New bills give Maine towns and agencies more power to enforce environmental regulations

The town of Raymond has spent three years trying to hold a developer and his contractors accountable for violating shoreland zoning provisions. Local officials and lawmakers say this shows the shortcomings of the state’s shoreland zoning ordinance: Municipalities are expected to enforce the rules but don’t have the tools to do so. State environmental agencies also have limited enforcement power. Two new bills aim to change this. One would give municipalities more immediate power in enforcing the state’s shoreland zoning ordinance, and the other would empower state agencies to issue stop-work orders when violations are identified.