38 M.R.S. § 343-H Clean Government Initiative

• Library: Maine Revised Statutes
• Edition: 2023
• Currency: Current through 131st (2023-2024) Legislature Chapter 486
• Year: 2023
• Citation: 38 M.R.S. § 343-H

1.Initiative established; directors. The Clean Government Initiative, referred to in this section as the "initiative," is established to assist state agencies and state-supported institutions of higher learning in meeting applicable environmental compliance requirements and to incorporate environmentally sustainable practices into all state government functions. The initiative is jointly directed by the commissioner, the Commissioner of Administrative and Financial Services, the Chancellor of the University of Maine System or the chancellor's designee and the President of the Maine Community College System or the president's designee, referred to in this section as the "directors."

[ 2001, c. 695, § 1 (AMD) ; 2003, c. 20, Pt. OO, §2 (AMD) ; 2003, c. 20, Pt. OO, §4 (AFF) .]

1-A.State-supported institution of higher learning. For purposes of this section, "state-supported institution of higher learning" means the University of Maine System, the Maine Maritime Academy and the Maine Community College System.

[ 2001, c. 695, § 1 (NEW) ; 2003, c. 20, Pt. OO, §2 (AMD) ; 2003, c. 20, Pt. OO, §4 (AFF) .]

2.Duties; responsibilities. The directors of the initiative shall:

A. Establish a coordinated state government environmental plan to ensure that:

(1) All agencies and state-supported institutions of higher learning comply with state and federal environmental laws; and

(2) Environmentally sustainable practices are incorporated into state government planning, operations and regulatory functions; [ 2001, c. 695, § 1 (AMD) .]

B. Establish metrics to measure and assess the environmental compliance and performance of state agencies and state-supported institutions of higher learning. In developing those metrics, the directors shall seek to achieve continuous improvement in environmental compliance and performance of all state agencies through:

(1) Pollution prevention;

(2) Improvements in energy efficiency, including facility siting, design, construction and management; and

(3) Procurement of environmentally friendly commodities and services, as assessed on a life cycle basis, including technically comparable, cost-effective and reasonably available alternatives to products that may release dioxin or mercury to the environment, recycling of waste products and enhanced fleet efficiency; [ 2001, c. 695, § 1 (AMD) .]