An Act To Achieve Regional Uniformity in Sulfur Standards for Heating Oil
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 0603
Committee Amendment CA_A_H47 (House)
Amends: 38 MRSA §603-A

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 416, L.D. 603, Bill, "An Act To 
Achieve Regional Uniformity in Sulfur Standards for Heating Oil" 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the 
summary and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. 38 MRSA §603-A, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2013, c. 300, §15, is 
further amended to read: 
2. Prohibitions. Except as provided in subsections 4 and 9, a person may not 'I:lSe 
import, distribute or offer for sale any liquid fossil fuel with a sulfur content exceeding 
the limits in paragraph A or any solid fossil fuel with a sulfur content to heat content ratio 
exceeding the limits of paragraph B. 
A. The sulfur content for liquid fossil fuels is as follows. 
(1) In the Central Maine, Downeast, Aroostook County and Northwest Maine 
Air Quality Control Regions and the Metropolitan Portland Air Quality Control 
Region outside the Portland Peninsula Air Quality Control Region, a person may 
not ase distribute or offer for sale any residual fuel oil with a sulfur content 
greater than 2.0% by weight; beginning January July 1, 2018, the limit for those 
regions is 0.5% by weight. 
(2) In the Portland Peninsula Air Quality Control Region, a person may not l:lS6 
distribute or offer for sale any residual fuel oil with a sulfur content greater than 
1.5% by weight; beginning January July 1,2018, the limit for that region is 0.5% 
by weight. 
(3) Statewide, a person may not 'I:lSe import, distribute or offer for sale a distillate 
fuel: 
(a) Beginning July 1, 2016, vlith a sulfur content greater than 0.005% by 
wei!!ht: and 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
I , 
\ 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 416,. L.D. 603 
(b) 
Beginning January July 1, 2018, with a sulfur content greater than 
0.0015% by weight. 
The sulfur content requirements in this subparagraph do not apply to the use of 
distillate fuel for manufacturing purposes. 
B. The sulfur content for solid fossil fuels is as follows: 
(1) One and two-tenths pounds sulfur per million British Thermal Units until 
November 1, 1991, and .96 pounds sulfur per million British Thermal Units 
thereafter, calculated as a calendar quarter average for sources in the Central 
Maine, Downeast, Aroostook County, Northwest Maine Air Quality Control 
Regions and that portion of the Metropolitan Portland Air Quality Region outside 
the Portland Peninsula Air Quality Region. 
A calendar quarter is composed of 
the months as follows: (1) January, February, March; (2) April, May, June; (3) 
July, August, September; and (4) October, November, December; and 
(2) Seventy-two hundredths pounds sulfur per million British Thermal Units 
calculated as a calendar quarter average for sources in the Portland Peninsula Air 
Quality Region. A calendar quarter is composed of the months as follows: (1) 
January, February, March; (2) April, May, June; (3) July, August, September; 
and (4) October, November, December. 
Sec. 2. 38 MRSA §603-A, sub-§9, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 604, §2, is amended 
to read: 
9. 
Equivalent alternative sulfur reduction application. The department shall 
adopt major substantive rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A that 
provide an opportunity for a licensed air I::ontamination source that holds a license on the 
effective date of this subsection to apply for an equivalent alternative sulfur reduction 
strategy to the residual fuel oil and distillate fuel requirements in subsection 2. The rules 
must provide for the achievement of equivalent sulfur emission reductions through other 
means, including, but not limited to, reductions in consumption of residual fuel oil and 
distillate fuel, early sulfur emission reductions from a baseline emissions inventory year 
of 2002 and conversions to alternative fuels. The department shall submit the major 
substantive rules to the Legislature by January 31, 2014. 
Approved alternate sulfur 
reduction strategies must be in effect by January July 1,2018.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment replaces the bill, which proposes to delay by 6 months the 
implementation of the statewide prohibition on the use of any but ultra low sulfur 
distillate fuel. 
The amendment retains that 6-month delay and it clarifies that the 
prohibition applies to the importation, distribution and offering for sale, rather than the 
use, of any but ultra low sulfur distillate fuel. The amendment also incorporates the 
change in the implementation date and the prohibition language throughout the statutory 
section. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
'" 
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Approved: 04/03115 
:Wac 
LD 603 
LR 947(02) 
An Act To Achieve Regional Uniformity in Sulfur Standards for Heating Oil 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment '~' (J/~Lfj) 
Committee: Environment and Natural Resources 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - General Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Any additional costs to the Department of Environmental Protection to amend certain rules related to sulfur standards 
are expected to be minor and can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources. 
LR0947(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1