The Department of Environmental Protection proposed amendments to regulations governing air emission licenses. The amendments would align Chapter 140 with recent changes to Part 70 of the CAA. A hearing will be held April 18, 2024. Comments are due April 29, 2024. See https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/rules/notices/2024/032724.html.
The Public Service Commission adopted amendments to regulations governing the Commission’s Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (RPS).
The Department of Public Health and Environment adopted amendments to water and wastewater facility operator certification requirements. The amendments, among other things, remove specific category types of graywater treatment facilities to align with a 2,000 gallon-per-day threshold for state review and ensure certified operator requirements for larger graywater systems.
The Department of Public Health and Environment adopted new emission reduction requirements for lawn and garden equipment. The requirements limit the use of certain gasoline-powered lawn and garden equipment statewide and specifically in the Denver Metro/North Front Range ozone nonattainment area during June through August.
The Department of Public Health and Environment adopted amendments to regulations governing open burning, prescribed fire, and permitting. The amendments clarify that open burning permits may be issued for materials outside of natural materials as needed on a case-by-case basis.
The Department of Public Health and Environment adopted revisions to stationary source permitting and air pollutant emission notice requirements. The revisions modify the fee requirements to include greenhouse gas emission fees.
The Department of Environmental Quality proposed amendments to regulations governing the Laboratory Accreditation Program. The amendments would, among other things, clarify program definitions, standardize language, simplify renewal and application processes, give additional flexibility to labs in selecting methods, simplify fee calculations, and reset the yearly accreditation period to run from January through December. A hearing will be held April 30, 2024. Comments are due April 15, 2024.
The Department of Environmental Quality proposed amendments to the Permit By Rule (PBR) for the oil and natural gas sector. The amendments would allow for the use of legally and practicably enforceable (LPE) limits when determining a facility's eligibility for the PBR, clarifying source eligibility criteria for the PBR and ensuring that current PBR allows facilities potentially subject to the new source performance standards at 40 C.F.R. Part 60, Subpart OOOOb to take LPE limits to avoid applicability of the federal requirements for certain equipment.
The Department of Health and Environment adopted new spill reporting regulations. The regulations, among other things, specify actions required when a release is discovered, set reportable quantities and reporting requirements, and adopt by reference certain federal reportable quantity standards. See https://sos.ks.gov/publications/Register/Volume-43/Issues/Issue-12/03-21-24-51980.html.
The Environmental Protection Agency adopted amendments to regulations governing procedures for issuing loans from the Public Water Supply Loan Program. The amendments allow 30-year loans to all loan recipients, in alignment with the current standard under the FWPCA, add the definition of the Build America Buy America Act, and clarify that loan applicants will need to comply with the Act’s requirements where applicable.