Lake Stormwater Phosphorus Compensation Fee Program

Development projects subject to the Maine Stormwater Management Law located in eligible lake watersheds may satisfy permit requirements for phosphorus reduction by paying a compensation fee into a Lakes Stormwater Phosphorus Compensation Fund for that same eligible lake watershed. The development project needs to be designed to provide at least 60% reduction in off-site export of phosphorus required by the permit. The fee rate is described in Chapter 501 and determined based on the table below.

Percentage of Project’s Phosphorous Export

Additional Phosphorous Compensation Fee (dollars per pound)*

60%

$25,000

75%

$12,500

100%

$0

*fees are prorated.

Compensation fund monies are used to implement Stormwater Compensation Projects reduce phosphorus export from existing high phosphorus export land uses in the lake watershed.

DEP authorized 7 entities (listed below) to serve as Stormwater Compensation Fee Administrators (SAs) to receive compensation fees from developers and use the monies to develop and implement Stormwater Compensation Projects within their respective service areas. DEP receives and manages any fees collected for lakes outside of the service areas of the SAs.

  • Androscoggin Valley Soil & Water Conservation District
  • Cumberland County Soil & Water Conservation District
  • Cobbossee Watershed District
  • Kennebec County Soil & Water Conservation District
  • Lakes Environmental Association
  • Penobscot County Soil & Water Conservation District
  • York County Soil & Water Conservation District

Materials

Contact

For more information contact:

Alex Wong 207-694-9533

Division of Environmental Assessment, Bureau of Land & Water Quality