DEP will host an EPR-related focus meeting for Municipal Reimbursement

The Department has been conducting stakeholder meetings addressing rulemaking topics for 38 MRS § 2146 Stewardship program for packaging to prepare for the formal rulemaking process since December 2022. All stakeholder meetings conducted have been recorded and transcribed and are available on the program's website.

The Department plans to carry out the focus meeting for the topic of municipal reimbursement on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, from 1:00 to 5:00 pm EST, virtually and in-person. It should be noted that the focus meeting for the topic of municipal reimbursement was originally scheduled for February 14^th, but due to logistics this meeting has been moved to March 7^th.  RSVP for the focus meeting for municipal reimbursement using the following link: EPR-Reimbursements-Focus Stakeholder Meeting Registration.

In the case inclement weather leads to closure of state facilities, the meeting will be postponed to an alternative day that is to be determined. The Department will issue a newsletter providing preparatory reading material for the focus-meeting on March 7^th.

Remaining Stakeholder Meeting Links:

The Department is scheduled to submit draft rules to the Board of Environmental Protection for the initiation of the formal rulemaking process in December 2023. The registration links for stakeholder meetings addressing remaining rulemaking topics during the informal rulemaking process are as follows:

Readily recyclable, audits and program goals – March 2023

• Meeting 1: Tuesday, March 14^th from 1:00 to 5:00 pm EDT
  • To RSVP to this meeting, use this link: EPR-RR, Audits, & Program Goals-#1 Stakeholder Meeting Registration
• Meeting 2: Tuesday, March 28^th from 1:00 to 5:00 pm EDT
  • To RSVP to this meeting, use this link: EPR-RR, Audits, & Program Goals-#2 Stakeholder Meeting Registration
• Focus-meeting (tentative): Tuesday, April 11^th from 1:00 to 5:00 pm EST

Education and investment – May 2023

• Meeting 1: Tuesday, May 9^th, from 1:00 to 5:00 pm EDT
  • To RSVP to this meeting, use this link: EPR-Education & Investment-#1 Stakeholder Meeting Registration
• Meeting 2: Tuesday, May 23^rd, from 1:00 to 5:00 pm EDT
  • To RSVP to this meeting, use this link: EPR-Education & Investment-#2 Stakeholder Meeting Registration
• Focus-meeting (tentative): Tuesday, June 13^th, from 1:00 to 5:00 pm EDT

Payments and reporting – July 2023

• Meeting 1: Tuesday, July 11^th, from 1:00 to 5:00 pm EDT
  • To RSVP to this meeting, use this link: EPR-Payments & Reporting-#1 Stakeholder Meeting Registration
• Meeting 2: Tuesday, July 25^th, from 1:00 to 5:00 pm EDT
  • To RSVP to this meeting, use this link: EPR-Payments & Reporting-#2 Stakeholder Meeting Registration
• Focus-meeting (tentative): Tuesday, August 8^th, from 1:00 to 5:00 pm EDT

As a reminder, Meeting 1 will provide an opportunity for stakeholders to provide information and their perspective on the topic, and Meeting 2 will allow for discussion of issues raised during Meeting 1.  If the Department decides there is need for the focus-meeting for a topic, a registration link for that meeting will be emailed to the Department’s stakeholder list when available. To access all submitted written comments to date, as well as background documents for any rulemaking topic, please refer to the Department’s EPR for packaging website.

For stakeholders attending meetings in person, meetings will be held in room 101 of the Deering Building located at 90 Blossom Lane, Augusta, Maine 04330.  Stakeholders can provide written comments for any rulemaking topic at any time to MainePackagingEPR@maine.gov.

Thank you for your interest and participation. Please continue to direct questions and comments to MainePackagingEPR@maine.gov.