BANGOR- Last year, Bangor ranked among the cities with the cleanest air nationwide, according to the National Lung Association.
City officials continue taking steps to support a clean environment.
There are only a few places in the area where people can charge their electric cars.
“I saw a statistic that only 1 in 50 every new cars sold is electric,” said Bangor City Councilor Ben Sprague. “That’s great, but what happens when that number becomes 1 in 10 or 1 in 5? That’s coming.”
One of the reasons people switch to electric cars is to improve the environment.
“Many people are surprised to learn that here in Maine pollution from cars and trucks is the largest source of carbon pollution in the state, roughly 54 percent,” said Sophie Janeway, an outreach coordinator for the Natural Resources Council of Maine.
Other than saving the planet, those who drive electric cars save time at the pump.
Janeway said those who drive electric cars typically charge them overnight.
She compares that to waking up with a full tank of gas everyday.
“Expanding public electric vehicle infrastructure is a huge component of increasing access to these vehicles.”
While there’s no plan currently on the table for that to happen in Bangor, it’s something Sprague said he would like to see soon.
“Really, I just hope to learn more about this,” Sprague added. “Maybe even have a small group to work on it to propose some recommendations about we could be more forward thinking as a community on this.”
Other efforts city officials have made to protect the environment include a soon to be solar farm and Styrofoam ban.
