121st Maine Legislature
Office of Fiscal and Program Review
LD 632
An Act to Establish a Process to Classify Water Bodies as Impaired     
LR0818(01)
Fiscal Note for Original Bill
Sponsor: Rep. McLaughlin of Cape Elizabeth
Committee: Natural Resources
Fiscal Note Required: Yes
   
             
Fiscal Note
Undetermined current biennium cost increase - General Fund
Fiscal Detail and Notes
The costs to the Department of Environmental Protection to establish a procedure to classify a body of water as impaired or nonattainment can not be determined at this time.  These costs come from establishing major substantive rules, notifying all affected property owners of hearings and determining that designation of a waterbody as impaired will not contribute to a sprawling pattern of development or have an unreasonable negative impact on the local economy.  There is no database of names and addresses of affected property owners in a watershed draining to an impaired waterbody or of those directly discharging to a waterbody.  Creating and maintaining one will be an additional cost to the notice itself.