Latest news with #Loyzim
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawmaker seeks to refine ‘overly broad' PFAS definition to allow for some pesticide use
Rather than creating a more limited definition, Maine Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Melanie Loyzim said uses of PFAS that are 'economically important' but don't pose health risks should be evaluated individually. (Photo by Getty Images) After lawmakers couldn't agree on which committee should handle her proposal to regulate forever chemicals in pesticides, Rep. Amy Arata is taking a new, more sweeping approach. The Republican from New Gloucester got approval from legislative leaders to introduce a late-session bill (LD 1982) that would change how perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, are defined in state law. She believes the current definition is overly broad and could include chemicals that don't pose the same long-term health problems as PFAS, which have been linked to cancer and weakened immune systems. During a public hearing Monday, Arata introduced her proposal for Maine to adopt the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's narrower definition for PFAS, which was changed under the Biden administration. The proposal would narrow the definition from any fluorinated organic chemical containing at least one fully fluorinated carbon atom to substances containing any one of three specific chemical structures. She told the Legislature's Environment and Natural Resources committee that her bipartisan proposal is 'merely a refinement' of the existing definition. Arata is largely concerned with farmers being unable to use certain pesticides that would fall under the state's current definition. She said changing Maine's definition to align with that federal definition would still 'protect the health of Maine citizens while also allowing our farmers and other industries to be competitive nationwide.' However, Commissioner Melanie Loyzim said the Department of Environmental Protection opposes the bill because the state already has a process for people to seek exemptions to use products with PFAS that would otherwise be prohibited under the state ban that will be rolling out in the coming years. Under the state's PFAS products ban, any product containing intentionally added PFAS can not be sold in the state after Jan. 1, 2030. The department's website includes step-by-step instructions for requesting exemptions for certain products with currently unavoidable use. Rather than creating a more limited definition, Loyzim said uses of PFAS that are 'economically important' but don't pose health risks should be evaluated individually. Loyzim also argued that this change wouldn't actually create uniformity with the federal guidelines because the EPA uses different definitions based on the specific regulation, such as the Safe Drinking Water Act versus the Toxic Substances Control Act. Arata said her bill would not precipitate other changes in Maine laws related to PFAS, but Loyzim said that definition is used in multiple areas of statute including those pertaining to wastewater discharge, land application of sewage, food packaging and more. Nancy McBrady, deputy commissioner for the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, acknowledged that farmers could be hurt by a prohibition on certain pesticides that would fall under the state's PFAS products bans, but warned LD 1982 is too broad. Rather, she suggested the Legislature pursue a narrower discussion on PFAS and pesticides in the next session. However, that conversation would likely need to go before the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee. The Maine State Chamber of Commerce argues Arata's proposal could create greater consistency and clarity for business, especially those who deal with national supply chains. The Maine Potato Board echoed this point when speaking in support of the bill. However, other environmental organizations including the Friends of Casco Bay, Defend Our Health and the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association opposed the bill. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Forgoing moratorium, committee backs plan to study health impacts of artificial turf
Artificial turf can contain some toxic chemicals, including phthalates, which have been known to increase risks of cancer, asthma and other negative health outcomes. (Photo: Aire images/ Getty) Forgoing a moratorium on new artificial turf fields, lawmakers are recommending the state still study the effects they could have on public health and the environment. The members of the Legislature's Environment and Natural Resources Committee who were present for a work session Wednesday afternoon unanimously endorsed an amended version of LD 1177. The bill will next go to the Maine House of Representatives and Senate for approval. Originally, the bill sought to place a three-year moratorium on the installation and reinstallation of synthetic turf athletic fields while the Department of Environmental Protection conducted a study to determine how those materials interact with the health of local environments and the people who recreate on those fields. However, the amended bill backed by the committee nixed the moratorium and narrowed the study to look at how synthetic turf affects ambient air, groundwater and surrounding organisms, as well as disposal options once the fields reach the end of their life. The study would also evaluate any release of microplastics from the fields and the effect of that on the surrounding environment and human health. The department would need to submit a report to the Legislature with its findings in the study by January 2028. Commissioner Melanie Loyzim said the department is comfortable with the amended proposal and feels it is within their expertise and jurisdiction. However, she said it will require additional resources so the bill will likely end up on what is called the 'special study table,' where legislative leaders determine which studies will get funded. If the department used an environmental consulting firm to assist with the study, Loyzim said it could cost around $100,000 to $200,000, but the department would look to use students and research resources from the University of Maine, potentially, to bring those costs down. Sen. Denise Tepler (D-Sagadahoc), who co-chairs the committee, said it was interesting to hear conflicting science on the issue, so she thinks an analysis of existing literature and any new research would be helpful for future decision making. Her fellow co-chair, Rep. Vicki Doudera (D-Camden), echoed the sentiment, describing the turf issue as 'tricky.' 'I really am in support of studying this further and getting a handle on what's going on,' Doudera said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Maine DEP: $50M sludge bond would preserve landfill space
Feb. 7—The state Department of Environmental Protection is proposing a $50 million bond to help wastewater treatment facilities buy the costly equipment needed to reduce the volume of sewage sludge headed to the state-owned landfill before it runs out of room by 2040. The bond would provide grant funding to as many as five municipal wastewater facilities to install digesters and dryers that would turn the wet slurry into an easier-to-haul solid that doesn't require the addition of out-of-state bulky waste to be stable enough to be landfilled. "There are many wastewater districts in Maine exploring options to reduce the tonnage of sludge they send to landfill," said DEP Commissioner Melanie Loyzim on Thursday. "But they have to make major capital investments that would significantly increase sewer rates for their customers." Initial estimates suggest a sludge dryer or digester can cost as much as $25 million, so the state bond money, if approved, would have to be coupled with a local match if DEP wants to help fund the five projects needed to provide affordable sludge services to the whole state, Loyzim said. Loyzim talked about the bond initiative — LD 25 — at an Environmental & Energy Technology Council of Maine panel in Augusta. If endorsed by the Legislature's finance committee, the bond would need two-thirds support in both the state House and Senate to be sent to voters in November. The bond initiative could defray districts' capital investments, keep sewer bills in check and slow the "unnecessary filling" of Maine landfill space with bulky materials, said Loyzim. Even with planned expansions, high sludge volumes have put Maine landfills on track to hit capacity by 2040. Once a common farm fertilizer, all Maine sewage sludge is now landfilled. In 2022, Maine became the first state to ban the land application of sludge because it contains harmful forever chemicals, or PFAS, that are known to pose a public health risk in even trace amounts. In February 2023, the operator of the state-owned Juniper Ridge Landfill stopped accepting municipal sludge deposits, saying the walls were in danger of collapse because a new state ban on out-of-state trash had left it without enough bulky waste to make the slurry stable enough to landfill. The closure left sewer operators stuck with overflow tanks and tractor-trailers filled with excess sludge. The operator began hauling it to New Brunswick to be composted, albeit at a much higher cost to municipalities, until lawmakers voted to allow limited waste imports for sludge bulking purposes. At the height of Maine's sludge spreading days, back in 1997, Maine sent 48% of its 267,000 tons of sludge to farmers to be applied to fields, turned 38% of it into compost, and buried the final 1% in a landfill, according to state Department of Environmental Protection records. The $50 million bond is DEP's biggest ask this legislative session, but not its only one. It is also seeking funding for eight new positions, including two new environmental specialist positions to help applicants navigate and stay informed during the environmental permitting process, Loyzim said. DEP will unveil an online licensing system in March that will help streamline the process, she said. "DEP's priority for this session is simple: We want to focus on implementing the laws that are already in place," Loyzim told the appreciative crowd. "There are lots of ways that legislation can improve on existing environmental laws, but it doesn't help to continuously cook up new ones." DEP plans to clarify existing regulations this session to help applicants understand exactly what the law allows them to do rather than pursue new regulations or expand the agency's scope, Lozyim said. Flexibility is important, but too much can lead to confusion, costly delays and frustration. Lozyim detailed how these new positions would help simply and speed up the permitting process when she presented her departmental budget to the Legislature's appropriations committee. Copy the Story Link
