More important Toddy Pond information and L.D 62 sponsored by Rep Nina Milliken

Articles from The Maine Monitor

Sponsored by: Rep. Nina Milliken (D-Blue Hill) (Department bill) 

Committee: Committee on Environment and Natural Resources

L.D. 62: Dam ownership

An Act to Support Municipal and County Actions on Dam Ownership

The third bill from a slate of dam-related legislation originates in the backyard of lead sponsor Rep. Nina Milliken (D-Blue Hill). 

A swathe of Milliken’s constituents reside on Toddy Pond between Penobscot and Surry, one of three dammed water bodies at risk of dewatering should the state allow dam owner AIM Development USA to abandon its aging dams.

RELATED STORY:   Underfunded and understaffed, Maine’s dam agency does what it can to keep the aging infrastructure safe

Milliken’s bill would beef up the state’s loosely-defined statute regulating dam abandonment by giving municipalities more time to consider ownership of a dam and empowering the state Department of Environmental Protection to require more information on the dam’s structural condition.

The Monitor has previously reported that the statute has never been tested before and the state’s Dam Safety Program does not enforce maintenance standards, causing concern from nearby residents that AIM’s dams may be in poor condition.