126th MAINE LEGISLATURE
		LD 1772		LR 2797(02)
	Resolve, Regarding Legislative Review of Chapter 200: Metallic Mineral Exploration, Advanced Exploration and Mining, a Late-filed Major Substantive Rule of the Department of Environmental Protection
	Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment " "
	Committee: Environment and Natural Resources
	Fiscal Note Required: Yes
Fiscal Note
Current biennium cost increase - Other Special Revenue Funds Current biennium revenue decrease - Other Special Revenue Funds Future biennium cost increase - General Fund
Fiscal Detail and Notes
	The bill requires the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to repeal its existing mineral mining rules and adopt prior metallic mineral mining rules at an expected cost of $7,500. This bill requires, by February 1, 2016, that DEP provisionally adopt and submit rules to the Legislature related to the Maine Metallic Mineral Mining Act. The cost to DEP to do this may vary depending on the amount of public participation, board meetings and certain other factors, although DEP incurred a cost of $175,000 to provisionally adopt and submit similar rules in 2013. This bill eliminates potential revenue to the Metallic Mining Fund within DEP from a processing fee of $500,000 and an annual license fee of between $20,000 and $50,000 by repealing the existing mineral mining rules. All costs to DEP will be funded by the Metallic Mining Fund within DEP. The fund has sufficient resources to absorb these costs from transfers made to it from Public Law 2011, Chapter 653. The bill requires the Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC) within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to adopt and submit rules to the Legislature on certification of metallic mineral mining permit applications. The LUPC will require a General Fund appropriation in fiscal year 2015-16 of $2,335 for costs related to rulemaking.