HOUSE BILL NO. 125
INTRODUCED BY C. YOUNKIN
AN ACT CLARIFYING THAT THE GOAL OF TEMPORARY WATER QUALITY STANDARDS IS TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY TO THE POINT AT WHICH ALL THE BENEFICIAL USES DESIGNATED FOR THAT WATER BODY OR SEGMENT ARE SUPPORTED; REQUIRING THAT A SUPPORT DOCUMENT AND PRELIMINARY IMPLEMENTATION PLAN BE SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY PRIOR TO REQUESTING TEMPORARY WATER QUALITY STANDARDS; REVISING THE INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SUPPORT DOCUMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN; REQUIRING THE SUBMISSION OF ANNUAL WORK PLANS THAT MUST BE APPROVED BY THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT; REQUIRING THE BOARD OF ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW TO REVIEW THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AT LEAST EVERY 3 YEARS AT A PUBLIC HEARING; AUTHORIZING THE DEPARTMENT TO MODIFY IMPLEMENTATION PLANS; AND AMENDING SECTION 75-5-312, MCA.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
Section 1. Section 75-5-312, MCA, is amended to read:
"75-5-312. Temporary water quality standards. (1) The board may on its own, upon recommendation of the
department, or upon a petition for rulemaking, as provided in 2-4-315, by a person, including a permit applicant or
permittee, temporarily modify a water quality standard for a specific water body or segment on a parameter-by-parameter
basis in those instances in which substantive information indicates that the water body or segment is not supporting its
designated uses. When the board adopts temporary standards, the goal is to improve water quality to the point at which all
the beneficial uses designated for that water body or segment an additional beneficial use or uses are supported.
(2) As a condition for establishing temporary water quality standards for a particular water body or segment, the
department or the petitioner, as applicable, shall prepare a support document and a preliminary implementation plan for use
by the board in determining whether to adopt a the proposed temporary water quality standard standards. A person shall
submit a support document and a preliminary implementation plan to the department for its review at least 60 days prior to
filing a petition with the board requesting the adoption of temporary water quality standards.
(3) If a person petitions for rulemaking under this section, the petition must specifically describe the affected state
water, the existing ambient water quality for the parameter or parameters at issue, the water quality standard or standards
affected, and the temporary modifications sought. Within 180 days after the board grants a petition to initiate rulemaking,
the petitioner shall prepare and submit to the board and the department a proposed support document and implementation
plan that sets forth: The support document prepared by the department or the petitioner, as applicable, must describe:
(a) the chemical, biological, and physical condition of the water body or segment;
(a)(b) the specific water quality limiting factors affecting the water body or segment;
(b)(c) the existing water quality standards that are not being achieved beneficial use or uses and the beneficial use or
uses considered attainable in the absence of the water quality limiting factors;
(d) the temporary modifications to the existing water quality standards being requested;
(e) existing beneficial uses; and
(f) the designated uses considered attainable in the absence of the water quality limiting factors.
(c) an implementation plan to eliminate the water quality limiting factors to the extent considered achievable; and
(d) a schedule for implementing the plan that ensures that the water quality standards for the parameter or parameters at
issue are met as soon as reasonably practicable and in no event later than the time allowed by the board in the temporary
standard.
(4) The preliminary implementation plan prepared by the department or the petitioner, as applicable, must contain:
(a) a description of the proposed actions that will eliminate the water quality limiting factors identified in subsection (3)(b) to the extent considered achievable; and
(b) a schedule for implementing the proposed actions that ensures that the existing water quality standards for the parameter or parameters at issue are met as soon as reasonably practicable.
(5) Within 30 days after the board's adoption of temporary water quality standards, the department or the petitioner, as applicable, shall:
(a) modify the preliminary implementation plan and schedule to reflect the requirements and timeframe adopted by the board for the temporary standards; and
(b) develop a detailed work plan describing the implementation activities that will be conducted during the first field season of the temporary standards. The work plan must be approved by the director of the department.
(6) By March 1 of each year that the temporary water quality standards are in effect, the department or the petitioner, as applicable, shall submit a detailed work plan describing the implementation activities that will be conducted during that season. The annual work plans must be approved by the director of the department. The department shall maintain copies of the implementation plan, schedule, and annual work plans and any modifications to those plans and schedule.
(4)(7) Upon the board's adoption of a temporary water quality standard, the department shall ensure that reasonable
conditions and limitations designed to achieve compliance with the implementation plan are established in appropriate
discharge permits.
(5)(8) (a) A temporary modification of a water quality standard may not result in adverse impacts to existing beneficial
uses or be established for a total period longer than 20 years.
(b) During the period of the temporary modification, the board may not allow a discharge that will cause overall water quality to become worse than the overall quality of the water body or segment prior to the discharge.
(6)(9) If a state water is designated as having temporary standards, the department shall report to the board at least every
3 years or upon request of the board regarding whether adequate efforts have been made to implement the plans submitted
as the basis for the temporary standard standards.
(7)(10) The board shall review the temporary standards and implementation plan at least every 3 years at a public
hearing for which notice and an opportunity for comment have been provided. During this review, the board shall consider
the progress made in restoring water quality to a level that achieves the goal of the temporary water quality standards. The
board may terminate or modify the temporary standard standards based on information submitted at the time of its review
that the applicant is not complying with the approved implementation plan.
(8)(11) The board shall terminate a temporary standard for a parameter if:
(a) values for the modified parameter or parameters improve to conditions that support all designated uses for that classification;
(b) the state water for which the temporary standard is adopted is reclassified as provided for in 75-5-302; or
(c) the plan submitted in support of the temporary water quality standard is not being implemented according to the plan's schedule or modifications to that plan or schedule made by the board or department.
(9)(12) The board or the department may modify the implementation plan if the permittee submits there is convincing
evidence to the board that the plan needs modification. The board may not extend the plan beyond a total period of 20
years.
(10)(13) If a temporary standard for a parameter in a particular state water is terminated because the plan submitted in
support of the temporary water quality standard is not being implemented according to the plan's schedule or modifications
to that schedule made by the board or department, a person may request a new temporary standard by submitting both a
petition for rulemaking and a an implementation plan that meet the requirements of subsection subsections (2) and (3) (4).
However, the board may not adopt another temporary standard for the parameter in the state water that would cumulatively
be in effect for a total period longer than 20 years for the parameter in the state water."
- END -
Latest Version of HB 125 (HB0125.ENR)
Processed for the Web on April 11, 2001 (4:22PM)
New language in a bill appears underlined, deleted material appears stricken.
Sponsor names are handwritten on introduced bills, hence do not appear on the bill until it is reprinted. See the status of this bill for the bill's primary sponsor.
Status of this Bill | 2001 Legislature | Leg. Branch Home
All versions of this bill (PDF Format)
Authorized print version w/line numbers (PDF format)
(406)444-3064