A sign asking for clean fill near the water’s edge at the end of Water Street and in view of the Wiscasset Water Treatment plant raised a lot of concerns this past week.

After receiving several calls as to why the sign was placed there, and why fill was needed so close to the river, the Wiscasset Newspaper called Wiscasset Code Enforcement Officer Rick Lang Monday morning. We asked who put the sign there and why was fill needed in the Shoreland Zoning area.

“I can’t answer those questions right now, but I will find out,” Lang said. Within an hour he called back with the information that had been requested.

The sign had been put there by property owner James Hammond for the purpose of getting fill to level ground that would have allowed him to mow the grass. According to Lang, Hammond was unaware that he would need a Permit-by-Rule from the Department of Environmental Protection to put fill in the area he was requesting, and the sign was taken down immediately.

Permit-by-Rule regulations apply to certain activities covered under the Natural Resources Protection Act and in the Shoreland zoning area. The regulations identify activities taking place in or adjacent to wetlands and water bodies that should not significantly affect the environment if carried out according to the standards contained in the regulations. A person proposing to do work that qualifies for Permit-by-Rule is required to file notice with the Department of Environmental Protection.

Permit-by-Rule is intended to save applicants the time and expense of filing a permit application with DEP, while at the same time protecting the environment and providing direction in the form of standards as to how an activity must be carried out.