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An Act To Achieve Regional Uniformity in Sulfur Standards for Heating Oil
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 38 MRSA §603-A, sub-§2, ¶A, as amended by PL 2013, c. 300, §15, is further amended to read:
 
A. The sulfur content for liquid fossil fuels is as follows.
 
(1) In the Central Maine, Downeast, Aroostook County and Northwest Maine Air Quality Control Regions and the Metropolitan Portland Air Quality Control Region outside the Portland Peninsula Air Quality Control Region, a person may not use any residual fuel oil with a sulfur content greater than 2.0% by weight; beginning January 1, 2018, the limit for those regions is 0.5% by weight.
 
(2) In the Portland Peninsula Air Quality Control Region, a person may not use any residual fuel oil with a sulfur content greater than 1.5% by weight; beginning January 1, 2018, the limit for that region is 0.5% by weight.
 
(3) Statewide, a person may not use a distillate fuel:
 
(a) Beginning July 1, 2016, with a sulfur content greater than 0.005% by weight; and
 
(b) Beginning JanuaryJuly 1, 2018, with a sulfur content greater than 0.0015% by weight.
 
The sulfur content requirements in this subparagraph do not apply to the use of distillate fuel for manufacturing purposes.
 
SUMMARY
This bill delays by 6 months the implementation of the statewide prohibition on the use of any but ultra low sulfur distillate fuel.