OGUNQUIT - With Earth Day having just recently passed, many people have been taking the initiative to make efforts to improve the environment.
However, for the Conservation Commission in Ogunquit, environmental improvements are an ongoing effort.
During the April 17 meeting, the commission discussed upcoming plans to help move Ogunquit through the "greening" process. It is the commission's goal to bring environmental awareness first to the various town departments and then ultimately to the residents of Ogunquit themselves.
"Greening is hot right now," said commission member Robert Joyner. "The idea is to start simple and get the biggest bang for our buck. We don't want to ask the town to spend additional money on this. However, when it comes time to replace a light bulb or a thermostat, we want them to think green."
Commission members agreed that one of the first steps in getting Ogunquit to go green was to reach local landscapers and other key businesses to educate them on the various ways they could help reduce their carbon imprint.
The commission also spoke of getting the Parks Committee and the Recycling Committee on board with their plans to reduce Ogunquit's environmental impact. It was decided the best way to achieve this was to hold a public workshop in early June where interested parties could present and receive information.
"The intent of the workshop would be to present the programs, figure out what the components would be and get feedback," said Joyner.
The commission's other immediate goal to improve the environment involves a plan to map the stormwater drains in town. According to Commission Chairman Mike Horn, Ogunquit is one of the few towns in Maine that doesn't have a map of its storm drains. Currently the only knowledge of these drains lies solely with the town workers.
"This is so important," said Horn. "The town really needs this information."
Mapping of the storm drains will be useful when repairs need to be done and also in obtaining knowledge of where runoffs start and subsequently where pollution begins, said Horn. By being able to determine where pollution enters the drains, which eventually run out into the estuary, the commission will be better prepared to reduce water contamination.
"We really need to find a place where the pollution is emanating from," said Horn. "The only way we can find that out is to find what the storm drain system is all about."
The Ogunquit Sewer District recently spent approximately $30,000 to map their lines with a fly-over GPS system used by GIS Mapping and Analysis. According to Horn, if the commission uses the same company to map the stormwater drains, the cost would be a third of what the Sewer District paid because a basic map already exists.
However, the commission is faced with two obstacles that are currently preventing them from moving forward with the project. Although the cost of the job is significantly less than what the Sewer District paid, the commission does not have the $10,000 needed to complete the mapping. Also, volunteers to assist in the mapping process are needed.
The commission stated that they intend to contact the University of Southern Maine to see if a workstudy could be formed to obtain the volunteers. As for the funds, commission members are researching the possibility that they might qualify for a grant through Department of Environmental Protection. Taking the money from the town surplus fund was another possibility that was mentioned at the meeting.
"It's all very much up in the air at this point," said Horn, "but we know the direction we want to go in."
