The DEP's proposal would end a requirement that new or refitted plants meet the most stringent emission standards, known as the "lowest achievable emission rate." It also would end a requirement that such plants compensate for their emissions by buying "offsets" on a regulated market.
The proposed change, which needs approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, was to have been submitted, without a hearing, after the public comment period ended Tuesday. But on Monday, three environmental groups and several legislators made formal requests for a hearing, and the DEP must comply under federal law.
The change would benefit Maine's pulp and paper industry because most plants are converting, or seeking to convert, their power source from oil to natural gas, Maine Pulp and Paper Association President John Williams told the Portland Press Herald.
