This section allows a municipality to register for authority to enforce this article by adopting and submitting to the commissioner an ordinance that meets or exceeds the provisions of this article. The commissioner shall review that ordinance to determine if that ordinance meets the provisions of this article and if the municipality has adequate resources to enforce the provisions of this article. If the commissioner determines that the ordinance meets the provisions of this article and that the municipality has the resources to enforce this article, the commissioner shall register that municipality for authority to enforce this article. Immediately upon approval by the commissioner, primary enforcement authority for this article vests in that municipality. The commissioner may not approve an ordinance under this section unless the ordinance requires that any request for a variance from the standards in the article be approved by the commissioner before that variance is valid. [PL 1993, c. 350, §5 (NEW).]
1. Relation to home rule. Nothing in this section may be construed to limit a municipality’s authority under home rule to adopt ordinances regulating borrow, topsoil, clay or silt excavations.

[PL 1995, c. 700, §30 (AMD).]

Terms Used In Maine Revised Statutes Title 38 Sec. 490-I

  • Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
  • clay: means a material that consists of particles of such a size that 45% or more of the fraction of those particles able to pass through a 3-inch sieve pass through the United States Standard Number 200 sieve, or a material that exhibits similar erosion potential, difficulty of stabilization or runoff based upon its gradation, plasticity, permeability or other relevant criteria. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 38 Sec. 490-A
  • in writing: include printing and other modes of making legible words. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
  • Municipality: includes cities, towns and plantations, except that "municipality" does not include plantations in Title 10, chapter 110, subchapter IV; or Title 30?A, Part 2. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
  • Topsoil: means the top layer of soil that is predominantly fertile and ordinarily moved in tillage or the equivalent of such a layer in uncultivated soils. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 38 Sec. 490-A
2. Optional participation. Nothing in this article may be construed to require a municipality to adopt any ordinance.

[PL 1993, c. 350, §5 (NEW).]

3. Suspension of approval. The commissioner may act to enforce any provision of this article or suspend the registration of a municipality if the commissioner determines that a municipal ordinance no longer conforms to the provisions of this article or that the municipality is not adequately enforcing this article. The commissioner shall notify a municipality of any such determination in writing. Suspension of municipal registration by the commissioner does not void or in any way affect a municipal ordinance or in any way limit the municipality’s authority to enforce the provisions of its ordinance.

[PL 1993, c. 350, §5 (NEW).]

4. Appeal. A municipality may appeal to the board any decision of the commissioner under this section. Any decision by the board on appeal by a municipality constitutes final agency action.

[PL 1993, c. 350, §5 (NEW).]

SECTION HISTORY

PL 1993, c. 350, §5 (NEW). PL 1995, c. 700, §30 (AMD).