DEP and DHS should publish an educational brochure for prospective sellers and buyers of property with subsurface systems. The brochure should include information on potential problems with old systems located near lakes or other surface water. DEP and DHS should develop plan for collecting additional data on the performance of subsurface systems to determine if a mandatory inspection program should be instituted. Met July Oct., 1998. Consensus not even close.
Several groups believe problem is significant and that a mandatory inspection program is warranted.
Maine Association of Site Evaluators, representing the group that would do inspections, does not believe that there is a big enough problem to warrant a mandatory inspection program. Site Evaluators also expressed concern over how inspections would be conducted and potential liability. Maine Association of Realtors does not believe information exists to justify inspection program, and were opposed to original proposal to tie inspections to real estate transfers. There is not any known opposition to the scaled back proposal for increased disclosure at time of transfer. DEP should continue its non-phosphorus fertilizer campaign initiated in the Fall of 1998.