Spring 2016
In this Issue:
Driving home to Penobscot from my office in Augusta, I can’t
help but notice the remarkable change in our landscape over the past few weeks.
Spring is finally here in Maine and serves as reminder to all of us as to why
we do the important work we do at DEP.
When I first came to the Department at the end of January, I
thought I was required to learn everything. I spent the first six weeks
reviewing and reading, only to realize I could not learn it all at once. What I
did learn is that the Maine Department of Environmental Protection is staffed
with 450 passionate and professional people dedicated and committed to the
State of Maine that I can go to for collaboration.
In the past 3 months, I have traveled the state to talk with
DEP staff, met with businesses, agencies and non-profits that partner with DEP.
I have experienced my first legislative session as the head of a state agency and
have initiated some changes within the Department that include two staff
promotions: Marybeth Richardson, Southern Maine Regional Office Director and
Tina Zabierek, DEP’s new Policy Director.
As Commissioner, I am committed to our State and our
environment and I am convinced the state’s economy can improve while
maintaining its greatest asset “our natural resources”.
Thank you for your warm welcome to DEP!
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Join us in bidding farewell to Heather
Parent, who is leaving her position as Deputy Commissioner.
Heather started as Policy Director in 2011 in the Office of
Commissioner before being appointed Deputy Commissioner of DEP in 2014. She has
been a valued part of our team and will be an asset in her new position
with Massachusetts DEP.
The DEP wishes Heather every success in her new
endeavor.
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Maine DEP is now accepting nominations for the Governor’s Awards for Environmental Excellence. These awards honor businesses, non-profit organizations, public entities and new ventures for their extraordinary efforts to protect and improve Maine’s environment.
We are seeking to recognize applicants with projects and programs born from innovation and collaboration that have resulted in measurable environmental and economic benefits. Successful candidates will be those who are solving environmental challenges through constructive and creative solutions that go beyond standard techniques or regulatory compliance requirements.
Applications are due by June 24.
Find out more at the DEP Governor's Awards webpage or contact David Madore, (207) 287-5842.
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To celebrate the 46th year of Earth Day, Maine DEP staff took it outside to highlight a handful of our programs. Staff gave tips on sustainable living such as building and maintaining home compost areas, recycling paint and electronics, and keeping phosphorus pollution out of lakes and streams.
Visitors guessed the weight of a bale of recyclable plastic, tested their skill reading secchi discs, and got an inside look at DEP air monitoring and spill cleanup equipment.
DEP employees also shared their expertise at Earth Day events across the state.
Find out more about Earth Day activities and history.
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The Department of Environmental Protection is inviting proposals for wetland restoration, enhancement and creation projects to include provisions for climate change, flood protection and resiliency and to improve wildlife habitat.
Beginning April 18, 2016, eligible recipients may apply for grant monies for wetland projects. Applicants must describe how the proposed project meets the following criteria:
- Provides restoration of impacted wetlands, enhancement of existing wetlands, or creation of wetland from upland
- Provides habitat for wildlife species, including birds, fish and amphibians
- Provides water quality benefits
- Demonstrates the technical expertise to implement the wetland restoration project
- Demonstrates the capacity to maintain and protect the wetland in the future
For more information please visit the Maine DEP request for proposals webpage or contact Bill Longfellow.
The DEP administers a grants program for nonpoint source (NPS) pollution control projects to help communities implement actions called for in a watershed-based management plan (WBP). A WBP provides assessment & management information and describes actions needed to: restore water bodies impaired by NPS pollution; or protect water bodies threatened by NPS pollution.
DEP has $780,000 total funding available and expects to issue 8 to 12 awards ranging from $50,000 to $150,000. Under last year’s RFP, DEP awarded 9 grants totaling over $751,000.
Target dates for the next request for proposals are (subject to change):
• Issue RFP – May 13, 2016
• Due date – June 28, 2016
Eligible projects must meet certain criteria including:
• At least 50% - $390,000 must be for impaired (TMDL) waters;
• maximum 50% - $390,000 may be for threatened waters
• Work plan designed to implement actions called for in a WBP previously accepted by DEP (List of accepted WBPs)
• 2 year project period
• Nonfederal match required 40%
Grants will be funded with monies provided to DEP by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency under Sections 319(h) of the Clean Water Act.
For more information about the NPS Grants Program, visit the DEP annual report.
Contact Norm Marcotte with questions, 207-215-6277.
The 2nd session of the 127th was a fairly quiet session for the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. The Department was assigned a total of 12 bills, 4 carry-over bills from the 1st session and 8 new bills. Topics of the bills included trolleys, beaches, site law, water quality and solid waste management.
LDs 1568, 1569 and 1570 (Site Law) were major substantive rules the Department sent for final approval by the legislature. The bills provided much needed updates to Chapters 373, 375 and 380. Updates included improvements to the technical and financial capacity standards, reorganization of sections of the rules to make it more user friendly and simplifying the Long-term construction project section to streamline the process.
LD 1254, A Resolve To Further Study the Implementation and Funding of an Integrated Beach Management Program, Resolve 2015 Chapter 66, was passed after the original bill, which included a $1 fee on seasonal overnight accommodation, was rewritten with input from the Department. The final resolve requested that the Department and the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry convene a working group to review and update the report titled "Protecting Maine's Beaches for the Future: A Proposal to Create an Integrated Beach Management Program," dated February 2006. The Departments are required to submit the updated report to the Environment and Natural Resources Committee by January 31, 2017.
LD 313, An Act to Create a Sustainable Solution to the Handling, Management and Disposal of Solid Waste in the State, Public Law 2015 Chapter 461, was the product of multiple meeting held by the ENR committee last fall and 8 meeting held during the 2nd session of the 127th. The final bill is an attempt to move Maine closer to attaining its recycling goal. It was evident early on that to reach the goal of 50% recycling that food scraps would have to be addressed.
The law does this by using a three prong approach. First is the establishment of a food recovery hierarchy to compliment the State's solid waste management hierarchy. This will help guide decision making related to solid waste and organic materials management.
Second is the ability for the Department to use statutory solid waste fees to provide grant funding in accordance with the Maine Solid Waste Diversion Grant Program. The Maine Solid Waste Diversion Grant Program is set up to provide grants to public and private entities to assist in the development, implementation or improvement of programs, projects, initiatives and activities designed to increase beneficial reuse of solid wastel in the State.
The final prong directs the Department of Environmental Protection to develop, implement and administer a voluntary food scraps composting pilot program for municipalities, educational institutions and commercial entities. Data collected from these pilot projects will be analyzed and submitted to the Environment and Natural Resource Committee by January 15, 2019.
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Congratulations and
best wishes to our recent retirees:
Melissa Evers, Environmental Specialist III – 27 years of
State service
Mark Whiting, Biologist I – 24 years of State service
Bill Butler, Environmental Specialist III, Waste & Remediation – 23 years of State service
Steve Zayszly, OHMS II, Lead & Asbestos Unit – 44 years
of State service
Leslie Rucker, Office Associate II – 29 years of State
service
Roy Rike, Air Inspector, Air Quality – 30 years of State
service
A warm welcome to the
newest members of the DEP staff:
Tristan Tabor, Office Associate II – Bureau of Water Quality
Cameron Adams, ES II, BLR, Land Division, Portland
Scott Belair, ES III, BLR, Land Division, Presque Isle
Eric Sroka, ES III, BLR, Land Division, Augusta
Lucien Langlois, ES II, BLR, Land Division, Augusta
Kerem Gungor, Environmental Engineer, BLR, Land Division,
Augusta
Ted Wolfertz, ES III, Waste & Remediation
Colby Fortier-Brown, Assistant Engineer, Air Quality
David Lemery, ES II, Air Quality, Bangor
Elena Bertocci, ES III, Air Quality
Kevin Martin, Compliance Specialist, Office of the
Commissioner, Augusta
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DEP biologists Denise Blanchette and Doug Suitor
collaborated with Smithfield Plantation and Friends of Cobbossee Watershed to
make a great field science learning opportunity possible. The team led local
students in hands on habitat exploration at vernal pools.
Stay up to date and follow Maine DEP on twitter @maine_dep.
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