PIERCE ATWOOD LAW FIRM • February 15, 2022
In a process that began under the LePage Administration, and then continued after revisions from the Mills Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finally granted a petition from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to remove a majority of Maine from the Ozone Transport Region, effective March 10, 2022. In the portions of Maine no longer in the OTR, new major sources and major modifications at existing sources will no longer need to meet the most stringent Lowest Achievable Emission Rate standard, or obtain potentially extensive and scarce offsets, thus opening the door to potential economic growth in those areas.