Gov. Mills signs Sen. Nicole Grohoski’s bill to protect coastal waters, regulate the marine finfish aquaculture industry
AUGUSTA — On Friday, May 9, Gov. Janet T. Mills signed a bill from Sen. Nicole Grohoski, D-Ellsworth. Continuing her work to protect coastal waters and regulate the marine finfish aquaculture industry, Sen. Grohoski sponsored LD 465, “An Act to Update Waste Discharge License Fees.”
As enacted, LD 465 increases annual wastewater discharge fees for marine finfish aquaculture facilities and certain large stormwater systems. The fees were last updated more than 20 years ago and no longer cover the State’s costs for licensing, compliance and enforcement for these facilities.
“Maine has 3,500 miles of coastline and our waters are an integral part of our cultural heritage and economy. We must be good stewards of our common waters and ensure that we minimize pollution into these waters,” said Sen. Grohoski. “Part of that includes imposing appropriate waste discharge license fees for storm sewer systems and marine finfish aquaculture facilities. To protect our clean water and the heritage industries and ecosystems that depend on it, the Department of Environmental Protection must have adequate financial resources.”
According to Brian Kavanah with the Bureau of Water Quality in the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, there are currently 13 net-pen marine aquaculture facilities in waters Downeast. The law increases the annual wastewater discharge fee for these entities from $275 to $1,682. The other fee increase affects Maine’s 40 municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4). Thirty are municipal facilities, and the others are state and federal facilities — including MDOT, the Maine Turnpike Authority, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and some colleges. The law increases the annual wastewater discharge fee for these entities from $362 to $1,306.
Earlier this session, LD 465 was the subject of a public hearing before the Legislature’s Environmental and Natural Resources Committee. Sen. Grohoski sponsored the bill on behalf of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.
As non-emergency legislation, LD 465 will go into effect 90 days after the First Special Session of the 132nd Legislature adjourns sine die.
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