As Senate chair of the Legislature’s Environment and Natural Resources Committee (also known as ENR), I’ve spent much of my first five months in office discussing the most pressing environmental issues facing our state. I’ve heard from so many Mainers coming to testify about the challenges of coastal erosion, water pollution, waste, plastics, PFAS, extreme storms and more. Like my constituents, I am committed to advancing Maine’s climate goals and preserving our state’s natural beauty. I am optimistic that we can do both in a way that works for Maine people, and I am very encouraged by the legislation that has come through my committee this year.

One critical area that we have worked on is coastal erosion, of which Maine faces two kinds: coastal beach erosion and bluff erosion. Both can have detrimental impacts to our coastal communities. Erosion causes severe land destruction and property damage, which ultimately harms the infrastructure and economies of our coastal communities. In response to this growing issue, it’s important Maine takes meaningful steps to make our precious coastline more resilient in the face of a changing climate. One erosion-focused bill that the ENR committee voted to approve was LD 228, which would enable communities to build artificial dunes; replace seawalls, bulkheads or retaining walls that have been destroyed by rising sea levels or storms; and increase these structures in height by two feet for further protection against erosion within certain parameters.

The ENR committee has also seen a handful of legislation regarding waste come across our desks. A 2024 study done in collaboration by the University of Maine and the Department of Environmental Protection found that Maine generates 361,000 tons of food waste annually. That’s the approximate equivalent of 21,000 full garbage trucks. Room for improvement is evident, and my colleague Sen. Stacy Brenner has been one of the legislators I’ve worked with to reduce waste. The ENR committee voted Ought to Pass as Amended on Sen. Brenner’s LD 1065, which seeks to encourage larger generators of food waste, such as restaurants and supermarkets, to donate excess edible food to local pantries or compost it, rather than sending it to a landfill.

This is only a small piece of the puzzle — further efforts must be made to protect our beautiful state from the changing climate and growing amounts of waste. It is a mighty challenge, and that is why our committee has worked hard on these bills and others that would help implement the state’s Climate Action Plan and keep our air and water clean.

It has been such a rewarding experience to take on this challenge by chairing ENR during my first term in the Senate. And the greatest lesson I have taken away from this session is that reaching our goals is a team effort. All of us must act as stewards of Maine’s environmental interests, whether at home or at the State House. I look forward to standing with all of you to do so.

As always, if you have any questions about the information here or if you would like to reach out with a comment, question or concern, you can reach out to me anytime by emailing me at Denise.Tepler@legislature.maine.gov or calling my Senate office at (207) 287-1515. I will do my best to help.

Sen. Denise Tepler represents Maine Senate District 24, which includes all of Sagadahoc County, plus Dresden in Lincoln County.