An Act To Establish Climate and Energy Planning in Maine
PART A
Sec. A-1. 38 MRSA c. 3-C is enacted to read:
CHAPTER 3-C
THE CLIMATE AND ENERGY PLANNING ACT OF 2009
§ 580-G. Short title; findings; purpose
This chapter may be known and cited as "the Climate and Energy Planning Act of 2009."
The Legislature finds and declares that the stabilization and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with the state goals established in section 576 are mandated by and consistent with its duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of its citizens, enhance and maintain the quality of the environment, conserve natural resources and prevent air, water and land pollution. The Legislature further finds and declares that reduced reliance on the fossil fuels that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions is necessary to improve energy security and to reduce the economic impacts of the State's heavy reliance on imported fuels.
The Legislature further finds and declares that making progress towards the State's medium-term and long-term greenhouse gas emission reduction goals set forth in section 576 requires consideration and reduction of climate impacts and effects as an integral part of state planning and licensing, and consideration in the development of new public and private infrastructure. While not every plan or project can or should be required to meet the State's goals by itself, it is the intention of the Legislature that all future developments contribute as much as reasonably possible towards attainment of the State's greenhouse gas emission reduction goals.
§ 580-H. Definitions
As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.
§ 580-I. Review of climate effects in state planning and project decisions
Except in any case in which the department waives the requirements of this section pursuant to section 580-K, the department and state authority shall comply with the requirements of this section in accordance with the implementation schedule in subsection 3.
(1) Embodied greenhouse gas emissions;
(2) Energy-related greenhouse gas emissions;
(3) Transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions; and
(4) Other greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the project or activity.
§ 580-J. Review of climate effects in state licensing decisions
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, unless the department waives the requirements of this section pursuant to section 580-K, after the final adoption of rules by the department under section 580-K the department may not issue a license, permit or other approval for the following projects or activities unless the department undertakes or reviews and approves the analysis of the project or activity as required by section 580-I, subsection 1 and certifies that its decision to approve the license or permit meets the requirements of section 580-I, subsection 2:
§ 580-K. Waivers and qualified measures
Sec. A-2. Rules and report on fees. The Department of Environmental Protection shall by January 1, 2010 submit to the Legislature provisionally adopted rules under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 38, section 580-K. The department shall also submit at the same time to the Joint Standing Committee on Natural Resources a report recommending a schedule of reasonable fees to be paid by those entities subject to the new licensing requirements imposed by Title 38, section 580-J. The proposed fees must be sufficient to cover the department’s costs in administering the requirements of the law. The Joint Standing Committee on Natural Resources may submit a bill relating to the subject matter of the department’s report to the Second Regular Session of the 124th Legislature.
PART B
Sec. B-1. 12 MRSA §682, sub-§2-A, as enacted by PL 2001, c. 431, §2, is amended to read:
The term "subdivision" also includes the division, placement or construction of a structure or structures on a tract or parcel of land located in a protection district or management district resulting in 3 or more dwelling units , or the division, placement or construction of a structure or structures on a tract or parcel of land located in a development district resulting in 3 or more dwelling units within a 5-year period.
Sec. B-2. 12 MRSA §685-A, sub-§3, as amended by PL 1995, c. 65, Pt. A, §26 and affected by §153 and Pt. C, §15, is further amended to read:
In addition to the purposes set forth in section 681, the land use standards shall must:
Sec. B-3. 12 MRSA §685-A, sub-§8-A, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 333, §10, is amended to read:
The adoption or amendment of a land use district boundary must be consistent with the requirements of Title 38, section 580-I.
Sec. B-4. 12 MRSA §685-B, sub-§4, ¶C, as amended by PL 2007, c. 661, Pt. C, §3, is further amended to read:
In making a determination under this paragraph regarding an expedited wind energy development, as defined in Title 35-A, section 3451, subsection 4, the commission shall consider the development's effects on scenic character and existing uses related to scenic character in accordance with Title 35-A, section 3452 ; .
In making a determination under this paragraph regarding development of a residential subdivision, the commission shall consider the effects of increased traffic on any and all private roads used to access the proposed subdivision or any lot in the subdivision regardless of whether the applicant has any legal interest in the access roads;
Sec. B-5. 23 MRSA §612, as enacted by PL 1975, c. 615, is amended to read:
§ 612. Authority of Department of Transportation
The Department of Transportation is authorized to construct bikeways bicycle and pedestrian ways within the existing rights-of-way of any state or state-aid highway. The department may also acquire additional rights-of-way adjacent to existing highway rights-of-way for the construction of bikeways bicycle and pedestrian ways. Such construction and acquisition of rights-of-way shall must be accomplished in the same manner provided in this Title for highways.
The Department of Transportation shall consider development of bikeways when developing capital improvement programs.
Sec. B-6. 23 MRSA §613 is enacted to read:
§ 613. Transportation planning
The Department of Transportation, the Maine Turnpike Authority and any other state agency or political subdivision of the State responsible for developing transportation plans, programs, projects or facilities that are funded with state or federal funds shall:
The design and construction of bicycle and pedestrian ways must be consistent with best available practices as established by the department by rule. Rules adopted by the department under this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
Sec. B-7. 30-A MRSA §4312, sub-§2, ¶G, as amended by PL 2001, c. 578, §7, is further amended to read:
Sec. B-8. 30-A MRSA §4312, sub-§2, ¶I, as enacted by PL 2001, c. 578, §8, is amended to read:
Sec. B-9. 30-A MRSA §4312, sub-§2, ¶J is enacted to read:
Sec. B-10. 30-A MRSA §4312, sub-§3, ¶I, as enacted by PL 1989, c. 104, Pt. A, §45 and enacted by Pt. C, §10, is amended to read:
Sec. B-11. 30-A MRSA §4312, sub-§3, ¶J, as enacted by PL 1989, c. 104, Pt. A, §45 and enacted by Pt. C, §10, is amended to read:
Sec. B-12. 30-A MRSA §4312, sub-§3, ¶K is enacted to read:
Sec. B-13. 38 MRSA §480-Q, sub-§2, ¶B, as repealed and replaced by PL 1995, c. 27, §1, is amended to read:
Sec. B-14. 38 MRSA §480-Q, sub-§2-A, as amended by PL 1993, c. 315, §2, is further amended to read:
Ancillary culverting activities, including excavation and filling, are included in this exemption. A person repairing, replacing or maintaining an existing culvert under this subsection shall ensure that erosion control measures are taken to prevent sedimentation of the water and that the crossing does not block passage for fish passage or other aquatic organisms in the water course. Replacement culverts and techniques used in installing the culverts must achieve natural stream flow.
Sec. B-15. Road construction practices. The Maine Land Use Regulation Commission and the Department of Conservation, Maine Forest Service shall review and update their rules, standards, practices and guidelines governing road construction and location to reflect current best practices to facilitate fish, aquatic organism and wildlife passage. The Maine Land Use Regulation Commission and the Maine Forest Service shall complete the required updates by January 1, 2010, except that, in any case involving changes to major substantive rules as defined in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A, the Maine Land Use Regulation Commission or the Maine Forest Service, as appropriate, shall submit provisionally adopted rules with the required updates to the Legislature by January 1, 2010.
Sec. B-16. Fish passage rules. The Department of Environmental Protection shall amend its rules, Chapter 305, Permit By Rule to require municipalities to achieve natural stream flow when they are repairing or maintaining roads or stream crossings. The amendments must establish standards that ensure:
1. Adequate flow during high water conditions;
2. Upstream and downstream movement for aquatic organisms and downstream and lateral movement of materials;
3. Vertical gradient that matches up and down stream; and
4. Horizontal alignment that matches up and down stream.
The department shall complete the required amendments by January 1, 2010.
Sec. B-17. Local and regional planning. The Executive Department, State Planning Office shall review and update its rules, standards and guidelines governing local and regional planning activities to incorporate best practices to reduce the climate change effects on and resulting from those activities. The State Planning Office shall complete the required updates by January 1, 2011, except that, in any case involving changes to major substantive rules as defined in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A, the State Planning Office shall submit provisionally adopted rules with the required updates to the Legislature by January 1, 2011.
summary
Part A of this bill creates the Climate and Energy Planning Act of 2009, which:
1. Requires analysis of the climate effects on and resulting from state planning decisions;
2. Requires the analysis to be made available for public review and comment;
3. Requires state planning decisions to be consistent with the State's greenhouse gas emission reduction goals as established in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 38, section 576;
4. Requires that after adoption of relevant major substantive rules by the Department of Environmental Protection the department undertake the same analysis and ensure the same consistency with the State’s greenhouse gas emission goals when evaluating applications for and issuing licenses, permits or other approvals for developments or subdivisions subject to Title 38, section 483-A, waste discharges subject to Title 38, section 413, air emissions subject to Title 38, section 590 and discharges subject to state certification under the federal Clean Water Act, 33 United States Code, Section 1341. The department is directed to propose to the Legislature a fee schedule to cover its costs in administering this requirement; and
5. Allows the department to establish waivers from the otherwise applicable requirements of the Climate and Energy Planning Act of 2009 and requires the department to establish a list of qualified greenhouse gas emission reduction measures that demonstrably reduce the greenhouse gas emissions resulting from projects and activities expected to be subject to the requirements of the Act.
Part B of this bill:
1. Adds attainment of the state greenhouse gas emission reduction goals set out in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 38, section 576 to the purposes and goals of the growth management program;
2. Adds attainment of the state greenhouse gas emission reduction goals set out in Title 38, section 576 to the purposes of the laws governing the Maine Land Use Regulation Commission and requires that development and amendment of land use districts and standards be consistent with the Climate and Energy Planning Act of 2009. It also requires the commission to review the effects of increased traffic on private roads when reviewing permit applications for developments of residential subdivisions. It also amends the definition of "subdivision" in management districts and protection districts in the unorganized townships;
3. Amends the Natural Resources Protection Act permit exception for the maintenance and repair of stream crossings to ensure the activities eligible for the exception achieve natural stream flows and provide for the passage of aquatic organisms. It also limits the Natural Resources Protection Act permit exception for the maintenance and repair of existing road culverts in protected natural resource areas to ensure that natural stream flows are achieved and the passage of aquatic organisms is not blocked;
4. Authorizes the Department of Transportation to acquire rights-of-way for construction of bicycle and pedestrian ways that are not adjacent to existing highway rights-of-way. In addition, it requires state, regional and local decisions regarding transportation planning, projects and facilities to include full consideration of bicycle and pedestrian ways and intermodal connections to public transit systems and requires that the final plans, projects and facilities include bicycle and pedestrian ways and intermodal connections as appropriate, unless there is no need for such ways or connections or they would conflict with public safety or involve excessive costs;
5. Requires the Maine Land Use Regulation Commission and the Department of Conservation, Maine Forest Service to review and update their rules, standards, practices and guidelines for road construction to reflect current best practices to facilitate passage of aquatic and terrestrial organisms;
6. Requires the Department of Environmental Protection to amend its rules, Chapter 305, Permit by Rule, to require municipalities to achieve natural stream flow and facilitate passage of aquatic organisms when repairing or maintaining roads and stream crossings; and
7. Requires the Executive Department, State Planning Office to review and update its rules, standards and guidelines governing local and regional planning activities to incorporate best practices to reduce the climate change effects on and resulting from those activities.