AUGUSTA – Rep. Morgan Rielly, D-Westbrook, introduced a bill before the Legislature’s Education and Cultural Affairs Committee Thursday that would establish a Working Waterfront Infrastructure Engineer Corps to help protect Maine’s coastline communities and habitat.
The measure, LD 1433, would create a two-year pilot program to recruit undergraduate and graduate students from the Maine College of Engineering and Computing at the University of Maine and train them to conduct vulnerability assessments of Maine’s working waterfront and other essential infrastructure threatened by extreme weather.
“Students engaged in the Working Waterfront Infrastructure Engineer Corps will pair what they’re learning in the classroom with on-the-job opportunities to serve their communities,” said Rielly. “This two-year program will put our students at a competitive advantage once they graduate with both a degree and relevant work experience, along with connections to future employers in the public, private and nonprofit sectors.”
One of the greatest threats to Maine’s coastal communities is the rate of accelerated sea level rise. A 2020 analysis found that forecasted sea level rise by 2050 threatens more than 21,000 coastal jobs in tourism, fishing and real estate, which is equivalent to 3% of Maine’s workforce.
“Establishing a Working Waterfront Infrastructure Engineer Corps will present an opportunity for our state to address climate-driven issues along our coast, including repairing our communities after devastating storms, like those we experienced in January 2024,” said Rielly. “Our working waterfront communities need more support, and this is one crucial avenue for assistance.”
The measure will come before the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee for a work session in the coming days.
Rielly is serving his third term in the Maine House of Representatives and is a member of the Joint Standing Committee on Marine Resources and the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. He represents a portion of Westbrook.
Contact:
Brian Lee (Rielly) | 305-965-2744