MAINE MORNING STAR • March 29, 2024
As the final act of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee this session, members approved a change to mining law, paving the way to extract the 11 million ton lithium deposit in western Maine. The committee did not approve the rule exactly as it was submitted by the Department of Environmental Protection, however. The DEP’s rule would allow developers to apply for an exemption for open-pit mining by undergoing pre-application testing and submitting proof that the proposed operation wouldn’t violate environmental standards for water and other factors. The version advanced out of committee includes a handful of changes, including requiring more pre-application testing and decreasing the size an excavation pit can be at any one time.