§341-D. Board responsibilities and duties
The board is charged with the following duties and responsibilities.
[PL 1989, c. 890, Pt. A, §13 (NEW); PL 1989, c. 890, Pt. A, §40 (AFF).]
1.
Rulemaking.
[PL 1995, c. 347, §1 (AMD); MRSA T. 38 §341-D, sub-§1 (RP).]
1-A.
Rulemaking.
[PL 1997, c. 364, §17 (AMD); MRSA T. 38 §341-D, sub-§1-A (RP).]
1-B.
Rulemaking.
[PL 2011, c. 304, Pt. H, §4 (RP).]
1-C.
Rulemaking.
The board shall adopt, amend or repeal rules in accordance with section 341‑H.
[PL 2011, c. 304, Pt. H, §5 (NEW).]
1-D.
Rulemaking.
The board shall adopt rules as necessary for hearing appeals from insurance claims-related decisions of the commissioner and the State Fire Marshal under section 568‑A. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2‑A.
[PL 2023, c. 61, §1 (NEW).]
2.
Permit and license applications.
Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, the board shall assume jurisdiction of each application for approval of the following categories of permits and licenses:
A.
[PL 2011, c. 304, Pt. H, §6 (RP).]
B.
[PL 2011, c. 304, Pt. H, §6 (RP).]
C.
[PL 2011, c. 304, Pt. H, §6 (RP).]
D.
[PL 2011, c. 304, Pt. H, §6 (RP).]
E.
[PL 2023, c. 512, §1 (RP).]
F.
[PL 2023, c. 512, §1 (RP).]
G.
[PL 2023, c. 512, §1 (RP).]
H.
[PL 2023, c. 512, §1 (RP).]
J.
A license for a new solid waste disposal facility required pursuant to section 1310‑N;
[PL 2023, c. 512, §1 (NEW).]
K.
A permit for a new high-impact electric transmission line, as defined in Title 35‑A, section 3131, subsection 4‑A, required pursuant to chapter 3, subchapter 1, article 6;
[PL 2023, c. 512, §1 (NEW).]
L.
A license for a new wastewater discharge required pursuant to section 413 that, as determined by the department, is expected to use more than 20% of the assimilative capacity of the receiving water;
[PL 2023, c. 512, §1 (NEW).]
M.
A permit for a new offshore wind terminal required pursuant to chapter 3, subchapter 1, article 6; and
[PL 2023, c. 512, §1 (NEW).]
N.
A permit for a new nuclear power plant, as defined in Title 35‑A, section 4352, subsection 9, required pursuant to chapter 3, subchapter 1, article 6.
[PL 2023, c. 512, §1 (NEW).]
The board shall also assume jurisdiction of each application for approval of permits and licenses that is referred to it jointly by the commissioner and the applicant.
The board may not assume jurisdiction over an application for an expedited wind energy development as defined in Title 35‑A, section 3451, subsection 4, for a certification pursuant to Title 35‑A, section 3456 or for a general permit pursuant to section 480‑HH or section 636‑A.
Prior to holding a hearing on an application over which the board has assumed jurisdiction, the board shall ensure that the department and any outside agency review staff assisting the department in its review of the application have submitted to the applicant and the board their review comments on the application and any additional information requests pertaining to the application and that the applicant has had an opportunity to respond to those comments and requests. If additional information needs arise during the hearing, the board shall afford the applicant a reasonable opportunity to respond to those information requests prior to the close of the hearing record.
[PL 2023, c. 512, §1 (AMD).]
3.
Modification or corrective action.
At the request of the commissioner and after written notice and opportunity for a hearing pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 4, the board may modify in whole or in part any license, or may issue an order prescribing necessary corrective action, whenever the board finds that any of the criteria in section 342, subsection 11‑B have been met. The board may modify a license or order corrective action as authorized by this subsection at any time, including during the pendency of a judicial appeal of a final decision regarding the license.
A.
[PL 2011, c. 304, Pt. H, §7 (RP).]
B.
[PL 2011, c. 304, Pt. H, §7 (RP).]
C.
[PL 2011, c. 304, Pt. H, §7 (RP).]
D.
[PL 2011, c. 304, Pt. H, §7 (RP).]
E.
[PL 2011, c. 304, Pt. H, §7 (RP).]
F.
[PL 2011, c. 304, Pt. H, §7 (RP).]
G.
[PL 2011, c. 304, Pt. H, §7 (RP).]
For the purposes of this subsection, "license" includes any license, permit, order, approval or certification issued by the department.
[PL 2023, c. 139, §1 (AMD).]
4.
Appeal or review.
The record on appeal for appeals decided by the board is the administrative record relied upon by the commissioner in the commissioner's review of a license or permit application, including the record of any adjudicatory hearing held by the department, any supplemental evidence admitted by the board on appeal and, if the board holds a hearing on the appeal, any additional evidence obtained by the board from that hearing. The board shall review, may hold a hearing at its discretion on and may affirm, amend, reverse or remand to the commissioner for further proceedings any of the following:
A.
Final license or permit decisions made by the commissioner when a person aggrieved by a decision of the commissioner appeals that decision to the board within 30 days of the date of the decision. An appellant shall identify in the appeal the licensing or permitting criterion or standard the appellant believes was not satisfied in the commissioner's final license or permit decision and shall include in the appeal all information required to be submitted by rules adopted pursuant to this section. Any proposed supplemental evidence offered by an appellant must be included with the filing of the appeal. The board staff shall issue to the appellant; the licensee or permittee, if the licensee or permittee is not the appellant; interested persons; and any other persons who have requested to be notified of the license or permit decision written notice of the filing of the appeal, which must identify any proposed supplemental evidence offered by the appellant. For the purposes of this paragraph, "interested person" means any person that submitted written comments on the application that is the subject of the appeal. Within 30 days of the issuance of the written notice by the board staff of the filing of the appeal, the licensee or permittee, if the licensee or permittee is not the appellant, may submit proposed supplemental evidence to the board addressing the issues raised in the appeal. The chair of the board may admit proposed supplemental evidence into the record when the chair finds that the evidence offered is relevant and material to the appeal and that:
(1)
The person that submitted the proposed supplemental evidence has shown due diligence in bringing the evidence to the licensing or permitting process at the earliest possible time; or
(2)
The evidence is newly discovered and could not, by the exercise of diligence, have been discovered in time to be presented earlier in the licensing or permitting process.
The board shall admit into the record additional evidence and analysis submitted by department staff in response to issues raised in the appeal and any supplemental evidence allowed by the board in accordance with this paragraph. The licensee or permittee, if the licensee or permittee is not the appellant, may submit to the board a written response to the merits of the appeal. The board is not bound by the commissioner's findings of fact or conclusions of law but may adopt, modify or reverse findings of fact or conclusions of law established by the commissioner. Any changes to a final license or permit decision of the commissioner made by the board under this paragraph must be based upon the board's review of the record on appeal.
If the board modifies or reverses a final license or permit decision of the commissioner pursuant to this paragraph, the licensee or permittee shall implement any changes to the project necessary to comply with the decision of the board, which may include, but are not limited to, deconstruction and site restoration, and the department may initiate enforcement actions pursuant to section 347‑A and impose penalties pursuant to section 349 if the licensee or permittee fails to satisfactorily implement those changes;
[PL 2025, c. 618, §1 (AMD).]
B.
[PL 2011, c. 304, Pt. H, §8 (RP).]
C.
License or permit decisions appealed to the board under another law. Unless the law provides otherwise, the standard of review is the same as provided under paragraph A;
[PL 2023, c. 61, §2 (AMD).]
D.
License or permit decisions regarding an expedited wind energy development as defined in Title 35‑A, section 3451, subsection 4 or a general permit pursuant to section 480‑HH or section 636‑A. In reviewing an appeal of a license or permit decision by the commissioner under this paragraph, the board shall base its decision on the record on appeal. The board may remand the decision to the department for further proceedings if appropriate. The chair of the Public Utilities Commission or the chair's designee may serve as a nonvoting member of the board and is entitled to fully participate but is not required to attend meetings and hearings when the board considers an appeal pursuant to this paragraph. The chair's participation on the board pursuant to this paragraph does not affect the ability of the Public Utilities Commission to submit information to the department for inclusion in the record of any proceeding before the department; and
[PL 2025, c. 618, §1 (AMD).]
E.
Decisions on insurance claims-related matters heard under section 568‑A, including but not limited to decisions on eligibility for coverage, eligibility of costs and waiver and amount of deductible. Except as provided in board rules, an applicant must file the appeal not later than the 30th day after the applicant receives the decision made under section 568‑A. If the board overturns the decision made under section 568‑A, the department must pay reasonable costs, including reasonable attorney's fees, incurred by the aggrieved applicant in pursuing the appeal to the board from the Maine Ground and Surface Waters Clean-up and Response Fund established under section 551. Reasonable attorney's fees include only those fees incurred from the time of an insurance claims-related decision forward. Decisions of the board are subject to judicial review pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 7.
[PL 2023, c. 61, §4 (NEW).]
[PL 2025, c. 618, §1 (AMD).]
5.
Requests for reconsideration.
[PL 2011, c. 304, Pt. H, §10 (RP).]
6.
Enforcement.
The board shall:
A.
[PL 2011, c. 304, Pt. H, §11 (RP).]
B.
[PL 2011, c. 304, Pt. H, §11 (RP).]
C.
[PL 2011, c. 304, Pt. H, §11 (RP).]
D.
[PL 2011, c. 304, Pt. H, §11 (RP).]
E.
Advise the commissioner on enforcement priorities and activities;
[PL 2019, c. 315, §4 (NEW).]
F.
Advise the commissioner on the adequacy of penalties and enforcement activities;
[PL 2019, c. 315, §4 (NEW).]
G.
Approve administrative consent agreements pursuant to section 347‑A, subsection 1; and
[PL 2019, c. 315, §4 (NEW).]
H.
Hear appeals of emergency orders pursuant to section 347‑A, subsection 3.
[PL 2019, c. 315, §4 (NEW).]
[PL 2019, c. 315, §4 (AMD).]
7.
Reports to the Legislature.
The board shall report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over natural resource matters by January 15th of the first regular session of each Legislature on the effectiveness of the environmental laws of the State and any recommendations for amending those laws or the laws governing the board.
[PL 2011, c. 304, Pt. H, §12 (AMD).]
8.
Other duties.
The board shall carry out other duties as required by law.
[PL 1989, c. 890, Pt. A, §13 (NEW); PL 1989, c. 890, Pt. A, §40 (AFF).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 1989, c. 890, §§A13,40 (NEW). PL 1991, c. 804, §A1 (AMD). PL 1993, c. 328, §1 (AMD). PL 1993, c. 356, §1 (AMD). PL 1995, c. 347, §§1,2 (AMD). PL 1995, c. 642, §§1,2 (AMD). PL 1997, c. 364, §17 (AMD). PL 1999, c. 784, §6 (AMD). PL 2007, c. 661, Pt. B, §§1-4 (AMD). PL 2009, c. 121, §1 (AMD). PL 2009, c. 615, Pt. E, §§1, 2 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 304, Pt. H, §§4-12 (AMD). PL 2017, c. 334, §3 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 315, §4 (AMD). PL 2023, c. 61, §§1-4 (AMD). PL 2023, c. 139, §§1, 2 (AMD). PL 2023, c. 512, §§1, 2 (AMD). PL 2025, c. 618, §1 (AMD).