128th MAINE LEGISLATURE
		LD 576		LR 1516(02)
	An Act To Amend the Laws Governing Funding for Landfill Closure Costs
	Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment " "
	Committee: Environment and Natural Resources
	Fiscal Note Required: Yes
Fiscal Note
Future biennium cost increase - Other Special Revenue Funds
Fiscal Detail and Notes
	Current law requires the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to pay 75% of the costs incurred before December 31, 2025 of closing municipal landfills that meet certain criteria. This bill extends eligibility to municipal landfills with applications to the DEP that were accepted for processing on or before September 1, 1989 and that were approved within one year of the acceptance date. The DEP has indicated that there is one active landfill in Old Town that meets the new eligibility criteria and that it would cost $350,000 to reimburse Old Town 75% of closure costs. The DEP share will be paid from the Maine Solid Waste Management Fund (MSWMF) within the DEP, which derives its revenue from fees on the disposal of construction and demolition debris. Under existing statute, the fee will continue to be collected until all existing landfill closure costs subject to DEP reimbursement are paid. The addition of another landfill to reimburse will lower annual payments to reimburse other municipalities for landfill closure costs and extend the period of time they will be reimbursed to keep the annual aggregate distribution from the MSWMF unchanged. Therefore, the additional $350,000 will be paid in a future period when the existing payments would have ceased but will now continue. The DEP has expressed concern that municipalities may be affected by having their payments lowered.