An Act to Prohibit Geoengineering
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 0499
Sponsors: SCHMERSAL-BURGESS
Amends: 38 MRSA §579-A

Legislative Document
No. 499
H.P. 328
House of Representatives, February 11, 2025
An Act to Prohibit Geoengineering
Received by the Clerk of the House on February 6, 2025.  Referred to the Committee on 
Environment and Natural Resources pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant 
to Joint Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative SCHMERSAL-BURGESS of Mexico.
Cosponsored by Representatives: JAVNER of Chester, LAVIGNE of Berwick, LEMELIN of 
Chelsea, LYMAN of Livermore Falls, MASON of Lisbon, PAUL of Winterport, QUINT of 
Hodgdon, SOBOLESKI of Phillips.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  38 MRSA §579-A is enacted to read:
§579-A.  Geoengineering prohibited
Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, except as provided in subsection 
2, a person may not engage in, authorize or provide funding for any activity that constitutes 
or involves geoengineering.
1.  Definitions.  As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the 
following terms have the following meanings.
A.  "Carbon dioxide management" means any technique designed to remove carbon 
dioxide from the atmosphere.
B.  "Geoengineering" means deliberate, large-scale intervention in the Earth's natural 
systems for the purpose of counteracting climate change.  "Geoengineering" includes, 
but is not limited to, carbon dioxide management, solar radiation management, 
stratospheric aerosol injection and weather modification techniques.
C.  "Solar radiation management" means any technique designed to reflect a portion of 
the sun's radiation back into space, including, but not limited to, stratospheric aerosol 
injection.
D.  "Stratospheric aerosol injection" means the release of reflective sulfate or other 
aerosol particles into the stratosphere by high altitude planes or blimps, tethered 
balloons, artillery or other means for the purpose of solar radiation management.
E.  "Weather modification technique" means any technique designed to alter or attempt 
to alter the Earth's natural weather patterns, including, but not limited to, cloud seeding.
2.  Exemption; reporting.  The prohibition on geoengineering in this section does not 
apply to scientific research activities authorized by the department that are conducted in a 
controlled environment and that do not involve weather modification techniques or the 
intentional release of substances or particles into the atmosphere or the environment.  As a 
condition of authorizing a person to conduct any exempted activity described in this 
subsection, the department shall require the person to submit an annual report to the 
department describing the activity conducted, any research or findings resulting from the 
activity and an assessment of the actual or potential environmental effects of the activity.
3.  Enforcement; violations.  The department shall enforce the prohibition in this 
section.  Notwithstanding section 349 or Title 17-A, section 1704, subsection 5 or any other 
provision of law to the contrary, a person that violates this section commits a Class E crime 
and is subject to a fine of $10,000 for each day the violation continues.
SUMMARY
This bill prohibits a person from engaging in, authorizing or providing funding for any 
activity that constitutes or involves geoengineering.  Geoengineering is defined in the bill 
as the deliberate, large-scale intervention in the Earth's natural systems for the purpose of 
counteracting climate change, including, but not limited to, carbon dioxide management, 
solar radiation management, stratospheric aerosol injection and weather modification 
techniques.  Certain scientific research activities authorized by the Department of 
Environmental Protection are exempted from this prohibition.  The department is charged 
with enforcing the prohibition, and a person that violates the prohibition commits a Class 
E crime and is subject to a fine of $10,000 for each day the violation continues.