[font=font36821]AGENCY:[/font] Department of Marine Resources
[font=font36821]CHAPTER NUMBER AND TITLE:[/font] Chapter 25.65 Lobster and Crab Closure in Penobscot River
[font=font36821]BRIEF SUMMARY:[/font] The Commissioner proposes this rulemaking in order to protect public health due to the risk of mercury contamination in lobsters and crabs found in the mouth of the Penobscot River north of a line starting at the westernmost point of Perkins Point in the Town of Castine continuing in a northwesterly direction to the southern most point on Squaw Point (also known as Rocky Point) on Cape Jellison in the Town of Stockton Springs. In 2013, DMR received data warranting the current closure in the mouth of the river in early 2014, and undertook confirmation work to provide the basis for future management or public health decisions. Based on analysis of the data collected in 2014 through the confirmation work, DMR determined that a consumption advisory would be warranted for lobster taken from an expanded area south of the existing closure. Because this remains a discrete area and in order to be health protective, DMR is instead taking action to expand the existing closed area. The Department expanded the closed area through an emergency rule-making effective June 21, 2016. This rule-making would make that emergency rule-making permanent. While the 2014 confirmation work did not show levels of concern for crabs, the area will remain closed to the harvest of crabs until further analysis can be conducted and management options analyzed.
Date, time and location of [font=font36821]PUBLIC HEARING: [/font]6 PM, Tuesday September 6, 2016; Bucksport Middle School; 100 Miles Ln, Bucksport, ME
[font=font36821]COMMENT DEADLINE:[/font] 9/16/2016
[font=font36821]CONTACT PERSON FOR THIS FILING:
NAME:[/font] Hannah Dean
[font=font36821]AGENCY:[/font] Department of Marine Resources
[font=font36821]ADDRESS:[/font] 21 State House Station
Augusta, Maine 04333-0021
[font=font36821]E-MAIL:[/font] hannah.dean@maine.gov
[font=font36821]TELEPHONE:[/font] (207) 624-6573
[font=font36821]FAX:[/font] (207) 624-6024
[font=font36821]TTY:[/font] (207) 633-9500 (Deaf/Hard of Hearing)
Aug. 20, 2016
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