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LD 704

An Act To Clarify Performance Standards For Quarries

132nd Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Bill Pluecker

Clarifies Maine quarry performance standards to guide permits, enforcement, and post-mining protections, affecting operators, DEP, local authorities, and nearby residents.

Signed by Governor
#landuse #permits #quarryperformancestandards
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Bill Summary · LD 704

Summary — LD 704: “An Act To Clarify Performance Standards For Quarries”

Status: Signed by Governor (May 23, 2025)
Introduced: February 20, 2025
Committee: Environment and Natural Resources
Sponsor/Reference: LR 2248 (as amended by Committee Amendment “A” (H‑131))

Purpose

The bill’s stated purpose is to clarify performance standards that apply to quarries in Maine. The intent is to make regulatory expectations for quarry operations—how they must perform and what is required for permits and oversight—clearer for operators, regulators and affected parties.

Key points and provisions (high‑level)

The bill as enacted clarifies existing quarry performance standards. The available legislative record and fiscal notes do not include the full text of the enacted provisions in this summary, but the enacted measure was passed as amended by Committee Amendment “A” (H‑131). Because the full bill language is not provided here, readers should consult the official enrolled bill or statute for precise legal changes.

Typical topics covered by quarry performance‑standard statutes and therefore likely clarified by this bill include (note: these are common categories; confirm in the bill text):
- Permit conditions and standards of operation (e.g., hours, equipment standards)
- Controls on dust, noise and vibration (including blasting standards)
- Groundwater and surface water protection and monitoring
- Site reclamation and closure requirements (post‑mining land use and stabilization)
- Setbacks, buffers and visual impact mitigation
- Inspection, reporting and enforcement procedures

Who is affected

  • Quarry operators and mine site owners: clearer standards may affect how operations are conducted and what is required for permits, monitoring and reclamation.
  • Department of Environmental Protection (DEP): responsible for implementing, permitting, inspecting and enforcing clarified standards.
  • Local governments and planning authorities: may see clearer interplay between state quarry standards and local land‑use review.
  • Nearby residents, landowners and natural resource interests: clarified standards may affect environmental protections (noise, dust, water) and notification/enforcement processes.

Fiscal and administrative impact

  • Fiscal note(s) (approved 04/07/25 and 05/14/25) conclude any additional costs to the Department of Environmental Protection will be minor and can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources. Costs were identified as “Other Special Revenue Funds.”
  • No major capital or program expansions were indicated in the fiscal notes.

Legislative history / timeline

  • 02/20/2025: Bill received by Clerk; referred to Environment and Natural Resources Committee.
  • 03/19/2025: Work session; committee vote resulted in a divided report.
  • 05/13/2025: Passed House (engrossed as amended). House roll call reported: Yeas 82, Nays 59, Absent 9.
  • 05/14/2025: Senate adopted Committee Amendment “A” (H‑131) and voted in concurrence. Senate roll call reported: Yeas 21, Nays 13, Excused 1.
  • 05/20/2025: Sent for concurrence / final passage steps.
  • 05/23/2025: Signed by the Governor and enacted.

Next steps / where to read the law

For the precise statutory changes and operative language, consult:
- The enrolled bill and Committee Amendment H‑131 (available on the Maine Legislature website), and
- The final enacted statute (public law chapter text), which will show exact amendments to quarry performance standard statutes.

If you would like, I can retrieve and summarize the actual enacted statutory language (compare before/after) once you provide or authorize fetching the bill text or public law document.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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