AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — The Maine Department of Environmental Protection is seeking to relax air pollution standards, a move that is receiving opposition from both environmental and tourism groups.
Maine Public reports the Maine DEP has petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency to move the majority of the state out of the Ozone Transport Region agreement.
Northeastern states including New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont all set strict pollution limits as part of the agreement.
Stephanie Clement of the organization Friends of Acadia says if Maine lowers standards, other nearby states may follow suit.
The executive director of the Maine Public Health Association says the state DEP’s move is “irresponsible.”
Marc Cone, director of the Bureau of Air Quality at DEP, says studies have shown Maine can meet its air quality goals without strict standards.
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