The commissioner shall require the applicant to provide notice to the public in accordance with subsection 1-B for each application for a permit or license accepted. The commissioner shall solicit comments from the public for each application in a manner prescribed by the board in the rules.

All correspondence notifying an applicant of denial of an application by the board or commissioner must be by certified mail, return receipt requested.

Sec. 3. 38 MRSA §344, sub-§1-B is enacted to read:

1-B.__Notification to abutters, municipalities and municipal boards.__Notification to abutters, municipalities and municipal boards must be provided in accordance with this subsection.

A.__The applicant shall provide notice to abutters to a project as determined by local tax records, the municipality in which the project is proposed and the municipal board with project oversight when an application for a permit or license is submitted to the department.__Notice must be made in a manner prescribed by the board by rule, which, at a minimum, must include a requirement that the notice be made by certified mail requiring signature by the recipient.__The applicant shall provide to the department proof of notification under this paragraph and a list of abutters to whom notice was provided.__The proof of notification must include a copy of the certified mail signed as received by the recipient.__The department may not determine an application to be complete without receiving proof of notification.__Rules adopted pursuant to this paragraph are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.

B.__The department shall provide notice to abutters identified on the list provided by the applicant under paragraph A,__the municipality in which the project is proposed and the municipal board with project oversight when a permit or license is denied or issued by the department.

SUMMARY

This bill provides for notice to abutters when an application for a permit or license is accepted and when a permit