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132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2025
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.
Page 1 - 132LR0841(01)
1Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
2Sec. 1. 38 MRSA §579-A is enacted to read:
3§579-A. Geoengineering prohibited
4 Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, except as provided in subsection
5 2, a person may not engage in, authorize or provide funding for any activity that constitutes
6 or involves geoengineering.
71. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the
8 following terms have the following meanings.
9 A. "Carbon dioxide management" means any technique designed to remove carbon
10 dioxide from the atmosphere.
11 B. "Geoengineering" means deliberate, large-scale intervention in the Earth's natural
12 systems for the purpose of counteracting climate change. "Geoengineering" includes,
13 but is not limited to, carbon dioxide management, solar radiation management,
14 stratospheric aerosol injection and weather modification techniques.
15 C. "Solar radiation management" means any technique designed to reflect a portion of
16 the sun's radiation back into space, including, but not limited to, stratospheric aerosol
17 injection.
18 D. "Stratospheric aerosol injection" means the release of reflective sulfate or other
19 aerosol particles into the stratosphere by high altitude planes or blimps, tethered
20 balloons, artillery or other means for the purpose of solar radiation management.
21 E. "Weather modification technique" means any technique designed to alter or attempt
22 to alter the Earth's natural weather patterns, including, but not limited to, cloud seeding.
232. Exemption; reporting. The prohibition on geoengineering in this section does not
24 apply to scientific research activities authorized by the department that are conducted in a
25 controlled environment and that do not involve weather modification techniques or the
26 intentional release of substances or particles into the atmosphere or the environment. As a
27 condition of authorizing a person to conduct any exempted activity described in this
28 subsection, the department shall require the person to submit an annual report to the
29 department describing the activity conducted, any research or findings resulting from the
30 activity and an assessment of the actual or potential environmental effects of the activity.
313. Enforcement; violations. The department shall enforce the prohibition in this
32 section. Notwithstanding section 349 or Title 17-A, section 1704, subsection 5 or any other
33 provision of law to the contrary, a person that violates this section commits a Class E crime
34 and is subject to a fine of $10,000 for each day the violation continues.
35SUMMARY
36 This bill prohibits a person from engaging in, authorizing or providing funding for any
37 activity that constitutes or involves geoengineering. Geoengineering is defined in the bill
38 as the deliberate, large-scale intervention in the Earth's natural systems for the purpose of
39 counteracting climate change, including, but not limited to, carbon dioxide management,
40 solar radiation management, stratospheric aerosol injection and weather modification
41 techniques. Certain scientific research activities authorized by the Department of
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Page 2 - 132LR0841(01)
42 Environmental Protection are exempted from this prohibition. The department is charged
43 with enforcing the prohibition, and a person that violates the prohibition commits a Class
44 E crime and is subject to a fine of $10,000 for each day the violation continues.
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