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An Act To Allow a Municipality To Recover Emergency Response Costs from a Natural Gas Utility in Certain Cases
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 38 MRSA §1317, sub-§2,  as enacted by PL 1979, c. 730, §2, is amended to read:
 
2. Hazardous matter.   "Hazardous matter" means substances identified by the board under section 1319 that present a present or potential danger to the people of the State or to its natural environment when deposited on land or discharged on or into waters of the State or ambient air. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, "hazardous matter" includes natural gas that has been released into ambient air.
 
SUMMARY
This bill clarifies that the term "hazardous matter" includes natural gas that has been released into ambient air in order for that event to qualify for reimbursement when municipalities recover emergency response costs.