DEP delays Downeaster permit meeting
The proposed Amtrak Downeaster layover facility in Brunswick faces yet another delay by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, this time a postponement of Thursday’s meeting in Brunswick that had been scheduled to review the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority’s application for a storm water permit that it needs before construction can begin on the $12 million, 60,000-square-foot facility.
The Times Record reported that the DEP had not set a date for the rescheduled meeting, which the newspaper said will now include a public hearing.
“Due to the unique circumstances of this case and the substantial public input, I am exercising my discretion to hold a public hearing relating to the storm water issues on this project,” DEP Commissioner Patricia Aho said in a news release.
The hearing will be a more formal process requiring people who wish to speak about the project to apply for intervenor status in order to testify, the newspaper reported.
Although the Federal Railroad Administration approved NNEPRA’s proposal in June, saying it would not significantly impact its surrounding environment, Aho requested more information from the rail authority in August about various environmental questions related to the project.
DEP finally found the rail authority’s application acceptable for processing Oct. 3. The department is expected to decide on the application by Dec. 17.
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