LD 1547
pg. 3
Page 2 of 8 An Act To Amend Certain Laws Administered by the Department of Environmental Pr... Page 4 of 8
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LR 1860
Item 1

 
licensee and the licensee has taken all reasonable steps to
minimize or prevent any discharge and takes corrective action
as soon as possible. There is not an affirmative defense if
the malfunction is caused, entirely or in part, by operational
error, improperly designed treatment facilities, inadequate
treatment facilities, lack of preventive maintenance or
careless or improper operation. The burden of proof is on the
licensee seeking the affirmative defense under this
subsection. In the event of an unavoidable malfunction, the
licensee must notify the commissioner orally within 24 hours,
and in writing within 5 days. The commissioner shall annually
report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature
having jurisdiction over natural resource matters with regard
to the exercise of this authority.

 
Sec. 7. 38 MRSA §464, sub-§3, ¶B, as enacted by PL 1985, c. 698, §15,
is amended to read:

 
B. The board shall, from time to time, but at least once
every 3 4 years, hold public hearings for the purpose of
reviewing the water quality classification system and
related standards and, as appropriate, recommending changes
in the standards to the Legislature.

 
Sec. 8. 38 MRSA §480-Z, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 101, §1 and
affected by §2, is amended to read:

 
3. Compensation fee program. The department shall may develop
a compensation fee program in consultation with the State
Planning Office, the United States Army Corps of Engineers and
state and federal resource agencies, including the United States
Fish and Wildlife Service and the United States Environmental
Protection Agency.

 
A. The program must may include, at a minimum, the
following:

 
(1) Identification of wetland management priorities on
a watershed basis;

 
(2) Identification of the types of wetland losses
eligible for compensation under this subsection;

 
(3) Standards for compensation fee projects;

 
(4) Calculation of compensation fees based on the functions and
values of the affected wetlands and the cost of compensation,
taking into account the potential


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