AUGUSTA — The Maine Department of Environmental Protection’s Nonpoint Source Training and Resource Center is offering certification classes necessary for contractors who work in shoreland zones.
The shoreland zone is defined by the state DEP as areas within 250 feet of lakes, rivers, ocean or wetlands, as well as areas within 75 feet of certain streams.
“Maine is known for its pristine and healthy water. By using best practices for erosion and sediment control, certified contractors go a long way in protecting our water,” said Bill Laflamme of the Nonpoint Source Training and Resource Center, in a written statement.
According to state law, passed in 2008, any contractor conducting activity that involves the disturbance of soil in a shoreland zone needs to be certified in erosion control practices. A certified person must be on site of earth-moving activity at a shoreland zone site to ensure that proper erosion and sedimentation control practices are followed. The law went into effect in January 2013. It does not apply to activity that results in less than one cubic yard of earth material being moved or displaced.
Those who obtain certification are exempt from the 14-day waiting period for stream crossing projects under the Maine DEP’s Permit-by-Rule program, according to a written statement from Maine DEP. Those certified can also advertise for free on the DEP’s website, obtain free publications from DEP’s resource library, and receive discounts at several suppliers of erosion control products in the state, according to the statement.
A number of classes have been scheduled statewide for this winter and spring. Locally, a class will be held at Sanford City Hall on Jan. 29. For more information, call Donna Gray at 324-9135.
To view the full schedule of classes, go online to maine.gov/dep/training/npstrc-schedule.html. Contractors interested in more information or registering for classes can also call Laflamme at 215-9237 or email him at [email protected].
— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or [email protected].
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