MFPC provided comments on the Maine Department of Environmental Protection’s recommendations for the 2025 Triennial Review of Water Quality Standards at the Board of Environmental Protection hearing on October 16, 2025.
MFPC supports DEP’s balanced approach to the 2025 Triennial Review. We agree with DEP’s incorporation of a daily average DO criterion for Class B and C waters, provided it is not prematurely used for reclassification.
We support the Department’s decisions to reject or defer proposals lacking scientific or technical justification, and commend DEP’s decision not to advance revisions to the state’s mixing zone policy.
Maine’s forest products industry is committed to maintaining and improving water quality, as demonstrated by decades of investments in wastewater treatment and watershed stewardship. However, Maine’s regulatory framework must also recognize the realities faced by regulated entities and the communities that depend on them. Imposing more stringent criteria without a sound scientific foundation, risks undermining both economic and environmental sustainability.