An Act To Improve Environmental Oversight and Streamline Permitting for Mining in Maine (2012)
The Legislature passed a bill weakening Maine’s open-pit mining regulations threatening water quality. The bill was introduced during the final weeks of the session, and the condensed process did not allow for full public input or robust scientific scrutiny. The Environment and Natural Resources Committee improved the original bill, but the result remains that Maine is now more vulnerable to the dangers of open-pit mining. Since it was passed, the law will undergo a rulemaking process. Once the rules are finalized in 2014, they will return to the Legislature for approval.
