - will you be there, how will you vote...?)

2.  Be available on the off chance that we get a last minute text from Amanda of help needed in a particular geographic area.

3.  Let Amanda know about bills sufficiently important (good or bad - and realistic possibility of passing or being defeated by one or 2 votes) to merit the hall monitor approach  (A job for the Legislative Working Group.)

4.  Help recruit candidates who will be able to attend.

Contact List of representatives who were absent for crucial votes (the margin on some bills being one vote!)  If this is one of your reps, consider a polite email or phone call to encourage their attendance.  Please note that if they have childcare or eldercare coverage, Kent Street Coalition has a volunteer group that can help.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1OciuXUmij9_nNrRuGATg6l13_9vu9moY9AeapVQQ2eI/edit?usp=sharing

Feed Your Brain

• Building Public Renewables in the United States

https://www.climateandcommunity.org/public-renewables-in-the-us

• Free six week program from April 4 to May 12  climate action

The Climate Challenge 101 is a free, entry-level program designed for the workplace.  Weekly emails introduce relevant topics and provide insight into how employees can take action.

An excellent opportunity to learn from NH business leaders about the climate actions they are bringing to their companies:

https://groups.google.com/g/nh-environment-energy-and-climate-network/c/9ysVCMr3xVs

• Why Kentucky is Last in Renewable Power

https://17938795747767988963.googlegroups.com/attach/30cf0375ac6f0/Why%20Kentucky%20Is%20Dead%20Last%20for%20Wind%20and%20Solar%20Production%20-%20Inside%20Climate%20News.pdf?part=0.1&view=1&vt=ANaJVrETQ9KSxhhD4j7b6OCz9H8PHpdro6x99TKcNNhJhPDDhsT64OI2_K3AzzqHaac9Lt63Usds0hvCpZxqwAkpHxFhOOM6RAvq-kOpBqDG4zq0nxrSrls

Back from vacation, and it was a busy week including some positive outcomes, but also narrow legislative defeats perhaps, in part, due to a number of missing legislators.  If applicable, please contact your rep.  Contact information is listed below.

Yes, legislative summaries are lengthy, but important.

Overview

• Stream line your Network emails

• Meetings including Network April 10th meeting on crossover bills

• Contact list of representatives who were absent on crucial voting days.

• Update on Network legislative bills.

• Update from Save Forest Lake on legislative bills

• Update from Kent Street Coalition legislative bills

• Action items

• Feed Your Brain including a message from Don Kreis why he supports HB 609 as opposed the the Network position (moving siting responsibilities from the SEC to the PUC)

Procedure to streamline Network emails

Set your NH Network email, to get just a single daily digest:  

Go to: https://groups.google.com/g/nh-environment-energy-and-climate-network/members

On the left, near the bottom, click on:  "My membership settings"

Subscription will be on the right and you will see a drop-down menu.

Select  Abridged

Meetings

Monday, March 27, 2023 05:00 PM 

Topic: NH Network Steering Committee Meeting - all are welcome

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82236946513?pwd=THJsVHRZaVpyRFVlMmxKa0tpZDMxdz09

Friday, March 31  8 am to 9 30 am  

Croissants and Crossover offered by BIA  ($35 – BIA members, BIA Capitol Connect members, and members of partnering organizations.$49 – Non-BIA members)   Holiday Inn Concord Downtown   172 N Main St, Concord

https://groups.google.com/g/nh-environment-energy-and-climate-network/c/olbaIsW1mqI

An almost evenly split House between Republicans and Democrats is creating far reaching complications rarely seen in New Hampshire. The phrase “without recommendation,” almost never seen in calendar blurbs from previous legislative sessions, is now almost commonplace and whether a bill passes or fails has less to do with the merits of the proposal and more to do with who happens to have the majority at the time the vote is taken. What does all this mean for thoughtful public policy development?

Sunday, April 16, 6 pm:  Plastics Working Group  (from Cindy Heath) NOTE: PWG skipping April 2nd

Here is the ZOOM link to join the meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6275609302

In a little over a year of working together, PWG members have accomplished a great deal collectively as a group and individually in our communities! We've learned from many expert presentations, research on the complex world of plastics, and hearing about each others succ esses and challenges.

Whether you joined the PWG at the beginning or are new to the group, we invite your participation in discussing a set of questions exploring the plastics recycling aspects of our action list. There is much to be said about how recycling works or doesn't work by solid waste professionals, policy experts, and the plastics industry. Let's take a deep dive into some of these questions and see what bubbles to the surface for us!

April 10 5:30 to 6:45 pm  Network Meeting on Beauties and the Beasts 

 REGISTER, Crossover Season

• Three prominent NH legislators and two scientists will discuss “the Beauties” and “the Beasts” – the environment, energy and climate bills that have survived committee, House or Senate to “cross over” to the other chamber of the Legislature. 

• We’ll discuss bills that should be supported, those to oppose, and why.

Contact List of representatives who were absent for crucial votes (the margin on some bills being one vote!)  

If this is one of your reps, consider a polite email or phone call to encourage their attendance.  Please note that if they have childcare or eldercare coverage, Kent Street Coalition has a volunteer group that can help.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1OciuXUmij9_nNrRuGATg6l13_9vu9moY9AeapVQQ2eI/edit?usp=sharing

Legislative update/actions (from Joe Kwasnik)

This will be a short email update on happenings in the NH Legislature.   Last week in the STE Committee, there were continued hearings for HB609-Related to the elimination of the Site Evaluation Committee and HB208-Related to establishing a Climate Action Plan and establishing greenhouse gas reduction emission targets.

First the good news...HB609 has been retained in Committee and will likely be looked at again by the STE Committee in September.   The bill had overwhelming opposition from the public but strong support for passage by state agencies, energy utilities and others.    Unfortunately the bill seeks to eliminate the Site Evaluation Committee and put that review function in the Public Utilities Commission...a very bad idea and will likely result in fewer opportunities for public input or transparency during future project reviews.  [SEE Don Kreis’ letter offered below which supports this bill and Joe’s response - a healthy dialogue]

As you read Joe’s summary, note the vote differences are a handful of votes, and several legislators did not attend.

The bad news is that HB208 was killed on the floor of the House last Thursday  (192-181).   Chairman Vose made a pitch to kill the bill saying the bill was a "fundamentally dangerous proposition for the state of NH...it could actually fundamentally change the way we live."   He went on to say that "the government could dictate the car you drive, how you heat your home, where you work or whether you go on vacation."  Rep. Chretien, D-Manchester, said in defense of the bill that "HB208 would have NH join the rest of New England and establish a greenhouse gas emission reduction goal and establish a climate action plan."  She also said that "Setting and pursuing ambitious GHG reduction goals is both the right thing to do from a climate and environmental perspective and fiscally prudent for the future of the state."  

In addition to these results, the following STE bills were also killed:

HB253-Relative to increasing the cap on net energy metering...189-182

HB263-Relative to requiring the DOE to inform small generators eligible for Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) that utilities are taking small generators unused RECs to lower utilities costs of compliance with the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS)...187-180

HB605-Relative to increasing the amount of money from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative that the state of NH receives for energy efficiency and conservation programs...186-181.

HB605-Relative to including solar generation in the RPS standards  which utilities are required to meet...188-181.     

Clearly, Thursday was not a good day for the environment in the House of Representatives.

However there was a ray of sunshine in the Senate which passed SB166-Relative to Grid Modernization.Thanks go to Senator Watters for sponsoring this bill which goes a long way towards making law requiring the electric utilities to begin to modernize their distribution systems and creating opportunities for  energy consumers to better manage their electricity consumption and contribute to the efficiencies of the grid.

In the meantime, we will be updating our NH Network Bills of Interest to include the fate of all bills at Crossover.    newhampshirenetwork.org/NH-bills

Legislative Update from Save Forest Lake

Excerpts from New Hampshire House Passes Landfill-Groundwater Siting Bill

by Robert Blechl March 22, 2023

After a split committee vote with no recommendation, the full New Hampshire House of Representatives on Wednesday cleared a landfill-groundwater siting bill, which now moves to the New Hampshire Senate.

House Bill 56, whose sponsors include state Rep. Linda Massimilla, D-Littleton, passed in a 224-155 House vote.

It seeks to establish a formula for determining the distance for which a new landfill can be sited from a perennial lake, river, or coastal water…..

If made law, HB 56 would provide a 5-year setback or distance of travel (or fewer years if improvements are made to a landfill) based on maximum seepage velocity measured in units of feet per year that determine how fast the groundwater flows between a landfill and a surface water.

The aim is to provide enough time to detect contaminated groundwater from a leak, spill or other landfill failure from reaching the water body before remedial action can be taken, with five years being a period of time that bill sponsors say should be sufficient to detect and map a failure and began a course of action.

HB 56 supporter Adam Finkel, a Dalton resident who helped draft the language on House Bill 1454, a similar bill, but one that failed last year, highlighted the amendment to HB 56.

“It was to rewrite the section, which is paragraph C, that exempts existing landfills from the bill,” said Finkel. “In other words, you can expand where you are without having to pass the test.”

…..Along with HB 56, other landfill-related bills were also put forth in the 2023 New Hampshire legislative session….

Senate Bill 61, which seeks to require the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services to adopt rules relative to surface water setbacks for landfills and sets a time-frame for the adoption of new rules, passed the Senate with an amendment and now moves to the House Environment and Agriculture Committee.

SB 159, which seeks to establish a committee to study unlimited service area permits for landfills and the amount of out-of-state waste coming into New Hampshire, was passed by the Senate with an amendment and goes before the House Environment and Agriculture Committee.

HB 226, which sought to allow municipalities to regulate the distribution and disposal of certain solid waste within landfills, was found inexpedient to legislate by the House Municipal and County Government Committee.

An update from the Kent Street Coalition on legislative results that you may agree with or not, but are of interest.

Excerpts from Kent Street Coaltion email

Passed:

·      HB 224 repealing the civil and criminal penalties under the Fetal Protection Act

·      HB 88 recognizing a right to abortion pre-24 weeks

Defeated:

·      HB 460, an extreme anti-voter bill repealing affidavits for registration

·      HB 10 the so-called “Parents’ Bill of Rights”

·      HB 331 which would have created almost universal access to school vouchers.

Action items

Help a reporter with a story: Fourteen communities in New Hampshire plan to offer community power programs this spring. Is your town starting a community power program? We want to hear your thoughts. Email NHPR's climate, energy and environmental reporter Mara Hoplamazian at voi...@nhpr.org.

— Dan Tuohy, NHPR Senior Digital Producer

Feed Your Brain

• UNH sustainability programs and opportunities:  https://mailchi.mp/unh/sustainabilityinstitute_newsmarch23?e=7718abbd7f

• from Donna Reardon

This young lady, Anna Du, is awesome and our youth environmentalists give us hope.​

3/24/23 Good Morning America- Anna Du, teen raising awareness on microplastics in the ocean​

2022    Microplastics & Me Trailer - by Anna Du - YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=l2kw8Mn6qWQ

2020   https://tumblehomebooks.org/book/microplastics-and-me/

 2018    Watch "2018 Final Presentations - Anna Du" on YouTube

• Dear Network Friends: (from Don Kries - state consumer advocate)

Joe Kwasnik’s message about last week’s legislative highlights reminded me that I have been meaning to reach out to the network about HB 609, the bill to transfer energy facility siting authority from the Site Evaluation Committee to the Public Utilities Commission.  House ST&E voted to retain the proposal, which means it will resurface in the fall after everyone has had some more time to think and, perhaps to discuss.

Which makes this a great time to confess – in case you have not already discovered it – that in my capacity as Consumer Advocate I have expressed support for the bill in writing.  I would like to improve my understanding of why my position differs so sharply from what I perceive to be the consensus view among Network members.

About a decade ago, I did a stint as a hearing officer with the Vermont Public Service Board (which has since been renamed the Vermont Public Utility Commission).  Then, as now, the Vermont utility regulator was responsible for energy facility siting decisions.  Although decisions on the bigger facilities were as controversial as they tend to be in New Hampshire, nobody seemed to question the assumption that the PSB/PUC is the right “decider.”  It seemed logical enough to me, given the agency’s expertise in re the energy needs of the state.  Other state agencies participated as parties, contributing needed expertise about environmental impacts, agricultural impacts, etc.  I’m puzzled about why there is so much emphatic resistance to this concept here in New Hampshire.

Scheduling conflicts prevented me from attending the two hearings ST&E held on HB 609.  But I have reviewed numerous accounts of what transpired.  It’s my understanding that the main concern is that the demise of the SEC will eliminate the right of the public to participate in deciding whether to allow projects to be built.  Specifically, HB 609, at least as introduced, would give the three PUC commissioners the exclusive right to vote on the outcome of these cases; no more “public” SEC members.  I found myself wondering whether the existing public representation is anything more than cosmetic.

For example, if you live in Lebanon and some developer proposes building a 500 megawatt combined cycle gas generator there, will you be more inclined to accept a “yes” from the SEC because a public member of the body – someone, say, from Londonderry – was among the yes votes?  I did not attend the hearings or deliberations on the Northern Pass project but it is my understanding that the decisive voices in the deliberations and voting were actually two PUC commissioners, Kate Bailey and Marty Honigberg.

I watched the Northern Pass proceedings from the sidelines – there is no role for the Office of the Consumer Advocate in SEC proceedings and, instead, there’s an organ known as “Counsel for the Public” – but I was paying attention and, as a result, have the following opinion:  What was missing from the Northern Pass case was anyone representing ratepayers.   The fatal flaw in the Northern Pass proposal was the lack of any guaranteed ratepayer benefits sufficient to offset the project’s significant environmental impacts.  (In financial terms, there were few if any ratepayer benefits but no costs assigned to New Hampshire electric customers because the project was to be participant-funded, which meant that the costs would ultimately be borne by Massachusetts customers.)  I consider it noteworthy that when CMP sought to develop its successor to Northern Pass (the NECEC project in Maine) they did negotiate with my counterpart in Maine and entered into an agreement with him for certain guaranteed ratepayer benefits.  As a result, the NECEC project has fared considerably better than Northern Pass did and, indeed, might end up being completed.

Meanwhile, under the SEC enabling statute, the Counsel for the Public (which operates under the aegis of the Attorney General’s office) has an odd and self-contradictory charge:  “represent the public in seeking to protect the quality of the environment and in seeking to assure an adequate supply of energy.”  These are important considerations for sure, and among those that the decisionmaker must weigh.  But they are competing interests and, as a lawyer, I don’t understand how one can advocate for both of these things (protect environmental quality and assure adequate energy supply) at the same time.  Therefore my hypothesis is that the Counsel for the Public serves no useful purpose.

I will go out on a limb here and speculate that at least some of the opposition to HB 609 is personnel related:  dislike of the current PUC commissioners and, perhaps, the governor who appointed them.  It would not be useful to say anything here that would illuminate my opinions about any of that.  I do however think people should take the long view when making changes to how state government is structured.  Neither the current governor nor the current PUC commissioners will be in office indefinitely.

Finally I would urge Granite Staters not to succumb to ‘last case bias.’  I do not foresee another Northern Pass.  Hydro Quebec has recently reversed course and begun telling the world that it will run out of ‘extra’ electricity for export (or other purposes) in 2026. 

What I do foresee, from a ratepayer perspective, is a fairly urgent need to build additional energy infrastructure – particularly given the electrification of the transportation sector.  Between that reality and the housing crisis that threatens to transform New Hampshire into little more than a giant retirement home, we need to figure out how to allow rather than prevent major construction projects.

Now that we have some breathing room, I am open to changing my mind about anything I’ve said here.  And I would welcome the opportunity to be in dialogue about these issues, either network-wide or bilaterally.  

Joe Kwasnik response:

Don

Thank you for your email and thoughtful comments on HB609.   I did not attend the first day of testimony which I understand was primarily from administrative agencies and utilities who were substantially in support of the bill but I did attend the Monday hearing which primarily heard testimony from members of the public and enviro groups who were substantially in opposition to the bill.

I take full credit and/or blame for the position of the NH Network on this bill primarily for the following reasons (and I am open to persuasion on this position):

1.   The PUC's mission is to ensure that customers of regulated utilities receive safe, adequate and reliable service at just and reasonable rates.   From what I can see, it does not have any particular expertise or interest in the planning, siting, construction and operation of energy facilities...at least currently.  The SEC has significant experience in reviewing large energy facilities such as Northern Pass and others.   Given the recent decisions of the PUC such as the 2021 decision on NHSaves, I question their ability to weigh all factors other than cost effectiveness including environmental and climate impacts. 

2.   Perhaps unfairly or not, some of the early testimony cited extensive delays in the SEC review process...and many commenters stated that one of the issues with the SEC is scheduling meetings around the schedules of the administrative agency heads.   During the second day of hearings, the Asst. Commissioner of the DES stated that he thought there was an extensive number of projects awaiting SEC decisions.  We learned later that there are 0 projects in the project pipeline at SEC thus no current backlog.

3.   There does appears to be structural problems with the SEC such as lack of funding, limited (one) staff and difficulty corralling agency heads for meetings/deliberations...if this is the case, why not fix the problems rather than abolishing the Committee and transferring its functions to the PUC which seems to have become a political office of the sitting governor (and it could be a GOP or DEM Governor).

4.   Although the PUC has a mechanism for receiving public comments about its dockets, etc, the process is not particularly friendly to the uninitiated.    And finally, 

5.   There is suspicion that this bill is really an attempt to eliminate the SEC as an impediment to moving large energy projects forward...just a suspicion but voiced in testimony by members of the public. In addition, Chair Vose announced at the start of the 2nd day of hearings that there was an amendment to the bill...the STE Committee received the amendments during the hearing and of course the public had no idea what the amendments consisted of ...thereby further fueling concern about the true intent of the bill, the trustworthiness of the STE Committee management to be fully transparent and the public's ability to provide meaningful testimony on an amendment that was an unknown.

Lots going on and the snow (again) is coming!

Overview

• A “how to” to streamline Network emails

• Meeting schedule including back to back meetings this Tuesday the 14th

• Beyond our mission, act TODAY on HB 1 to support more equitable education, AND consider writing to support those who were targets of hate in Portsmouth from this past February. (Template at the end of this summary.)

• Legislative action items 

• Legislative action: Climate Action Plan March 16th (from John Gage)

• NH Bulletin:   NH Has a Responsibility to do Its Best for the Land and the Climate

• Once You Know:  Resources to enhance actions around climate change.  The link to this movie closes Sunday night.

• Opportunity to join NH CHAT-  A new bimonthly newsletter for Climate Health Action Talk.

How to Streamline NH Network Emails

1. Set your NH Network email, to get just a single daily digest by going to :

https://groups.google.com/g/nh-environment-energy-and-climate-network/members

2. On the left, near the bottom, click on:  "My membership settings"

3. Subscription will be on the right and you will see a drop-down menu.

4. Select  Abridged

Meetings

• Tuesday, March 14, 6:00pm Sustainable Lebanon – Alliteration for a Purpose: People, Planet and Profit: A discussion with Sue Kaplan

Susan (Sue) Kaplan teaches Sustainability in Action in the University of New Hampshire’s Sustainability Dual Major and is the Faculty Lead for UNH’s B Impact Clinic. The Clinic’s student consulting teams work with businesses seeking B Corp certification.

Kaplan will discuss what she sees as the future of mobilizing sustainability action; at the local level, through national organizations and initiatives and by businesses in the economy.

Anyone interested in registering can email Phillip Bush: philipwbush@gmail.co

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89002557686?pwd=NWZDeC9vTE9aMGVaa3ExZ25Jbm4zUT09

• Tuesday, March 14 7:30 pm  Network Legislative Working Group Update and Moving Forward

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6037307148

• From the NH School Funding Fairness Project

The House Finance Committee has scheduled the Public Hearing for the Governor's Budget on Monday. At the very last minute. What does this mean? 

This is the first opportunity for public comment on the Budget. In other words, this is our opportunity to jump in at the earliest phase and tell the House Finance Committee that it's time the State fulfills its responsibility to fund an adequate education; and it's time they stop forcing municipalities to make up for it in local property taxes. 

We need a critical mass of people to submit written testimony to the House Finance Committee. We made a web page that walks you through exactly how to do it. It has a sample testimony you can either copy and paste word for word, or you can change it up however you want. There's a video you can watch too, and you can see it takes me about 40 seconds to fill out the whole form. 

Here's the link: https://fairfundingnh.org/get-involved/legislation/budget-testimony-how-to/

If you have any questions please  text Casey at 410-533-3754 We could really use your help!

Legislative Action (from Joe Kwasnik)

The end of the first part of the Legislative Session is coming to a close and the amount of legislative activity planned for this week within the various standing committees is fairly minimal but nevertheless important with the House budget bill starting to take shape.   

You can access the ongoing Bills of Interest at:    newhampshirenetwork.org/NH-bills

HB609 (Public Hearing and Executive Session)...Relative to Energy Facility Siting...This bill prescribes the transfer of the functions of the Site Evaluation Committee (SEC) to the PUC.   We recommend an OPPOSE on this bill as reading of the bill indicates that the functions of the SEC will be transferred to the PUC an agency that is difficult for citizens to access thus a concern about public access and transparency for future deliberations on energy facility decisions.    This will be a continuation of last week's hearings by the Science, Technology & Energy Committee on Monday, March 13 at 9:00 AM in LOB 302-4.   The hearing will be followed by an Executive Session for this bill at 10:30AM in LOB 302-4. 

HB142 (Public Hearing and Executive Session)...Relative to the operation of the Burgess Biopower Plant.  This bill provides for the continued operation of the Burgess wood burning power plant in Berlin.   We recommend a SUPPORT as this facility is a major employer and taxpayer in Berlin and supplies significant and needed local electrical generation capacity to northern NH.   There will be a public hearing by the Science, Technology & Energy Committee on Monday, March 13 at  9:10AM.  The hearing will be followed by an Executive Session for this bill at 10:30AM in LOB 302-4.

HB139 (Executive Session)...Relative to the definition of municipal host for purposes of limited electrical energy production. We recommend SUPPORT for this bill.   The House Science, Technology & Energy Committee will hold an Executive Session on Monday, March 13 at 10:30AM in LOB302-4

HB2 The House Finance Committee will be holding a public hearing on HB2 which is the NH omnibus budget bill on Monday at 2:00PM in Reps Hall.   This bill needs to be carefully followed as the majority party has in the past inserted unpopular legislation into this bill including school vouchers and abortion restrictions. 

Join us Tuesday, March 14 7:30 pm  Network Legislative Working Group Update and Moving Forward

Legislative action: Climate Action Plan March 16th (from John Gage)

Bill Action Alert:  the NH House has put HB208, a bill to create an NH Climate Action Plan (CAP), on the calendar for a whole House vote Thursday, March 16!

New Hampshire must have an updated Climate Action Plan to be eligible for a lot of upcoming funding, and funding is available now to help states create or update their Climate Action Plan.  But this funding is a limited-time offer.

Please contact your own state representatives asap to tell them there is now funding for creating a Climate Action Plan, NH will miss out on a lot of federal funding from the IRA over the next several years if we don't have an update-to-date Climate Action Plan (that is what HB208 will deliver), and NH must also submit the application to be eligible for the funding by March 31st.  See the original email below from the EPA Press Office for details.

See newhampshirenetwork.org/take-action for instructions on how to email or call (preferably both) your state Reps to ask them to support HB208 (and two other climate-related bills, HCR5 and HB372).

Feed Your Brain

From Ann Podlipny:  NH Has a Responsibility to do Its Best for the Land and the Climate

https://newhampshirebulletin.com/2023/03/08/new-hampshire-has-a-responsibility-to-do-its-best-for-the-land-and-climate/

Welcome to NH CHAT, our new bimonthly newsletter for Climate Health Action Talk.

We at NH HWCA want to keep the chatter going and the stories flowing about climate change and health, and how we can mitigate as well as adapt to climate change to protect the health of our communities.

We are looking for writers, articles and stories from across NH on climate and health.Please give us your thoughts on this initiative, and please join us.

Please send comments and submissions to info@nhclimatehealth.org

From Cindy Heath - Plastics Working Group

Here is an excerpt from an email sent to UVM Extension following today's screening of the film, 'Once You Know' (trailer). Dr. Susi Moser joined us for the Q & A.

I am sharing it in case you would like to watch it over the weekend. The link closes Sunday night.

Once You Know

https://vimeo.com/803573248/1d2ce6797f

The simple takeaway from Dr. Moser about how to have an impact is to simply have conversations about the things that matter to the person we're speaking with, whether it's skiing, gardening, knitting, building a house, or other activities in our lives.

To quote Susi from the film and the discussion emphasizing that an intentional transition to a positive future is better than having to suddenly adapt (as many poor countries are now being forced to do.)

FILM: "We will never find the answer on Main Street."

DISCUSSION: "Transformation will happen. We either choose one, or we are going to get one."

Here are some resources that came up today:

Dr. Susi Moser's website - Susi's research and other relevant resources.

Susi's email: prom...@susannemoser.com

From Kent Street Coalition:  Supporting victims of hate

On February 21st 2023, businesses, homes and places of worship that were owned by, or inclusive of, the BIPOC, Jewish, and LGBTQ community were vandalized with red spray paint depicting hate symbols, including swastikas.

In response to the hate motivated crimes, a group of local non-profits banded together and created Love Blooms Here. A response to show these actions are condemned and we all stand together to eliminate hate, racism, antisemitism, and bias in all its forms.

Donated flowers were delivered by citizens to those affected by this hate.

Let’s keep this positive energy flowing and send postcards with messages of support and love to these affected friends, in Portsmouth and throughout the state.

If you are interested, please send your post cards of support to the list below. We are not providing postcards for this action.

Script:

But feel free to send your own words of love and support.

Dear ____________________(name of business/synagogue/person),

We are so incredibly sorry that you have been recently targeted by hate.  

We care about you and your ____________(business/synagogue/etc.)

Hate has no home here in NH.

List of Affected Businesses and Place of Worship

Cup of Joe

• 31 Market Street Portsmouth 03801

Deadwicks

• 18 Sheafe Street Portsmouth 03801

3 Bridges Yoga

• 185 High Street Portsmouth 03801

The Temple of Israel

• 200 State Street Portsmouth 03801

Cotillion Bureau 

• 65 Bow Street Portsmouth 03801

Grim North Tattoo & Piercing

• 167 High Street Portsmouth 03801

Macro Polo

• 89 Market Street Portsmouth 03801

Broken Spoon restaurant

• Miriam Rohini

• 416 Central St, Franklin, NH 03235 

There are lots of opportunities from legislative action.  Please note, comments on HB 227 and HB 457 need to be submitted today, that extended explanations for some bills are at the end of the summary.

There is a Plastics Working Group meeting tonight at 6 pm.

In Feed Your Brain section, important and informative updates from Jon Swan and the American Friends Service Committee.  

Meetings

Sunday, March 5 at 6 pm Plastics Working Group

Join the Zoom meeting   https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6275609302

Monday, March 6 at 5:3o pm 

NH Network Steering Committee  (Join 5:15 to socialize/ask questions)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89316677348?pwd=a0NLSndrMXpLUStyMmI0K015T1p6Zz09

 Tuesday, March 7,  7:00-8:00 pm. 

NH Network Communications WG Meeting

(Join 6:45 to socialize/ask questions)

The Agenda and Zoom link will be shared Sunday before the meeting.

Friday, March 10 at 9:00 a.m.  Economic Impact of Climate Change

at the UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law, 2 White Street, Concord, NH 03301.

Doors will open at 8:30 a.m. for coffee and light refreshments. Admission is free and open to the public, but registration is required for attendance. Click here to register. Those in attendance will be encouraged to submit questions in writing. A zoom link will be provided for those who wish to observe the panel discussion but cannot attend in person. This event is also made possible by the generosity of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation.

Thursday, Apr 13, 2023, 6:00  By Degrees Climate Summit 2023 hosted by NHPR.

The By Degrees Climate Summit is free and will also be live streamed with closed captioning. Its recording (both audio and video) will be used for a later broadcast and distributed on NHPR’s digital platforms during Earth Week 2023. You can register to join us in person here.

Action Items - (from Joe Kwasnik)

For more details on the dates of public hearings, work sessions, executive sessions and the relevant committees,  please go to the NH Network website and view the Bills of Interest.

newhampshirenetwork.org/NH-bills

Please note that the public can provide input and testimony during public hearings.  During work sessions and executive sessions, the public may attend but are not generally permitted to provide any comment or testimony unless invited to by the Committees.  As such, we encourage the public to contact their representatives with their views on the upcoming bills to be heard in work and executive sessions. Please be sure to sign in electronically or show up at the two public hearings for this week.

BILLS IN PUBLIC HEARING/EXECUTIVE SESSION

The bills in public hearing are HB609 related to the future (read elimination) of the Site Evaluation Committee and HB142 related to the continued operation of the Burgess Biopower Plant in Berlin.   

HB609  (Extensive additional comments after the Feed Your Brain section) ...I am recommending that we OPPOSE HB609 as it will eliminate the Site Evaluation Committee (SEC) and put regulation of energy facility siting within the Public Utility Commission (PUC).  Moving the functions of the SEC to PUC will further distance the public from input on decisions made about our energy future as the PUC is currently not very responsive to public input or access.   Public hearing on 3/7/2023 at 9:00AM, LOB 302-4 with STE Committee. Executive Session on 3/13/2023 at 9:00AM, LOB 302-4.

HB142...I am recommending that we SUPPORT HB142 if only to provide one of the few remaining economic lifelines available to the Berlin area as the Burgess Biopower Plant is a large employer, tax payer and provides needed electric capacity for the north country.  Public hearing on 3/7/2023 at 10:30AM, LOB 302-4 with STE Committee. Executive session on 3/13/2023 at 9:00AM, LOB 302-4.

BILLS IN WORK SESSION/EXECUTIVE SESSION

The bills in Work Session/Executive Session are:

HB606: This bill adds requirements for installation of electric vehicle charging stations at new state buildings and major construction using state funding.   Recommend SUPPORT HB606. Executive Session on 3/6/2023 at 9:00AM, LOB 201-3 with House Public Works and Highways Committee. 

HB242: This bill bans the use of food packaging containing PFAS.  Recommend 

SUPPORT HB242.  Work Session on 3/7/2023 at 10:00AM, LOB 210-211 with House Commerce and Consumer Affairs.  Executive Session on 3/8/2023 at 1:15PM, LOB 210-211.

HB253: This bill establishes a committee to study extended producer responsibility for plastics.   Recommend SUPPORT HB253.   Work Session on 3/7/2023 at 9:30AM, LOB 301-3 with House Environment and Agriculture Committee.  Executive Session on 3/7/2023 at 10:30AM, LOB 301-3.

HB56: This bill establishes a formula for determining the distance from which a new landfill shall be located from perennial streams, lakes and coastal waters.  This bill has broad support from officials in the north country.   Recommend SUPPORT HB56.   Work Session on 3/7/2023 at 9:30AM, LOB 301-3 with House Environment and Agriculture Committee.  Executive Session on 3/7/2023 at 10:30AM, LOB 301-3.

HB398: This bill requires generic notice of PFAS and other ground water contamination prior to the sale of real property.   Recommend SUPPORT HB398.  Executive Session on 3/8/2023 at 11:00AM in LOB 305-7 with House Resources, Recreation and Development Committee.

HB655: This bill redefines the roles and responsibilities of the Office of Professional Licensure and Control (OPLC) for the oversight of boards and commissions.  This bill appears to eliminate state licensing requirements for certain professionals in NH including Forester, Soil Scientist and Wetland Scientist in addition to other professionals.  The Governor is also intending to include this language in the upcoming Budget Bill, HB2.   Enacting these provisions will weaken the professional caliber of various professionals in NH.  Recommend OPPOSE HB655.  Executive Session on 3/8/2023 at 1:30PM , LOB 306-8 with House Executive Departments and Administration Committee.

HB457: (Extensive additional comments after the Feed Your Brain section) This bill prohibits the State Treasurer and the state retirement system from conducting business with any financial institutions or proxies that prioritize social, political or ideological interests above or in concert with the traditional fiduciary duty to maximize financial benefits.  The bill eliminates consideration of Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) in financial transactions by the State Treasurer and state retirement system and will likely result in increased financing costs for NH.  Recommend OPPOSE HB457.  Also see discussion of companion bill HB227.  Executive Session on 3/8/2023 at 1:30PM, LOB 306-8 with House Executive Departments and Administration Committee.

HB227: (Extensive additional comments after the Feed Your Brain section) This bill prohibits banks and financial institutions from engaging in discriminatory procedures when providing financial services including "non-traditional" (read ESG) interests.

Recommend OPPOSE HB227.  Work Session on 3/7/2023 at 10:00AM, LOB 210-211 with House Commerce Committee.  Executive Session on 3/8/2023 at 1:15PM, LOB 302-4.

I know folks are getting tired of this weekly activity but, as Winston Churchill might say,  we are getting to the end of the beginning of the session and moving to the beginning of the end of the session.  Thank you for all of your sign-ins and actions on behalf of a better New Hampshire!

More action opportunities:

Send a quick email your town's State Representatives (find them and their contact info here) and ask them to support these three important bills in upcoming House votes.

1. HCR5 - State-Federal Relations Committee - Hold the fossil fuel industry accountable for their deception 

2. HB208-FN - Science, Technology and Energy Committee - Greenhouse gas reduction targets and a climate action plan for NH 

3. HB372 - Science, Technology and Energy Committee - A study on the benefits of and how NH can prepare for federal Carbon Cash-Back legislation 

Here are some supporting ideas you may select from for inclusion in your email.  For more ideas about what to say, look at some of the excellent written public testimony that was submitted for each bill.  You can find details about all bills on the New Hampshire Network NH Bills of Interest spreadsheet (also available from the NH Bill Actions page).

Then call your State Reps several days after you send the emails to be sure they see them.  Just tell them (or leave a brief message) that you are concerned about climate disruption from fossil fuel pollution and that you've sent an email about HCR5, HB208, and HB372 and would appreciate their careful consideration and support of all three.  

NOTE:  House votes for HCR5 and HB372 House are likely in the next few weeks.  HB208-FN is in queue for evaluation by the Finance Committee before the House will vote on it, but it is relevant to this effort so an early heads-up is wise to include now.  If the House passes these bills, they'll head over for consideration by the Senate in a month.

 Feed your Brain

American Friends Service Committee - informative update on bills across all legislative committees.

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgzGrcrrGDWWBvnKFwsMpQJgTXlSC?compose=CllgCJZcRKKRSGllcpnTgGHvbMlDPtCbqWhHfqWvGPGvnFTfRVkdRXqQScrMLLjBCvtdqHMpknB

(From Reinmar Seidler) While we are on the subject of Big Banks -- may I put in a plug for Bill McKibben's Third Act (thirdact.org/national-day-of-action/) which is encouraging people to get our money OUT of them. Lending our money (including retirement funds etc) to Big Banks is a VERY POWERFUL SUPPORT to the fossil fuel industry! March 21 is the spearhead day…

Update on Casella and impending sludge (PFAS) crisis in Maine - from Jon Swan

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgzGrcrsNmNzwdHllWZFbFZtJrGjv?compose=CllgCJZcRKKRSGllcpnTgGHvbMlDPtCbqWhHfqWvGPGvnFTfRVkdRXqQScrMLLjBCvtdqHMpknB

The recording from January 24 

On January 24, NH Network was one of 12 sponsors for “Community Power:  A 

Transformative Energy Solution for New Hampshire.

https://www.newhampshirenetwork.org/events)

We’d like to remind you that FOUR service providers are available to communities considering adopting a Community Power plan, each with slightly different offerings.  Here is contact information for those providers:

Emily Manns, Standard Power , e.manns@standardpower.com

Stuart Ormsbee, Colonial Power, sormsbee@colonialpowergroup.com

Bart Fromuth of Freedom Energy Logistics, bart.fromuth@felpower.com

Henry Herndon, Community Power Coalition of NH, henry@cpcnh.org

Since Standard Power was not a participant in the January 24 program, we’d like to provide more information about them – with thanks to Emily Manns:

Standard Power is on track to launch 11 programs in 2023 including Keene.  Like the Coalition, we have a solid group of committed communities with goals that we intend to help them achieve, including 100% renewable energy.

The City of Concord recently decided to follow 'the Keene model,' a process we hope to participate in over the coming months. Here is an article describing this approach from the NHMA. https://www.nhmunicipal.org/town-city-article/keene%E2%80%99s-path-community-power-new-hampshire 

Additional Information on this week’s bills:

OPPOSE HB 609 If passed, it would undo much of the work of the broad stakeholder process in 2014 and 2015 that led to significant improvements in the law and rules that governed the SEC. Most concerning, it would reduce the public’s ability to engage in the siting review process.

It significantly changes New Hampshire’s law for the siting of large-scale energy projects. The bill proposes to eliminate the Site Evaluation Committee (SEC) and move the decision-making authority for the siting large-scale energy facilities to the NH Public Utilities Commission.

The House of Representatives Science, Technology and Energy Committee will hold a hearing on Tuesday, March 7 at 9 AM on the bill.

The Forest Society OPPOSES HB 609 and we hope you will speak up on this critical issue too! To register your opposition the bill before the hearing on Tuesday, click here to link to the NH House of Representative’s online registration system. (For a tutorial on how to use this system, click here.)

From Representative Spier 

PLEASE HELP STOP HB227 and HB457 with an email to both committees now.  For more information, look at https://www.corporateknights.com/rankings/eco-funds-rankings/2023-responsible-investing-guide/

HB 457 and HB 227 are both aimed at prohibiting financial institutions from doing business in NH if they include environment, social or governance (ESG) factors as part of their investment or commercial loan strategies.  As we were told by the Banking Association during the hearing regarding HB 227, banks have long history of specializing in serving specific areas of commerce.  They become experts in those areas so that they can have the highest return for their stockholders and to make the most financial services available to customers. Banks also don’t want to lose the right to refuse a customer because of bad behavior or loan requests for questionable purposes (see HB 227).  Banks are private institutions.  They have the right to do business in a way that they believe is in the best interest of the areas in which they serve.  If anyone does not like the way a bank operates, they are free to just choose another bank.  As of last month, the Banking Association indicated that they have received no complaints.  

Anti ESG legislation started in Texas where they were trying to protect the oil industry.  New Hampshire doesn’t generate either oil or gas, it buys them and is making some small efforts to incorporate renewable energy sources as well.  In any case the results in Texas and other states that implemented anti ESG legislation were not good. 

In November, President Biden instituted a rule that explicitly permits ERISA retirement plan fiduciaries to consider (not require) environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) factors when selecting investments and exercising shareholder rights.  Most of our large banks have international portfolios for retirement plans so the strategy makes sense.  NH has joined with Texas (which is seeking to protect its oil industry) in a lawsuit (headed up by Republican senators) against this Biden initiative. It is certainly questionable as to why NH would join such a lawsuit other than to protect some individuals’ investments in fossil fuel.  There is absolutely no indication that the ESG initiative has caused any loss of return on investment and may open new areas of investment for New Hampshire.

I have attached some relevant information.  The paper issued in January of this year (HB227 Financial Costs of Anti-ESG Policies) shows that the result has not been good for Texas and other states that have instituted policies like HB 227 and HB 457.

Note: ERISA is the Employee Retirement Income Security Act [federal law that sets minimum standards for most voluntarily established retirement and health plans in private industry to provide protection for individuals in these plans]

Meeting and legislative updates follow.  Also, excellent articles on the landfill situation in NH. Depending on your goals, Senator Shaheen’s office has informational meetings this week for project funding.

Interactive climate simulator and effect of different actions.  Worth a look.

https://en-roads.climateinteractive.org/scenario.html?v=23.2.1&p1=79&p23=-20&p30=-0.03&p55=69

Meetings

Friday, March 3, 12 to 1 pm  NH Food Alliance - Network Cafe

REGISTER HERE  

Embracing energy efficiency as a farm or food business can mean lower energy costs and the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) exists to help farm and food businesses fund energy efficiency projects. During our March Network Cafe, Sarah Waring, the State Director for Vermont and New Hampshire at USDA Rural Development will provide an overview of REAP and answer questions from cafe attendees on specific aspects of the program, as well as how New Hampshire farmers and food businesses can take better advantage of the opportunity to build energy efficiency into their businesses.

Tue March 7, 7:00-8:00 pm. NH Network Communications WG Meeting

(Join 6:45 to socialize/ask questions)

The Agenda and Zoom link will be shared Sunday before the meeting.

Friday, March 10, 2023, at 9:00 a.m.  Economic Impact of Climate Change

Location: UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law, 2 White Street, Concord, NH 03301.

Doors will open at 8:30 a.m. for coffee and light refreshments. Admission is free and open to the public, but registration is required for attendance. Click here to register. Those in attendance will be encouraged to submit questions in writing. A zoom link will be provided for those who wish to observe the panel discussion but cannot attend in person. This event is also made possible by the generosity of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation.

Legislative Action (From Joe Kwasnik)

This week is expected to be a slooow week at the NH Legislature as the week is the NH school vacation week.  As in past weeks, please check out our NH Bills of Interest coming up for executive session this week.   I do not see any public hearings scheduled for any of our bills of interest this week.  You can access the Bills of Interest at:

newhampshirenetwork.org/NH-bills

• The only activity that seems to be occurring this week within the areas of our interest are:

The House Energy and Agriculture Committee is conducting Executive Sessions on the following bills of interest at 1:30 PM on 2/28/2023 in LOB 301-3:

HB253...Relative to establishing a committee to study extended producer responsibility

HB56...Relative to permits for siting new landfills

HB602...Relative to landfill siting

• In addition, the House Finance Division I will be holding division work sessions in LOB Room 212 on the following House bills:

HB300...Relative to prohibiting the disposal of certain food wastes… 9:30 AM

HB462...Relative to making an appropriation to the solid waste management fund and targeting food was reduction and diversion… 10:00 AM

HB576...Relative to advance of a community property assessed clean energy (C-PACE) program in a clean energy efficiency and clean energy district… 10:30 AM

• Some news from the floor votes in the House:

HB246...Relative to use of monies in the renewable energy fund...Laid on Table

HB418...Relative to eliminating rebates distributed by the energy efficiency fund...Laid on Table

• Some news from the floor votes in the Senate:

SB61...Relative to surface water setbacks for landfills...Ought to Pass with amendments.

Take Action/Feed your Brain

• From Susan Richman: Patsy and I both highly recommend the webinar we saw today from As You Sow, which has been monitoring and helping to change corporate behavior for the past 30 years.  Issues they champion:  plastic waste, environment, energy, social justice...

Here is the link to the recording:  https://www.asyousow.org/report-page/2023-clean200-investing-in-a-clean-energy-future-webinar

• NH Network Steering Committee Minutes

Minutes, Steering Cmte - Feb 20, 2023

• Landfill Siting Bills Go to Hearing As Casella Expresses Doubts About Dalton

https://groups.google.com/g/nh-environment-energy-and-climate-network/c/dSthsqXjGM0

• Opinion: Lax landfill oversight is just one of many good reasons to limit out-of-state trash

By ELIOT WESSLER 2/26/2023

Eliot Wessler lives in Whitefield and works with a number of grassroots organizations in NH's North Country.

https://www.concordmonitor.com/My-Turn-Lax-Landfill-Oversight-by-DES-is-Just-One-of-Many-Good-Reasons-to-Limit-Out-of-State-Trash-49996749

 From Senator Shaheen’s Office

As you may know, the portal to submit FY24 Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) requests to the Office of U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen is now open. Senator Shaheen’s office will be holding two virtual “office hours” sessions next week via Zoom for applicants to connect with staffers and ask questions about their CDS projects/applications. These sessions will be split by appropriations account so applicants are able to speak with staff that cover issue areas relevant to their specific projects. Links to join and the breakdown of accounts that will be covered in each session are below:

Thursday, March 2, 2-3 pm:

Accounts:

Financial Services and General Government

Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education

Interior & Environment

Homeland Security

Thursday Link: Join ZoomGov Meeting

https://senate.zoomgov.com/j/1618437301?pwd=YkN6cnFCc2h1NHZDMWt6ZEh1cjVqZz09

Friday, March 3, 2-3 pm:

Accounts:

Agriculture

Energy & Water

Military Construction/Veterans Affairs

Transportation, Housing and Urban Development

Commerce, Justice, and Science

Friday Link: Join ZoomGov Meeting

https://senate.zoomgov.com/j/1602716559?pwd=TlQ0N1FxWlE4U1hKZGpTL2VaaXRoUT09

If you are unsure which account your project should fall under, staff will be able to assist you and connect you with the appropriate staffer(s) at the start of each session.

As a friendly reminder, our office will be accepting CDS applications until Friday, March 10th.  To access the FY24 CDS application portal, please click HERE.

We are in the thick of it.  Participate as you can.  Meetings, summaries of the working groups, and even a movie opportunity!

Plastics Working Group Report to DES (from Cindy Heath)

Below is a PDF with readable sticky notes that shows which of the PWG comments were or were not included in the final version of the 2022 NH DES Solid Waste Management Plan.

If you are interested, you should be able to scroll through the document and click on the sticky note to read the relevant information. Where possible, the plan language that relates to the PWG suggestion is quoted.

Many of our comments are addressed in the final version, and while specific references to food contact chemicals (FCC) like styrene and benzene are unfortunately not included (PFAs takes the cake),  there are plenty of references to reducing single-use products and plastics in the waste stream and reducing toxicity in consumer products, so this bodes well for future legislation in these areas.

We know from Cynthia Walter's recent work on advanced/chemical recycling and other related research on the health hazards in plastic food packaging that the list of chemicals to include in future safe food packaging legislation is (way too) long.

Maine's model (Toxic Chemicals in Food Packaging) is worth becoming familiar with.

At the very least, we can support the plan's intent by quoting particular sections that relate to the legislation we might eventually propose.

https://17938795747767988963.googlegroups.com/attach/a08a1fc8deee2/NH%20SW%20Plan%20Comments%20Letter%20-%20PWG.pdf?part=0.1&view=1&vt=ANaJVrGT5FVmXwRfrUzbTn_erGGAJBm-TBea4U2l_h7ovDTafLOck22Q47uWyYH49HZP9CotFYom9AxyAp29b2Q0ZBK-7FeKyyepcY4fGfPKz356nip5tOU

Recording of NH Network Webinar Summary of New England Climate State by State Report (informative graphs on page 9)

 https://www.newhampshirenetwork.org/events#h.e5kj6ye5fopl

Meetings

Tuesday, February 21 7 p.m.  - Legislative Working Group

The agenda for the meeting will simply to discuss the current Bills of Interest in the various House and Senate Committees and the status of some of the earlier bills which have gone through hearings, Executive Session and have been voted on by the House and Senate. 

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6037307148

Meeting ID: 603 730 7148

February 23  10 a.m.  - 9th Carbon Clean 200 - lists the top 200  companies that define clean energy present and future)

 https://groups.google.com/g/nh-environment-energy-and-climate-network/c/QFt7wFDLKOk

Friday March 10  9:00 a.m.  - Economic Impact of Climate Change

at the UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law, 2 White Street, Concord, NH 03301.

Doors will open at 8:30 a.m. for coffee and light refreshments. Admission is free and open to the public, but registration is required for attendance. Click here to register. Those in attendance will be encouraged to submit questions in writing. A zoom link will be provided for those who wish to observe the panel discussion but cannot attend in person. This event is also made possible by the generosity of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation.

Action Items (from Joe Kwasnik)

In order to register your support or opposition to the bills, just follow the directions that are located on the Bills of Interest link on the NH Network website.   We very much encourage folks to register for all of these bills (it only takes a few minutes) as it does make a difference!  It lets legislators...both GOP and DEM...know whether a bill has public support or not and voter's are paying attention.  Each week we are hearing overwhelming support for the bills we support and overwhelming opposition to the bills we oppose...let's keep it up this week...only 6 bills in hearing this week but a number in Executive Session.

We have two bills that are being heard at a "Division Work Session" this week which were referred to the House Finance Committee...House bills HB300 and HB462.  The 

bills are now in our Bills of Interest.  The bills focus on diverting food waste from landfills and we recommend supporting these bills   The bills are not listed in the Finance Committee's sign in page so we recommend sending your position on each of the bills by email to the House Finance Committee at;

HouseFinan...@leg.state.nh.us

For this week, we recommend the following positions on bills coming up for public hearings:

SUPPORT

HB 253...A bill on setting up a committee to study Extended Producer Responsibility

HB56......Landfill siting and setback requirements

HB602....Landfill siting and setback requirements

SB165....Conditions for setting up the NH Energy Data Platform

SB79......Requirements for large customer-generators participating in Net Energy Metering

OPPOSE

SB96......Requirements for state energy performance contracting

The following bills will be in Executive Session:

HB458      HB558   HB 523   HB 616   HB 219   HB 509   HB 159   HB 631  HB 622  HB 161

The following bills will be heard on the floor of the House:

HB273...Providing residents of public housing with on-site composting/recycling facilities

HB212...Providing funds for testing for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances

HB226...Restrictions of landfill disposal of single use plastics

HB111....Setting up a committee to study EV charging for residential renters

Special thanks to Susan Richman, John Gage, Patsy Beffa-Negrini, Donna Reardon and others for all their help in assembling this legislative information.

From Jon Swan

ACTION ALERT** The NH House Environment & Agriculture Committee public hearing for HB56 and HB602 are scheduled for this Tuesday, February 21, at 1pm and 2:30pm respectively, Legislative Office Building (LOB) Room 303 in Concord. Please show your SUPPORT for BOTH bills using the link below to the House Remote Testimony Sign-In page (HB56 how-to example attached).  Thank you!

HB56 is Rep. Megan Murray's re-submittal of last year's bi-partisan HB1454, which passed with overwhelming bi-partisan support in both the House and Senate, with Governor Sununu vetoing the bill, leading to a nearly-successful veto-override attempt, ultimately losing by 5 votes in the NH State Senate (The House supported the override with 80% support!)

HB56 Bill Text: https://legiscan.com/NH/bill/HB56/2023

HB602 is sponsored by Rep. Matt Simon of Littleton, which is based more on Maine's setback requirement's: https://legiscan.com/NH/bill/HB602/2023

House Remote Sign-In, PLEASE show your SUPPORT for BOTH bills (step-by-step example attached): https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/committees/remotetestimony/

(Feel free to type in a brief "testimony" when submitting as we've heard from state reps that they pay attention to such commenting)

My testimony for HB602:

"Please do the right thing for our great state and support this important bill to protect our waterbodies from toxic landfills.  As you can see across the world, clean water is becoming scarce, as is water itself, as drought conditions worsen. Doesn't it make sense to do all that we can to protect and preserve New Hampshire's water sources from any potential contamination?  Frankly, it's a bit disconcerting that NHDES officials think that the current, arbitrary 200 foot, one-size-fits-all setback for landfill siting near bodies of water is adequate.  That's the equivalent of a 65-yard Hail Mary pass in football.  

Water is life, protect it. 

I thank you, as will future generations of Granite Staters."

Feed your Brain

March 4th Seacoast Environmental Film Festival

https://groups.google.com/g/nh-environment-energy-and-climate-network/c/isFvK01eifw

 March 22 from 6:00-8:00pm  

On behalf of NH Interfaith Power and Light, please join us next month to watch "The Letter - A Message for Our Earth."    This documentary focuses on the message of Pope Francis "to hear the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor".  The event will be held at the Red River Theatres in Concord.   

"The Letter" features people from across the globe, giving voice to indigenous people, youth, poor people, and wildlife. It is the story of a journey to learn about how to protect our common home. To get a sense for what this is all about, watch the trailer here:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3EBHebH17Y   

Although this summary feels lengthy, pick and choose your areas of interest.  In addition to legislative action items for this week, there are a number of extended excerpts including:  explanation of HB 372,  summary of advanced recycling discussion in the House (HB and applying for electric busses.

IMPORTANT: Support HB 372 by 2/12 at midnight.

Please support the upcoming NH House bill HB 372, which will establish a "commission to study the short-term and long-term impacts of pending national and regional carbon pricing mechanisms on NH citizens, businesses, institutions, and environment.”   (Details offered below)

Plastics WG Update

Here are the notes from 2/08  full and engaging PWG meeting. Be sure to check out the Action Tracking Spreadsheet - the first time we've compiled all the actions from the 40 towns working to reduce plastic waste & pollution in one place - remarkable and bravo!   The recording of Kirstie Pecci's presentation is included in the notes and also here.

Meetings

Monday,  2/13 5:30-7pm  Climate Resilience New England…How Does NH Stack Up?

Presenting Union of Concerned Scientists 2022 final report "New England State Climate Action Assessment."

JOIN ZOOM MEETING

https://umassboston.zoom.us/j/96234879322

Legislative Action Items 

From Joe Kwasnik

As in past weeks, please check into our NH Network website to see the Bills of Interest coming up for hearing and Executive Session this week in the NH House and Senate.  You can access the Bills of Interest at:   newhampshirenetwork.org/NH-bills

PLEASE CONSIDER REGISTERING YOUR SUPPORT/OPPOSITION TO THESE BILLS or EVEN BETTER SHOW UP TO THE HEARINGS AND VOICE YOUR OPINION!!!!

In order to register your support or opposition to the bills, just follow the directions that are located on the Bills of Interest link on the NH Network website.  Each week we are hearing overwhelming support for the bills we support and overwhelming opposition to the bills we oppose...let's keep it up this week.

For this week we recommend the following positions on bills coming up for public hearing this week.

Special thanks to  John Gage, Patsy Beffa-Negrini, Susan Richman, Donna Reardon and others for all of their efforts in making this listing of bills possible.

Support                                      Oppose

HB523

HB524                                         HB  509

HB233

HB372

SB225

SB227

The following bills are in Executive Session this week.  (One can no longer testify, but you can send an email to the committee and/or follow the bill)

HB175                       HB 605

HB176                       HB 372

HB208                      HB 443

HB233                      HB 263

HB251                       HB 281

Detail on HB 372 from John Gage

Please support the upcoming NH House bill HB 372, which will establish a "commission to study the short-term and long-term impacts of pending national and regional carbon pricing mechanisms on NH citizens, businesses, institutions, and environment.”

Why is this important?  We feel this might be the single most important area of Climate concentration because it has so many circular impacts. Enacting a price on fossil-based carbon would be fair and effective way of reducing CO2 emissions.  A small, steadily rising price on the carbon content of fossil fuels, paid by producers and importers of fuels, would gradually raise fossil fuel prices.  By making low-carbon technologies and industries more competitive it would encourage an economy-wide shift to cleaner sources of energy, and would be a major step towards closing the current gap in our reductions of greenhouse emissions, and avoiding calamitous levels of warming.  

Studying the impacts of a price on carbon is a roundabout way of encouraging a shift in our way of doing things here in NH, so that a price on carbon, if enacted, would be less disruptive.  That inevitably means reducing reliance on fossil fuels, which lowers our exposure to a carbon tax.  

The point of HB 372 is to be prepared for policies like a carbon tax.  In addition to encouraging emissions reductions, there would be significant financial benefits, in the event a price on carbon is likely or inevitable.  

To register your support and enter a public comment on HB 372: go to https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/committees/remotetestimony/default.aspx.  

Rep Karen Ebel additionally recommends

SB159, Relative to permits for the siting of new landfills

New landfill sitings must be consistent with the state's solid waste plan. 

Feb 15 at 1:15 in State House Rm 103

Energy & Natural Resources

Feed Your Brain

From Roger Stephenson of the Union of Concerned Scientists: Summary of Testimony on SB267  Hearing Feb 7 2023:   To adopt more rules and regulations on Advanced Recycling in the state 

Sen Altschiller brings the amendment as discussed. “If we only known then what we know know”. Mentions ACC Names Politico July “plastics recycling is in its infancy. 

Will we learn that w/o strong rules we have serious consequences.?   NHDES is opposing SB267 in doing so falling short on their mission.

Watters Q I signed a letter and DES said we don’t have legislative authority 

DES Mike Fitzgerald and Michael Wimsatt, Waste Management Division Director. michael.wimsatt@des.nh.gov. 

authorize exist already. technical flaws to Bill;  have not seen amendment. Cumulative risk is a new area for us. Complex. Need far more time for rulemaking than the bill provides. Applies to one specific process/ therefore unwieldy technical flaws. Cites 149m but these materials are exempted. 

NHDES understands cumulative impacts are an emerging area of concern. Exceedingly complex little experience with same. EPA info request. Appropriate to follow EPA.... be unusual to regulate based on type of facility. rsa 125 consistencies? Lines 1-4 page 2. Determination of BACT page 2 line 10 for this variety on one facility exceedingly complex.

Watters Q:  SB 367 signed into law last year authorizes monitoring and access to plant. Yet aren’t there some area where we may need to explore given new technology? Going back to cumulative impacts.... we’re seeing and it is hard to capture. You indicate there is need to pay attn to cumulative impacts.

NHDES  A : we need a robust discussion on how we address cumulative impacts. Ground breaking. It’s true we don’t know a lot about these facilities. These facilities are a Big investment for stakeholder. Cumulative impacts needs a much bigger lens rather than focusing on this first endeavor. Mike: EPA has opened this docket. In the AD largely we apply federal standards. If EPA doesn’t know the issues are we putting the cart before the horse? 

Q does the EPA RFI include cumulative impacts. ? 

A this admin intertwines cumulative impacts with EJ. Don’t know. 

Q it does sounds to me that if we bracket off these chemicals we DO know for study, you might welcome direction for a study on cumulative impacts? Fair? 

A interested.

Altschiller: you leaned in 149 M therefor point out there is a space in part 17 with definition of public benefit -space here leaves room for cumulative impacts. So CA can define? 

A: an AR facility does not meet the requirements 149 wrong door to knock on. 

Altschiller: we ought be learning from other states to get ahead of it. 

NHDES agrees tech is new and not a lot known. Rulemaking is hard. Mike -This is a national conversation [punting to feds]. Complex with our resources. Very much an emerging area.

Testimony after NHDES

14 people testified – 12 in favor 2 (NH Business and Industry Assoc and American Chemical Council) opposed

Roger Stephenson UCS Stratham  three issues demand rigorous regulatory oversight on advanced recycling: AR is untested; corporate disinformation and deception; lack of transparency regarding processes and emissions 

Yvonne Schulman veterinary pathologist Bow. Chem recycling benzene and lead. If AR is improperly regulated = affects tourism economy. Give DES what they need.

Bob Dewey Retired cardiologist Bedford. Patients are compromised in face of mild moderate air pollutions. AR is new and there are controversial unknowns. Benzene associated with childhood leukemia. Children near filling stations which emit about 5 lbs benzene annually…. .. AR facilities can emit 16K-20K annually.  It’s a dereliction of the state not to regulate and to allow construction of these advanced recycling facilities without very clear rules and plans for close monitoring 

Katie Lajoie Nurse Charlestown 8-21 DES rsa 125 rile making comment DES: 267 proved reg DES basis this is not a new issue for DES. Toxins vs toxics. #3 IJC framework (?) N.B.  American Chemical Council misleads governments 

Joan Widmer Nurse NHNA Familiar with patients with neurodegenerative diseases. Lots of studies linking neurodegenerative diseases with PM 2.5. Cites data Mexico City. Long term health and cumulative burdens enormous costs to society. 

John Atherton Dover You are being provided here with data and details. is putting out the welcome mat to toxics exposure. Would you live next to a discharge. Children? As legislators you should adopt the precautionary principles as EU and Canada. 

Cynthia Walters former biology professor and pollution researcher Dover. Large PowerPOint and happy to share. AR is a special circumstance. Appreciate DES capacity concerns but this is an all hands-on deck issue. Industry is already here. Groveton. NH is the sole NE state that has opened the doors to AR. “Incidental” does not “small”. All peer reviewed science. We know dioxins and benzene.  NH refs currently lacking St Gobain permit 100lbs VOCs and 20k lbs of other chemicals including benzene. If nothing else, insist on cumulative impacts from benzene. Cost to develop new rules is worth it. Every part of 267 is part of a network of protection 

Kristen Koch. BIA. Opposed. It’s about preventing AR from doing business. 367 is law. NH welcomes sustainable manufacturers and a robust recycling market. 

Q Watters. Curious is there discussion about risks, in BIA, what cautions do you discuss at BIA with your members? 

A We talk about a lot with our members. We want a science-based decision. 

Q it’s fair to say that with some chem experience that DES was unable to do the science. We as policy makers have to set the agenda right? 

A unintelligible 

Clark Corson co-founder Collaborative Solid Waste Strategies. Drove up from Plymouth MA. Respect all previous testimony. One sentence from Duncan Watson, Keene. We agree: with regard to AR it’s early yet. Anything regarding recycling should be viewed with skepticism Given the massive scam of the recycling triangles consumers find on products. 

Heidi Trimarco attorney CLF sees SB267 natural progression of SB 367. References to EPA. Compelling piece: DES & no one. Cart before the horse therefore moratorium before facilities makes sense. Rulemaking then permitting not the other way around. Supports amendment.

Robert Feder physician Hollis. We do know processes involve release of compounds. We know benzene. Env lead Hg Cd . We don’t know myriad of other compounds. We don’t know how DES will regulate: it’s hard work. Why they exist to do that hard work.

Kristine Baber university professor retired Co-leader, Dover Plastics Reduction Group. Thinking this bill enacts important safety concerns not incorporated in 367. It is even more critical given the risks and potential impacts heard today. Significant amount of sci evidence AR is another way of introducing toxics into air water soils. PFAS lesson- we need to be proactive. Rules before licensing is critical. Heard from lots including DES ‘we don’t know’. 

Bonnie Christie env policy analyst Hopkinton waste reduction committee. Urge OTP. Referred to Cynthia Walter. Agree with 367 statement of purpose. Reduce and recycling 38 years -- NH AR is not recycling and defeats the goals of NH solid waste management plan, renewed this year. 50 percent waste load out of state. Goals 1,2,7. Evokes Prima America. In Groveton typical case EJ vulnerable. Wants info on DES permit.

John Gage. Unknowns until we know there is a problem. NH has a history of opening its doors to polluters. 

Jody xx ACC opposes ACC We have SB 367 signed into law. This is kind of a repeat of last year’s debate. Plastics are being re-used: Wendy’s, Warby Parker as examples. Cumulative impacts ought to be applied to all manufacturers.

Electric Bus Funding

The EPA Clean School Bus (CSB) Program, which President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law created with a historic $5 billion investment for low- and zero-emission school buses over the next five years, is off to a strong start. The first round of funding closed in August with an outstanding response from school districts seeking to purchase electric and low-emission school buses across the country. EPA received approximately 2,000 applications requesting nearly $4 billion for over 12,000 buses. The 2022 CSB rebate program will fund approximately 2,500 school bus replacements.

With the second round announcement of CSB Program funding approaching, there are some important steps you are encouraged to take now in order to be fully prepared and ready to participate in the program.    

1. Verify your SAM.gov registration

   1. Check the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) to ensure your organization is actively registered as an entity. 

   2. Review all SAM.gov entity registration information for accuracy, including bank accounts, addresses, the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), and Points of Contact.

   3. An active SAM.gov registration is required to complete an application for CSB funding. Delays and other issues with SAM.gov have occurred so we recommend that you act now to ensure your account is active and contains accurate information.

2. Conduct a school bus fleet analysis

   1. Do electric school buses (ESBs) make sense given your current transportation schedule/network?

   2. Conduct a fleet analysis to assess whether your district or town is prepared to go electric. 

   3. ESBs require specialized training and maintenance.  Districts or towns should be prepared to allocate additional resources to support deployments of new technologies. 

3. Coordinate with your utility

   1. It is critical to reach out to your local utility early if you are considering ESBs. 

   2. The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation has partnered with EPA to provide technical assistance to school districts to plan for and deploy school buses in their communities.

   3. Joint Office Technical Assistance Helpline: cleansch...@nrel.gov

   4. DOE offers charging and fueling infrastructure resources and “Tiger Teams” technical assistance through their Clean Cities Network Coalitions.       

EPA anticipates several rounds of funding in the coming months and years. Regardless of whether you were selected or not in the first round in 2022, you may still apply to future opportunities.  For the latest CSB news sent to your inbox, sign up for the CSB Listserv: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/dgrhRed/cleanschoolbus.  CSB Program Helpline:cleansc...@epa.gov.  

Lastly, please check www.epa.gov/cleanschoolbus for all CSB program details.  

Thank you. 

Another busy week and deep thanks, again, to the Network Managers for their on-going organizational work.

Please note meetings for 2/5 and also that 2/6 has two back-to-back meetings.  The Network Steering Committee meeting  is setting the agenda for the coming months and exploring a relationship with the Concord Monitor’s Environmental desk.

If you did not see this NH Network webinar Clean Energy and Lower Bills with Community Power: A Transformative Energy Solution for New Hampshire on January 24, 2023 click here for the link.

Meetings

• Sunday, February 5 at 6 pm  Plastics Working Group is Sunday, February 5 at 6 pm.

Hope you can join us to celebrate the important milestone of reaching our goal of people from 40 towns committed to taking action on plastic waste and pollution in just one year from the launch of the Ten Towns, Ten Actions Toolkit on February 7, 2022.

Check out this spreadsheet - a compilation of the actions over the past year by the TTTA members who are committed to taking action to reduce plastic pollution and waste in their communities. Bravo! We will review this at the meeting as well and more additions will likely be submitted by the time the meeting rolls around.

The agenda (to date) is here. 

ZOOM Link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6275609302

Meeting ID: 627 560 9302

• Monday, February 6 at 5:30 to 6:30 pm   Network Steering Committee.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81685788421?pwd=Sld2cGdLZUhqS1RObzZMd3dJdWQrQT09 

Meeting ID: 816 8578 8421

Passcode: 766059

Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kd1HLb4nkP

• Monday, February 6 at 7:00 pm monthly NH Network Climate Working Group meeting on zoom at 

https://citizensclimate.zoom.us/j/87017408244?pwd=TUhvM3V3U3NmalRRMzJXNUwxUEVuQT09.

• Monday, February 13:  5:30-7:00 PM  - NH Network's Monthly Event: Climate Resilience New England—How does New Hampshire Stack Up?

Roger Stephenson and research fellows will share the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) recently released New England State Climate Action Assessment 2022.  New England is ahead of most of the U.S. in both policy and action.  How is New Hampshire doing?  

Here's the link to our flyer (please share widely!): 

FLYER Resilience Feb 2023 - SR-RGS 3.pdf

Action Items

From Joe Kwasnik

Please check into our NH Network website to see the Bills of Interest coming up for hearing and Executive Session this week in the NH House and Senate.   You can access the Bills of Interest at:

https://www.newhampshirenetwork.org/NH-bills

In order to register your support or opposition to the bills, just follow the directions that are located on the Bills of Interest link on the NH Network website.   We very much encourage folks to register for all of these bills as it does make a difference.   It lets the legislators know whether a bill has public support or not.  Just this week, registrations for HB208 which asks for greenhouse gas emissions limits in NH garnered overwhelming public support and very little opposition...and it was publicly announced at the close of the hearing for the bill.

For this week, we recommend the following positions on bills up for public hearing this week:

Support Oppose  

HB458 HB 321

HB263 HB 251

HB605 HB 281

HB111 HB 616 

HB372 HB 622

SB267

The following bills are in Executive Session this week:

HB381 HB 211

HB385 HB 139

HB161 HB 633

HB166

Thank you for all of your efforts to communicate to our legislators...they need to know that citizens are following their legislative actions.

As always, please register your support/opposition for upcoming bills electronically  and if you can actually attend the hearings and also  provide testimony, your impact on the legislative process will be impactful!

From Northeast Resource Recovery Center (NRRA)

HB 242 Relative to banning PFAS in food packaging. House Commerce & Consumer Affairs       2/8/2023 at 1:15 p.m.    PFAS exposure has been linked to immune system suppression, lower birth weight, and increased risk for some cancers.  Consumer Reports tested more than 100 food packaging products and found PFAS were in some packaging from every retailer they looked at.  These substances migrate into the food you eat.  When packaging ends up in landfills it can contaminate water and soil, or spread through the air if incinerated.  A priority bill from Northeast Resource Recovery Center (NRRA).

From Cynthia Walter

SUPPORT SB 267, which proposes controls on the highly toxic "Advanced Recycling" process.  This bill is supported by NH Healthcare Workers for Climate Action, Conservation Law Fund, Union of Concerned Scientists, and NH Network. 

Bill SB 267 can protect NH from excess toxics from a new industry, Advanced Recycling of plastic. 

Here are tips and hints for testimony.  You may also attend the hearing and sign in support of the bill without giving testimony.

email the 5 members of the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee

Here is background on advanced recycling that will help you draft your email or remarks; we encourage you to put it in our own voice.  

Questions?

Contact Cynthia Walter - cawalter22@gmail.com

From John Gage

Everyone:  I want to call attention to an important climate bill that will be upcoming, and ask you please support it via the online form.  This bill will enable the entire NH Legislature to focus on the economic and practical sides of reducing New Hampshire's carbon footprint:

HB 372 - "Relative to establishing a commission to study the short-term and long-term impacts of pending national and regional carbon pricing mechanisms on NH citizens, businesses, institutions, and environment."

This is the biggest state climate bill that will be heard this year in terms of the behavior changes it would drive long-term in our state legislature.  This includes supporting policies to increase investments in energy efficiency, accelerate clean energy deployments, electrify heating and transportation, and avoid future fossil fuel infrastructure expansion.

From Bruce Burke:

A huge thank you to the team for an outstanding webinar on Community Power last week.  If you have not seen it, click here for the recording. 

There is a lot of  legislative activity this week.  Therefore, this summary will include only these action opportunities.  Apologies to folks who have posted other articles during this past week.

Please note submission on some of these bills needs to happen today.

If interested in other actions issues, please go to the Kent Street Coalition website or join their Monday night “week ahead.”

From Susan Richmond:

Please read  https://newhampshirenetwork.org/NH-bills  carefully.  They don't all follow chronological order. We believe the issue with coloring the row of a bill to support in green and to oppose in red has been corrected.   UNBOUNDED THANKS to Joe Kwasnik, who performed the Herculean duties of researching and presenting all these bills ON TOP OF moderating Tuesday's Celebration of Community Power.

From Joe Kwasnik:

Folks

This week looks like a very busy week (26 bills of interest) in the NH Legislature with some committees doubling up on hearings to catch up on last week's snowstorm.  Below you will see a list of the bills in hearing this week.   For details on the bills including when the hearings will be held, please visit the NH Network Bills of Interest at:

https://newhampshirenetwork.org/NH-bills

I HAVE NOTED PRIORITY BILLS WITH AN *.   In particular, HB208 and SB166 need support testimony if folks can do...HB208 is focused on GHG emission reduction goals/climate action plan and SB166 is focused on electric grid modernization which is very badly needed in NH. 

SUPPORT OPPOSE

HB234 HB246

HB418* HB61*

HB576* HB175

HB92 HB176*

HB208* HB443

HB630* HB165

HB161 HB633                       

HB139 HB456

SB68 SB167

SB69

SB113

SB123

SB186

SB166*

SB168

SB191

SB161

In addition:

Here are 2 more bills deserving of support.  They will both be heard this Wed, Feb 1:

Feb 1, 11:30 pm:   Municipal & County Govt   HB 226 enabling municipalities to regulate the distribution and disposal of certain solid waste within landfills;  .Regulating the point of sale distribution of single use packaging and the disposal of single use packaging waste within their municipal landfills and transfer stations. 

Feb 1, 2:20 pm:   Municipal & County Govt    HB  273  requiring composting and waste recycling to be made available to residents of public housing.  

Northeast Resource Recovery Association has a list of 2023 bills concerning solid waste: https://www.nrrarecycles.org/policy-legislation

From Clean Energy NH (included last week)

HB246, as introduced, would rebate the Renewable Energy Fund to ratepayers, an empty gesture that will not result in significant savings for New Hampshire families while decimating energy efficiency programs. The bill will be heard by the Science, Technology, and Energy Committee on Monday at 3pm.