Opportunity for Comment

Green Lake Hydroelectric Project Water Quality Certification

Comment deadline: April 12, 2024, 5:00 PM

On March 14, 2024, the Department issued a [Draft Water Quality Certification (WQC) for the federal relicensing and continued operation of the Green Lake Hydroelectric Project (Project). The Project is located on Green Lake and Reeds Brook in Hancock County, in the City of Ellsworth and Towns of Dedham and Otis. Federal regulations require the Department to act on this application within one-year, by May 18, 2024. The Department respectfully requests comments on the WQC application by 5:00 PM on April 12, 2024. Please send comments to DEP-Hydropower@maine.gov and reference "Green Lake WQC" in the subject line.

Green Lake Hydroelectric Project Draft Water Quality Certification

The Project Folder for Green Lake Hydroelectric Project

Send your comments to DEP-Hydropower@maine.gov by 5:00 PM on April 12, 2024.

Renewal Maine Discharge License/Maine Pollutant Discharge Elimination System General Permit for the Discharge of Stormwater from Construction Activities

Comment deadline: April 18, 2024, 5:00 PM

The Department is authorized by the USEPA to administer the NPDES permit program in Maine. Pursuant to General Permits for Certain Wastewater Discharges, 06-096 CMR 529 (last amended June 27, 2007), the Department may issue a general permit authorizing the discharge of certain pollutants from multiple individual discharge sources and locations which all have the same type of discharges, and which involve situations where the Department determines there is a relatively low risk for significant environmental impact. The Department has determined that discharges of stormwater from construction activities into waters of the State other than groundwater that conform to the applicability and coverage standards established in the Construction General Permit may be authorized by a general permit.

The Maine Construction General Permit (MCGP) sets standards for managing stormwater that may pick up pollutants, including soil, and discharge them to waters of the State, such as lakes, streams, and wetlands. The requirement for a MCGP is triggered by the amount of disturbed area (1 acre) created during construction, and whether the site will directly discharge to surface waters of the state.

Best management practices required by the General Permit include erosion and sedimentation controls, inspection, and maintenance requirements, housekeeping standards, and new requirements for large construction activities.

The Department has issued a draft general permit for the MCGP. The public is invited to submit comments to Mark Stebbins either via email at mark.n.stebbins@maine.gov or by mail to Mark Stebbins, Maine DEP, State House Station 17, Augusta, ME 04333-0017.

The draft permit is posted on the Maine DEP website: http://www.maine.gov/dep/comment/index.html

All comments must be received no later than 5:00 PM, April 18, 2024.

Draft MCGP Fact Sheet
Draft MCGP Order
Draft General Permit