An Act To Amend the Maine Metallic Mineral Mining Act To Protect Water Quality (2013)
Open-pit sulfide mining is one of the most polluting industries, releasing dangerous arsenic, lead, and mercury into the surrounding watershed. Until last year it was highly improbable that this type of mining would ever occur in Maine, but a bill passed in 2012 weakened the clean water protections that apply these mines, opening the door for their development in the state. LD 1302 would have strengthened water quality protections and ensured that Maine taxpayers are not left with clean-up costs once a mine is closed. The House passed the bill by a large margin, but the Senate failed to pass it by just one vote.
