The Department of Environmental Services proposed to readopt, with amendments, regulations governing public water system general operational requirements and maintenance requirements. The amendments would update the general operations and maintenance responsibilities for public water systems and privately owned redistribution systems, and revise and restructure the regulations for clarity. A hearing will be held January 9, 2024. Comments are due January 17, 2024.
The Department of Environmental Services proposed to readopt, with amendments, regulations governing prime wetlands. The amendments would, among other things, remove a redundant process for challenging prime wetlands boundaries, add a process for updating previously filed maps, clarify when compensatory mitigation is required, and revise the content requirements for waiver requests. A hearing will be held December 20, 2023. Comments are due December 29, 2023.
The Department of Environmental Services proposed to readopt, with amendments, regulations governing wetlands hearings, appeals, and waiver requests. The amendments would eliminate the appeal ombudsman process, revise the requirements and signature certifications for a waiver request, and change the criteria for granting a waiver of administrative rules. A hearing will be held December 20, 2023. Comments are due December 29, 2023.
The Department of Environmental Services proposed to readopt, with amendments, regulations governing wetlands definitions. The amendments would include substantive changes to several existing definitions, including "Compensatory mitigation," "Shoreline frontage," and “Normal high water line,” and the addition of new terms, such as "Functional and intact" and "Written notice." A hearing will be held December 20, 2023. Comments are due December 29, 2023.
The Department of Environmental Services proposed to readopt, with amendments, regulations governing septage management. The amendments would, among other things, require permitted haulers for any septage transported over public waters, introduce new notice requirements for land application of septage, update pre-application soil testing requirements, and revise Exception Quality certification standards for concentrations of arsenic and mercury. A hearing will be held December 15, 2023. Comments are due December 22, 2023.
The Department of Health adopted rules governing drinking water protection. The amendments allow public health priority points to be assigned for projects related to the removal of lead service lines and contaminants of emerging concern when concentrations exceed a health advisory level. See https://mn.gov/admin/assets/SR48_21%20-%20Accessible_tcm36-600413.pdf (p. 486).
The Department of Marine Resources proposed amendments to regulations governing confidentiality of statistical data. The amendments would add language pertaining to offshore permit establishment. See https://www.sos.ms.gov/adminsearch/ACProposed/00027257a.pdf.
The Department of Energy Resources proposed to adopt regulations concerning participation in the Green Communities Program. The regulations would enable municipalities served by municipal light plants to qualify for the Green Communities Designation and Grant Program by adopting a renewable energy charge, in accordance with An Act Relative To Municipal Light Plant Participation In Green Communities. A hearing will be held December 18, 2023. Comments are due the same date.
The Department of Environment proposed amendments to regulations governing water quality. The amendments would replace incorrect reference tables and an equation related to freshwater aquatic life water quality criteria for chronic ammonia criteria with the correct versions, and add a footnote to Table 6 to more directly indicate the effect of pH on PCP toxicity. A hearing will be held December 13, 2023. Comments are due December 22, 2023.
The Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry proposed new rules for the implementation of certain strategies identified in the PFAS Fund Plan. The rules would establish eligibility criteria, administrative procedures, evaluation criteria, and appeals procedures for a number of programs. A hearing will be held December 18, 2023. Comments are due December 28, 2023. See https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/rules/notices/2023/112923.html.