January 18, 2012

WEEKLY NOTICES OF STATE RULE-MAKING
Public Input for Proposed and Adopted Rules

Notices are published each Wednesday to alert the public regarding state agency rule-making. You may obtain a copy of any rule by notifying the agency contact person. You may also comment on the rule, and/or attend the public hearing. If no hearing is scheduled, you may request one -- the agency may then schedule a hearing, and must do so if 5 or more persons request it. If you are disabled or need special services to attend a hearing, please notify the agency contact person at least 7 days prior to it. Petitions: you can petition an agency to adopt, amend, or repeal any rule; the agency must provide you with petition forms, and must respond to your petition within 60 days. The agency must enter rule-making if the petition is signed by 150 or more registered voters, and may begin rule-making if there are fewer. You can also petition the Legislature to review a rule; the Executive Director of the Legislative Council (115 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333, phone 207/287-1615) will provide you with the necessary petition forms. The appropriate legislative committee will review a rule upon receipt of a petition from 100 or more registered voters, or from "...any person who may be directly, substantially and adversely affected by the application of a rule..." (Title 5 Section 11112). World-Wide Web: Copies of the weekly notices and the full texts of adopted rule chapters may be found on the internet at: http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/rules. There is also a list of rule-making liaisons, who are single points of contact for each agency.


NOTICE


AGENCY: 29-250 - Department of Secretary of State, Bureau of Corporations, Elections & Commissions
RULE TITLE OR SUBJECT: Request for Comments on the Maine Administrative Procedure Act
CONCISE SUMMARY: By the end of January, 2012, the Secretary of State must file an annual report to the Governor and the Joint Standing Committee on State and Local Government on the Administrative Procedure Act. The purpose of this ad is to solicit, from state agencies and the public, recommendations for improvements to the rule-making process. We will include any comments on these recommended improvements in the report.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY: 5 MRSA §8056-A
PUBLIC HEARING: None
DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS: January 26, 2012
AGENCY CONTACT PERSON: Don Wismer, APA Coordinator, Department of Secretary of State, 101 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333. Telephone: (207) 624-7650. Fax: (207) 287-6545. E-mail: Don.Wismer@Maine.gov
WEBSITE: http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/rules/index.html


PROPOSALS


AGENCY: 06-096 - Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
CHAPTER NUMBER AND TITLE:
Ch. 164, General Permit for Concrete Batch Plants
Ch. 165, General Permit for Class IV-A Incinerators
PROPOSED RULE NUMBER: 2012-P2, P3
CONTACT PERSON FOR THIS FILING: Jeffrey S. Crawford, 17 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333. Telephone: (207) 287-2437. Fax: (207) 287-7641. E-mail: Jeff.S.Crawford@Maine.gov .
CONTACT PERSON FOR SMALL BUSINESS INFORMATION (if different):
PUBLIC HEARING: February 7, 2012 at 1 p.m., MDEP Response Building, 4 Blossom Lane, Augusta, ME
COMMENT DEADLINE: February 17, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. Comments may be submitted by mail, e-mail or fax to the contact person listed above. To ensure the comments are considered, they must include your name and the organization you represent, if any.
BRIEF SUMMARY: These two new rules establish a general permit program for stationary and portable concrete batch plants and Class IV-A Human Crematory Incinerators and Veterinary Incinerators that are subject to Federal New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) and National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPS) and those subject to State Regulations. Copies of this rule are available at http://www.maine.gov/dep/rules/ or upon request by contacting the Agency contact person listed below. Pursuant to Maine law, interested parties must be publicly notified of the proposed rulemaking, the public hearing and be provided an opportunity for comment. Any party interested in providing public comment can testify at the public hearing or provide written comments before the end of the comment period. All comments should be sent to the Agency Contact person. These rules will be submitted to the United States Environmental Protection Agency for approval and incorporation into the Maine State Implementation Plan as part of Maine’s major and minor source air emission licensing program
IMPACT ON MUNICIPALITIES OR COUNTIES: None – these requirements are already in place as part of the agency’s Ch. 115 Licensing processes and are based on existing state and federal requirements for such facilities.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY FOR THIS RULE: 38 MRSA §585-A provides that the Board of Environmental Protection “…may establish and amend regulations to implement ambient air quality standards and emission standards. These regulations shall be designed to achieve and maintain ambient air quality standards and emission standards within any region and prevent air pollution.”
SUBSTANTIVE STATE OR FEDERAL LAW BEING IMPLEMENTED (if different):
WEBSITE: http://www.maine.gov/dep/air/ .
DEP RULE-MAKING LIAISON: Terry.Dawson@Maine.gov .


ADOPTIONS: no adoption notices this week