Maine Revised Statutes Title 38. Waters and Navigation § 570. Liability

The intent of this subchapter is to provide the means for rapid and effective cleanup and to minimize direct and indirect damages and the proliferation of 3rd-party claims. Accordingly, each responsible party is jointly and severally liable for all disbursements made by the State pursuant to section 551, subsection 5, paragraphs A, B, D, E, I and K, or other damage incurred by the State, except for costs found by the commissioner to be eligible for coverage under section 568-A. The term “other damage,” as used in this paragraph, includes interest computed at 15% a year from the date of expenditure and damage for injury to, destruction of, loss of or loss of use of natural resources and the State's costs of assessing natural resources damage. The commissioner shall demand reimbursement of costs and damages paid by the department from state or federal funds as provided under section 551, subsection 6 except for amounts that are eligible for coverage by the fund under this subchapter. Payment must be made promptly by the responsible party or parties upon whom the demand is made. If payment is not received by the State within 30 days of the demand, the Attorney General may file suit in the Superior Court or the department may file suit in District Court and, in addition to relief provided by other law, may seek punitive damages as provided in section 568. Notwithstanding the time limits stated in this paragraph, neither a demand nor other recovery efforts against one responsible party may relieve any other responsible party of liability.

In any suit filed under this section, the State need not prove negligence in any form or matter by a defendant. The State need only prove the fact of the prohibited discharge and that a defendant is a responsible party, as defined in section 562-A.

A person who would otherwise be a responsible party is not subject to liability under this section, if that person can establish by a preponderance of the evidence that the liability pursuant to this section for which that person would otherwise be responsible, was caused solely by: