TITLE 80. AGRICULTURE

CHAPTER 15. MONTANA AGRICULTURAL CHEMICAL GROUND WATER PROTECTION ACT

Part 2. Control

Evaluation And Use Of Monitoring Results

80-15-203. Evaluation and use of monitoring results. (1) When providing preliminary monitoring results or confirmed monitoring results to ground water users or the public, the department and the department of environmental quality shall also provide any applicable standard or interim numerical standard.

(2) When monitoring results reveal the presence of an agricultural chemical in ground water:

(a) the department of environmental quality is the lead department for determining health risks; and

(b) the department is the lead department for determining compliance with agricultural chemical ground water management plans authorized by 80-15-211 through 80-15-218 and with agricultural chemical registration, use, and labeling requirements and conditions pursuant to Title 80, chapters 8 and 10.

(3) The department and the department of environmental quality shall cooperatively evaluate the results of monitoring programs authorized by 80-15-202.

(4) Based on the results of monitoring, the department and the department of environmental quality shall implement appropriate actions specified in this chapter to mitigate any existing impacts of an agricultural chemical found in ground water and to prevent future impacts of an agricultural chemical that may be found in ground water, in relation to human health, agriculture, and the environment.

(5) The department may not undertake compliance and enforcement actions authorized by this chapter and the department of environmental quality may not undertake compliance and enforcement actions authorized by Title 75, chapter 5, unless there is sufficient evidence collected through:

(a) monitoring at a point of standards application that reveals that a person using an agricultural chemical or introducing or discharging the chemical into ground water has violated a provision of 80-15-402 or Title 75, chapter 5;

(b) other investigations that reveal that a person using an agricultural chemical or introducing or discharging the chemical into ground water has violated a provision of 80-15-402 or Title 75, chapter 5; or

(c) monitoring that reveals a significant probability for an agricultural chemical to enter ground water.

History: En. Sec. 11, Ch. 668, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 338, Ch. 418, L. 1995.