[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town of Kennebunkport as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 3-14-1981]
[Amended 11-3-2020]
Disposal or storage of hazardous wastes as designated under the U.S. Clean Water Act, Section 311, Public Law 92-500, and/or the disposal or storage of radioactive waste as defined by 38 M.R.S.A. § 1451 within the boundaries of the Town of Kennebunkport, Maine, shall be prohibited.
Any request for an exception to this prohibition shall be submitted in writing to the Selectmen and brought to the whole Town of Kennebunkport acting as the body politic, to be voted on by all bona fide voters present in a Town Meeting.
[Adopted 3-18-1986; amended 3-26-1994; 6-12-2004; 6-11-2013; 11-3-2020; 6-10-2025]
This article shall be known and may be cited as "Kennebunkport Solid Waste Ordinance" and referred to herein as "this article."
The purposes of this article are to protect the health, safety and general well-being of the citizens of Kennebunkport, enhance and maintain the quality of the environment, conserve natural resources and prevent water and air pollution by providing for a comprehensive, rational and effective means of regulating the transportation and disposal of Solid Waste in and for the Town of Kennebunkport and its residents in accordance with the provisions of 38 M.R.S.A. § 1304-B, as amended.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
ACCEPTABLE WASTE
Wastes to be acceptable for transport to the Facility shall include all Acceptable Waste, as that term is defined in a certain Waste Handling and Recycling Agreement (the "Agreement") dated June 12, 2025, and any amendments thereto, between the Town of Kennebunkport and the Company.
AGREEMENT
The Waste Handling and Recycling Agreement dated June 12, 2025, between the Town of Kennebunkport and Ecomaine.
APPROVED DISPOSAL FACILITY OR SITE
The appropriate disposal site for each type of waste such as, by way of example only, Town of Kennebunk Sea Road Transfer Station for demolition debris. The Town Manager shall determine the appropriate disposal site(s) for the various types of waste.
COMPANY
The company or companies that are contracted with the Town to collect and transport municipal solid waste and recycling to the Facility.
DELIVERY HOURS
Those hours established by the Selectmen in compliance with the Agreement that Acceptable Waste may be delivered to the Facility.
DISPOSAL
The discharge, deposit, dumping or placing of any Solid Waste into or on any land or body of water, or the incineration of any Solid Waste.
DISPOSAL FACILITIES
Any land or structure or combination of land area and structures, including dumps and transfer stations used for storing, salvaging, reducing, incinerating or disposing of Acceptable Waste pursuant to the Agreement, including any transfer station or similar facility which may be constructed by the Town in connection with the use of the Disposal Facilities.
FACILITY
The waste-to-energy plant and the recycling facility (consisting of all ancillary buildings, equipment, installations, and the like) owned and operated by Ecomaine, located at 64 Blueberry Road, Portland, Maine.
HAULER
Any entity or person granted a permit by the Selectmen to collect and haul Solid Waste and Recycling within the Town.
HAZARDOUS WASTE
All hazardous waste, as that term is defined in the Agreement, including but not limited to any waste which by reason of its composition, characteristics or other inherent properties, is dangerous to handle by ordinary means, or which may present a substantial endangerment to health or safety, or which presents a reasonable possibility of adversely affecting the operation of the Disposal Facilities. "Hazardous waste" shall also mean waste which is defined as harmful, toxic, dangerous or hazardous at any time pursuant to:
A. 
The Solid Waste Disposal Act, 42 U.S.C. § 6901 et seq., as amended;
B. 
The Maine Hazardous Waste, Septage and Solid Waste Management Act, 38 M.R.S.A. § 1301 et seq., as amended;
C. 
Any other federal, state, county or local codes, statutes or laws; and
D. 
Any regulations, orders or other actions promulgated or taken with respect to the items listed in Subsections A through C above; provided, however, that any such materials which are later determined not to be harmful, toxic, dangerous or hazardous by any governmental agency or unit having appropriate jurisdiction shall not be considered "hazardous waste" unless a contrary determination has been or is made by any other governmental agency or unit having appropriate jurisdiction.
RESOURCE RECOVERY
The recovery of materials or substances that still have useful physical or chemical properties after serving a specific purpose and can be reused or recycled for the same or other purposes.
SELECTMEN
The Board of Selectmen of the Town of Kennebunkport.
SOLID WASTE
Solid Waste, as that term is defined in 38 M.R.S.A. § 1303-C, Subsection 29, including, without limitation, useless, unwanted or discarded solid material with insufficient liquid content to be free flowing, including by way of example, and not limited to, rubbish, garbage, scrap materials, junk, refuse, inert fill material and landscape refuse, but shall not include sludges from air or water pollution control facilities, septic tank sludge or agricultural wastes.
TIPPING FEE
The payments required to be made by the Town to Ecomaine under the Agreement for processing Acceptable Waste received at the Facility or which would otherwise have been received at the Facility.
TOWN
The Town of Kennebunkport.
UNACCEPTABLE WASTE
All waste defined as Unacceptable Waste in the Agreement, including, without limitation, the following:
A. 
Demolition or construction debris from building and roadway projects or locations.
B. 
Liquid wastes or sludges.
C. 
Abandoned or junk vehicles, trailers, agricultural equipment and boats and parts thereof.
D. 
Hazardous Waste (as defined herein).
E. 
Five dead animals or portions thereof or other pathological wastes.
F. 
Water treatment residues or by-products of any kind.
G. 
Tree stumps.
H. 
Tannery sludge and sewer sludge of any kind.
I. 
Waste oil or solvents.
J. 
"White goods" such as freezers, refrigerators, washing machines, or parts thereof.
K. 
Tires.
L. 
Automotive batteries.
M. 
Pesticides and other organic fluids.
N. 
Firearms, ammunition and explosives.
O. 
Other wastes which in the reasonable judgment of the Ecomaine:
(1) 
Could reasonably be expected to cause jam-ups, slowdowns, stoppages, failures or damage to the Disposal Facility; or
(2) 
Could reasonably be expected to cause adverse consequences to the Disposal Facility or its operations, because of excessive moisture, high noncombustible content or other similar reasons.
P. 
Any waste deemed unacceptable for processing at the Disposal Facility by federal, state or local law, regulation, rule or order.
In accordance with the provisions of 38 M.R.S.A. § 1304-B and effective on the commencement date of the Agreement, the Town hereby designates the Disposal Facilities as the exclusive facilities for disposal of Acceptable Waste generated within the boundaries of the Town. Subsequent to the commencement date of the Agreement, the disposal of any waste generated within the Town by any person at any place other than at an Approved Disposal Facility or Site is prohibited; provided, however, that the owner of any lot, or any other person with the permission of the lot owner, may deposit or dump inert substances such as earth, rocks, concrete or similar material for fill purposes only, subject to federal, state or local land use regulations.
A. 
The Selectmen shall establish by the authority of this article, such Rules and Regulations as they deem necessary or convenient to carry out the purposes of this article, including rules and regulations governing the availability and use of the disposal and transportation facilities for disposal of Solid Waste generated within the Town and governing the operation of and issuance of permits for waste disposal vehicles.
B. 
The operation of the Disposal Facilities shall conform to all pertinent regulations and directives of all local, county, state or federal agencies which may have jurisdiction.
A. 
No person, firm or corporation shall permanently dispose of any Acceptable Waste into or upon any water or land within the corporate limits of the Town, unless such area has been designated by the Selectmen as a part of the Disposal Facilities under this article.
B. 
Certain Solid Waste may be excluded by order of the Selectmen from those Acceptable Wastes which must be deposited at the Disposal Facilities. These excluded materials may include wood, trees, tree limbs, branches, logs, leaves, twigs, grass and plant cuttings.
C. 
Except for licensed disposal of hazardous or infectious wastes, it shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to burn or incinerate any Solid Waste within the Town other than wood, trees, tree limbs, branches, logs, leaves, twigs, grass and plant cuttings.
D. 
Any wastes that are Unacceptable Wastes but that are deemed acceptable by the Facility may be collected and delivered to the Disposal Facility. Any additional Tipping Fee or administrative charge for disposal of Unacceptable Waste shall be charged to and become the sole responsibility of the Hauler.
A. 
Disposal Facility users. The availability and use of the disposal facilities as determined by the Selectmen by rules and regulations shall be limited to residents of the Town and their contractors and agents for the sole purpose of disposing of Solid Waste generated within the Town, and to those residents of any other municipality which may, by written agreement with the Town, be authorized to use such Disposal Facilities.
B. 
Resource recovery. For the purpose of resource recovery, the Town may require Solid Waste to be separated into such categories as may be established by order of the Selectmen.
C. 
Removal of Acceptable Waste prohibited. Once any Acceptable Waste is deposited or picked up at curbside, no one shall salvage, remove, or carry off any such waste or engage in any other resource recovery without prior approval of the Town.
D. 
Municipal collection and delivery. The Selectmen may establish a system for the collection and delivery of Solid Waste and may adopt such rules and regulations and adopt such schedule of charges for such collection and transportation services as may be appropriate.
Whoever violates any of the provisions of this article or rules and regulations established by the Selectmen under this article shall be punished by a fine of not more than $1,000 plus costs, which fine may be recovered by the Town for the use of the Town. Each load of waste or each day of violation shall be considered a separate violation and subject to the punishment fine. Any other costs incurred or caused as a result of the violation will be charged to the violator and recovered by the Town.
A. 
The Selectmen may establish by order schedules of waste disposal charges to be charged for the use of the disposal facilities or any portion of the Disposal Facilities as determined by the Selectmen by rules and regulations, which schedules shall be posted and published. Such schedules may include different waste disposal charges for residents of the Town, businesses located within the Town and commercial refuse collectors collecting Solid Waste within the Town and may include different schedules for disposal of different kinds of Solid Waste. All fees collected shall be for the use of the Town.
B. 
It shall be the duty of the Selectmen to enforce the provisions of this article and the Selectmen may authorize a representative(s) to do so.
C. 
All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict with this article are hereby repealed, effective on the commencement date of the Agreement.
D. 
If any section, subsection, sentence or part of the article is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this article.
E. 
This article shall not limit in any way recourse imposed by other governmental agencies or courts for solid waste or hazardous waste violations.