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132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 1165
H.P. 770 House of Representatives, March 20, 2025
An Act to Create a Fund for Safe Disposal of Hazardous Fluids from
Salvage Yards
Reference to the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources suggested and ordered
printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative CLUCHEY of Bowdoinham.
Cosponsored by Senator TEPLER of Sagadahoc and
Representatives: ANKELES of Brunswick, BRIDGEO of Augusta, DOUDERA of Camden.
Page 1 - 132LR2169(01)
1Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
2Sec. 1. 36 MRSA c. 727 is enacted to read:
3CHAPTER 727
4VEHICLE FLUIDS DISPOSAL FEE
5§4961. Fee imposed
6 A fee is imposed on the retail sale in this State of new automobiles in the amount of
7 $100 per automobile. For purposes of this section, "automobile" has the same meaning as
8 in Title 29-A, section 101, subsection 7.
9§4962. Administration
10 The fee imposed by this chapter is administered as provided in chapter 7 and Part 3,
11 and for purposes of administration, the fee imposed pursuant to this chapter must be
12 considered imposed under Part 3.
13 The revenue derived from the fee imposed by this chapter must be deposited in the
14 Vehicle Fluid Waste Fund established under Title 38, section 2147, subsection 1. The fund
15 must reimburse the General Fund for the administrative costs of the fee as certified by the
16 bureau.
17§4963. Application
18 This chapter applies to purchases made in this State on or after January 1, 2026.
19Sec. 2. 38 MRSA §2147 is enacted to read:
20§2147. Vehicle Fluid Waste Fund
211. Vehicle Fluid Waste Fund established. The Vehicle Fluid Waste Fund, referred to
22 in this section as "the fund," is established and administered by the Department of
23 Environmental Protection as an interest-bearing, nonlapsing fund to reimburse owners and
24 operators of automobile graveyards to properly dispose of fluids extracted from motor
25 vehicles deposited in the automobile graveyards and to reimburse the department for costs
26 in administering the fund. The fund receives fees from Title 36, chapter 727 and funds
27 derived from appropriations, allocations and other public or private sources. Interest
28 earned by investments of the fund accrue to the fund. For purposes of this section,
29 "automobile graveyard" has the same meaning as in Title 30-A, section 3752, subsection
30 1.
312. Disbursements from the fund. To the extent that funds are available, the
32 department shall disburse from the fund an amount the department determines adequate to
33 carry out the purposes of the fund. The department may reimburse a portion or all of the
34 costs of an owner or operator of an automobile graveyard under subsection 3, paragraph B.
353. Eligibility. An owner or operator of an automobile graveyard is eligible for
36 reimbursement for disposal costs of fluids extracted from a motor vehicle deposited in the
37 automobile graveyard if:
Page 2 - 132LR2169(01)
1 A. The owner or operator possesses a permit for the automobile graveyard under Title
2 30-A, section 3753;
3 B. The owner or operator provides written documentation for the costs of the proper
4 disposal of fluid from a motor vehicle deposited in the automobile graveyard; and
5 C. The owner or operator follows all requirements of the department for the proper
6 disposal of the fluids.
74. Rules. The department shall adopt rules to carry out the purposes of this section.
8 Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules under Title 5, chapter
9 375, subchapter 2-A.
10SUMMARY
11 This bill creates the Vehicle Fluid Waste Fund to reimburse owners and operators of
12 automobile graveyards for the costs to properly dispose of fluids extracted from motor
13 vehicles deposited in the automobile graveyards. The fund is funded by a $100 fee charged
14 on purchases of new automobiles.
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