Metallic Mining Rules Rejected

An Act to Allow Regulated Metal Mining in Maine (2015)

The Legislature defeated metallic mining rules submitted by the Department of Environmental Protection. The same rules were submitted to and rejected by the 126th Legislature. The Environment and Natural Resources Committee spent significant time reworking the rules this session and voted 8-5 to approve them. However, the rules still did not adequately protect clean water or taxpayers from paying the cost of cleanup and were rejected by large majorities in the House and Senate. By law, the 1991 metallic mining rules will remain in effect until new rules are approved by the Legislature.