Resolve, Regarding Legislative Review Of Portions Of Chapter 375: No Adverse Environmental Effect Standards Of The Site Location Of Development Act, A Major Substantive Rule Of The Department Of Environmental Protection

132nd Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Vicki Doudera

Directs immediate legislative review of DEP’s Chapter 375 No Adverse Environmental Effect Standards; finalizes oversight with an emergency clause, no fiscal impact.

Signed by Governor

#environmentalprotectiondept #rules #sitelocationofdevelopment

Summary — LD 269 (132nd Maine Legislature)

Title: Resolve, Regarding Legislative Review of Portions of Chapter 375: No Adverse Environmental Effect Standards of the Site Location of Development Act, a Major substantive rule of the Department of Environmental Protection
Bill number: LD 269
Introduced: January 23, 2025
Status: Finally passed (emergency), Signed by Governor June 10, 2025

Purpose / Intent

LD 269 is a legislative Resolve directing and completing the Legislature’s review of portions of Chapter 375 — the “No Adverse Environmental Effect Standards” — which is a major substantive rule promulgated by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) under the Site Location of Development Act. The action is part of the routine statutory review process for major substantive rules submitted to the Legislature under Title 5, section 8072.

Key provisions (based on available documents)

Directs legislative review of specified portions of DEP’s Chapter 375 (No Adverse Environmental Effect Standards). The publicly available legislative documents do not include the full text of the resolved language; the Resolve implements the Legislature’s action on the rule submission.

Passed as a Resolve (not a permanent statute) and carried an emergency clause, making the Resolve effective immediately upon enactment.

Note: The bill was amended in committee. Committee Amendment “A” (H-356) was read, adopted and the Resolve was passed to be engrossed as amended; the legislative record available here does not include the substantive text of that amendment.

Who is affected

Department of Environmental Protection — the agency whose major substantive rule is the subject of review.

Developers, permit applicants, landowners and consultants subject to Site Location of Development Act standards, to the extent the Legislature’s review confirms, modifies, or objects to portions of the rule.

State and local regulators and environmental stakeholders who apply or respond to the Chapter 375 standards.

Procedural / timeline highlights

Reported to the Legislature by DEP pursuant to Title 5, §8072 on January 23, 2025.

Referred to the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources.

Committee action: Reported Out—OTP-AM; Committee Amendment “A” (H-356) adopted.

Final legislative actions: Passed as an emergency measure (two-thirds vote required) June 3, 2025; sent for concurrence; signed by the Governor June 10, 2025.

Because of the emergency clause, the Resolve became effective immediately upon enactment.

Additional notes

The Resolve is procedural in nature as part of the statutory legislative review of a major substantive DEP rule. The legislative record available here does not provide the full resolved text or enumerate specific regulatory changes; consult the final engrossed Resolve (LR 1493(04)) or the Department’s Chapter 375 filing for the specific portions reviewed and any legislative determinations.

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