What government agencies enforce regulation of metallic mineral exploration and mining in Maine?
In general, the primary responsibility for enforcing environmental regulations in the organized towns of Maine rests with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). In townships, plantations, and unorganized areas, primary responsibility rests with the Maine Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC). For the particular case of metallic mining rules, both agencies operate under the identical set of rules. For a particular application, one of the two agencies will be designated to act as the “coordinating agency” on a case-by-case basis as determined by the DEP Commissioner and LURC Director (Section 19, paragraph A). This provision eliminates bureaucratic overlap and makes the application process more efficient. Currently, the Mining Coordinator of DEP is assigned to the Bureau of Land and Water Quality. For those State-owned lands where mining is allowed, the Maine Geological Survey and the Bureau of Parks and Lands share responsibility for making rules about exploration and mining
