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Bill > LD1903
ME LD1903
ME LD1903An Act to Conform the State's Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Laws to Federal Standards
summary
Introduced
05/06/2025
05/06/2025
In Committee
05/06/2025
05/06/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
06/02/2025
06/02/2025
Introduced Session
132nd Legislature
Bill Summary
This bill conforms state standards for certain perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, to federal standards in the following ways. 1. It establishes soil concentration levels for PFAS for the purposes of determining when land is contaminated by PFAS under the Fund To Address PFAS Contamination. 2. It amends the law authorizing the adoption of state drinking water rules by the Commissioner of Health and Human Services to require that those rules establish a maximum contaminant level equivalent to the standards of the United States Environmental Protection Agency's national primary drinking water regulations adopted in April 2024 for certain perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. 3. It provides that federal law or regulation regulating the sale of a food package to which PFAS have been intentionally added preempts state authority to prohibit the sale of such food packaging. 4. It provides that if surface water quality standards for PFAS are established pursuant to federal law, the Department of Environmental Protection must adopt rules for surface water quality standards to match the federal water quality standards. 5. It provides that if the United States Environmental Protection Agency adopts emissions standards for PFAS, emissions standards for PFAS adopted by the Department of Environmental Protection, Board of Environmental Protection must be the same as the emissions standards established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
AI Summary
This bill aligns Maine's regulations for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) with federal standards across several areas. First, it establishes precise soil concentration levels for PFAS contamination, defining specific thresholds for perfluorooctane sulfonic acid and perfluorooctanoic acid, and using EPA guidance for other PFAS types. The bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to adopt drinking water rules that match the EPA's April 2024 national primary drinking water regulations for six specific PFAS compounds, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS). In the realm of food packaging, the bill stipulates that federal regulations on PFAS-containing food packages will take precedence over state rules. Additionally, the legislation mandates that if the EPA establishes federal surface water quality standards or emissions standards for PFAS, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection must adopt corresponding state-level rules that exactly match those federal standards. These provisions aim to create consistency between state and federal PFAS regulations, ensuring that Maine's environmental and health protections align with the latest federal guidelines.
Committee Categories
Agriculture and Natural Resources
Sponsors (8)
Jeff Timberlake (R)*,
Mark Babin (R),
Susan Bernard (R),
Lucien Daigle (R),
Brad Farrin (R),
Billy Bob Faulkingham (R),
Marianne Moore (R),
Trey Stewart (R),
Last Action
Placed in the Legislative Files. (DEAD) (on 06/02/2025)
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
Document Type | Source Location |
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State Bill Page | https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?LD=1903&snum=132 |
Fiscal Note: Text | https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/bills_132nd/fiscalpdfs/FN190301.pdf |
BillText | https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0744&item=1&snum=132 |
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