Bill > LD235

Introduced Session

This resolve does the following. 1. It requires the Department of Environmental Protection to evaluate the potential costs and benefits to the State of the State's acquiring ownership of the former paper mill landfill in the Town of Jay for the primary purpose of increasing disposal capacity in the State for wastewater treatment plant sludge and special waste. On or before January 1, 2026, the department is required to submit to the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources a report outlining the findings and recommendations of the evaluation and including any proposed legislation, and the committee may report out related legislation to the Second Regular Session of the 132nd Legislature. 2. It requires the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Bureau of General Services and the Department of Environmental Protection to evaluate options for amending the operating services agreement of February 5, 2004, as amended, between the bureau and the operator of the state-owned Juniper Ridge Landfill in the City of Old Town concerning the operation of the landfill for the purpose of enhancing the transparency and oversight of the operation of the landfill and of the activities of the operator of the landfill. On or before January 1, 2026, the bureau and the Department of Environmental Protection are required to jointly submit to the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources a report outlining the findings and recommendations of this evaluation and including any proposed legislation. After reviewing the report, the committee may report out related legislation to the Second Regular Session of the 132nd Legislature. 3. It requires the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Bureau of General Services to initiate a process to negotiate an amendment to the operating services agreement of February 5, 2004, as amended, with the operator of the state-owned Juniper Ridge Landfill in the City of Old Town concerning the operation of the landfill. It prohibits the bureau from executing any amendment to that agreement prior to the bureau's submission of an application for a public benefit determination for a license for the expansion of the landfill in accordance with the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 38, section 1310-AA and unless the amendment to the agreement includes certain specified provisions. Those provisions include requirements that the operator disclose and make available to the bureau the terms and conditions of all contracts and agreements between the operator and its contractors, subcontractors and customers regarding the use, operation and maintenance of the landfill and requirements that the operator implement and operate at the landfill the technology, facilities or processes necessary to ensure that the leachate collected from the landfill is treated prior to discharge such that the concentration of regulated PFAS contaminants in the treated leachate does not exceed specified standards.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Dick Campbell (R)*,  Dan Ankeles (D),  Jim Dill (D),  Michael Soboleski (R), 

Ought Not to Pass Pursuant To Joint Rule 310, Mar 20, 2025 (on 03/20/2025)

Official Document