Except as provided in section 484-A, a person intending to create or operate an excavation under this article must file a notice of intent to comply before the total area of excavation on the parcel equals 5 or more acres excavated since January 1, 1970. Both reclaimed and unreclaimed areas are added together in determining whether this 5-acre threshold is met. A notice filed under this section must be complete, submitted on forms approved by the department and mailed to the municipality, the department, the Maine Historic Preservation Commission and each abutting property owner. The notice that is mailed to the municipality and each abutting property owner must be mailed at least 7 days prior to filing the notice of intent to comply with the regulator. The notice that is mailed to the regulator must be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested. Upon receiving the postal receipt, the owner or operator may commence operation. The municipality where the proposed excavation is located may submit comments to the department if the proposed excavation may pose an unreasonable adverse impact under the standards in section 490-D. Within 30 days of receipt of the notice of intent to comply, the department must respond to the comments made by the municipality. Abutting property owners, the Maine Historic Preservation Commission or other interested persons may submit comments directly to the department.

Sec. 4. 38 MRSA §490-D, sub-§§6-A, 7 and 8, as amended by PL 1995, c. 700, §24, are further amended to read:

6-A. Public and private roads. A natural buffer strip must be maintained between the working edge of an excavation and a road or right-of-way as follows.

A. A natural buffer strip at least 150 feet wide must be maintained between the working edge of an excavation and a road designated as a scenic highway by the Department of Transportation.

B. A natural buffer strip at least 100 feet wide must be maintained between the working edge of an excavation and any public road not designated as a scenic highway by the Department of Transportation. A natural buffer strip at least 25 feet wide must be maintained between the working edge of a topsoil excavation and any public road not designated as a scenic highway by the Department of Transportation. A natural buffer strip at least 50 feet wide must be maintained between the working edge of an excavation and any right-of-way that does not contain a