New Maine Law Will Turn The Lights Down Across The State

One of the true joys of living in Maine is looking up at the night sky at a seemingly endless amount of stars.

Not every state gets to enjoy that kind of view as light pollution continues to be a growing problem across the country.

Legislators in Maine decided to try and get in front of that growing problem by introducing a bill last year that would attempt to mitigate light pollution statewide.

And it's about to become a law.

Outdoor Lighting Across Maine Will Be Dimmed Thanks To A New Law

According to Maine Public, this summer may look a lot different across many towns and cities in the state.

A new law will that will require publicly-funded lighting to be dimmed at night is set to take effect.

That will include a variety of different structures statewide, from town halls to schools to streetlights and beyond.

The law will also require towns and cities to use a specific standard when replacing bulbs in the future.

Maine Lawmakers Hope People and Businesses Will Join In On Dimming

The reasoning behind the new light pollution law is two-fold.

Preserving the gorgeous night sky for all to enjoy is one part of it.

The other part is wildlife. Artificial light can throw off some wildlife and their schedule, leading to more unintended interactions with humans.

The hope for lawmakers is that businesses and individuals will join in and start decreasing their light usage at night or place lights on timers.

There are a handful of exemptions to the new law including emergency lights, lights for highways as well as outdoor sports stadiums.