Maine Water Pollution And Drinking Water, Question 4 (2003)

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This Act would authorize the State to issue bonds in an amount not to exceed $6,950,000 to raise funds for a variety of environmental purposes, as indicated in paragraphs #1 through 7 of the ballot question. The bonds would run for a period not longer than 10 years from the date of issue and would be backed by the full faith and credit of the State.

The Department of Environmental Protection would expend $5,000,000 of the bond proceeds as follows:

$2,000,000 would go into an existing State Revolving Loan Program to be matched by $10,000,000 in federal funds, and distributed as loans to municipalities to construct and upgrade wastewater treatment facilities;

$1,500,000 would be distributed in the form of grants to subsidize construction of water pollution control facilities in communities with lower median household incomes;

$500,000 would be allocated to the clean up of uncontrolled hazardous substance sites;

$500,000 would fund the Small Communities Grant program, to help municipalities, quasi-municipal entities and unorganized townships replace wastewater discharge systems that are affecting public water systems or shellfish areas or otherwise causing a public nuisance; and

$500,000 would provide grants to municipalities and individuals, to subsidize the removal of licensed overboard wastewater discharges into shellfish areas, great ponds, and drainage areas of less than 10 square miles. The percentage of grant support offered to individual homeowners would be based on income level.

The Department of Human Services would expend $1,200,000 of the bond proceeds in grants and loans to eligible public water systems, through the state’s Safe Drinking Water Act Revolving Loan Fund, for system improvements. These funds would be matched by $4,140,000 in federal funds.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources would expend the remaining $750,000 of the bond proceeds in grants to subsidize the development of environmentally sound water supplies for crop irrigation.

If approved, the bond authorization would take effect 30 days after the Governor’s proclamation of the vote.

A statement of the Treasurer describing the financial considerations of this bond issue is published together with this statement.

A "YES" vote approves authorization of a $6,950,000 bond issue to finance all of the above activities.

A "NO" vote disapproves the bond issue in its entirety.^[3]