SENATE BILL No. 251

 

 

March 4, 2003, Introduced by Senators BASHAM, JACOBS, GOSCHKA, CHERRY, OLSHOVE, CLARK-COLEMAN, SCHAUER, BERNERO, BRATER, SCOTT and CLARKE and referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs.

 

 

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1994 PA 451, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "Natural resources and environmental protection act,"                       

                                                                                

    by amending sections 3111 and 3113 (MCL 324.3111 and 324.3113).             

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 3111.  (1) A person doing business within this state                   

                                                                                

2   who discharges to the waters of the state or to any sewer system            

                                                                                

3   wastewater that contains wastes  in addition to   other than                

                                                                                

4   sanitary sewage shall file an annual report on a form provided by           

                                                                                

5   the department.  The report described in this section shall set             

                                                                                

6   forth the nature of the enterprise, indicating the quantities of            

                                                                                

7   materials used in and incidental to its manufacturing processes             

                                                                                

8   and including by-products and waste products that appear on a               

                                                                                

9   register of critical materials compiled by the department and the           

                                                                                

10  estimated annual total number of gallons of wastewater,                     

                                                                                

11  including, but not limited to, process and cooling water to be              

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   discharged to the waters of the state or to any sewer system.               

                                                                                

2       (2) The information collected under subsection (1) shall be                 

                                                                                

3   used by the department only for purposes of water pollution                 

                                                                                

4   control.  The department shall provide proper and adequate                  

                                                                                

5   facilities and procedures to safeguard the confidentiality of               

                                                                                

6   manufacturing proprietary processes, except that confidentiality            

                                                                                

7   shall not extend to waste products discharged to the waters of              

                                                                                

8   the state.                                                                  

                                                                                

9       (3) The department shall compile the information collected                  

                                                                                

10  under subsection (1) and shall make that compilation available on           

                                                                                

11  the department's website.                                                   

                                                                                

12      (4) Operations of a business or industry that violate this                  

                                                                                

13  section may be enjoined by an action commenced by the attorney              

                                                                                

14  general in a court of competent jurisdiction.                               

                                                                                

15      (5) The department shall promulgate rules as it considers                   

                                                                                

16  necessary to  effectuate the administration of  implement this              

                                                                                

17  section, including,  where  if necessary to meet special                    

                                                                                

18  circumstances, reporting more frequently than annually.                     

                                                                                

19      Sec. 3113.  (1) A person who seeks a new or increased use of                

                                                                                

20  the waters of the state for sewage or other waste disposal                  

                                                                                

21  purposes shall file with the department  an  a permit application           

                                                                                

22  setting forth the information required by the department,                   

                                                                                

23  including the nature of the enterprise or development                       

                                                                                

24  contemplated, the amount of water required to be used, its                  

                                                                                

25  source, the proposed point of discharge of the wastes into the              

                                                                                

26  waters of the state, the estimated amount to be discharged, and a           

                                                                                

27  statement setting forth the expected bacterial, physical,                   


                                                                                

1   chemical, and other known characteristics of the wastes.                    

                                                                                

2       (2) Within 180 days after receipt of a complete application                 

                                                                                

3   under subsection (1), the department shall either grant or deny a           

                                                                                

4   permit, unless the applicant and the department agree to extend             

                                                                                

5   this time period.                                                           

                                                                                

6       (3) The department shall not issue a permit under this                      

                                                                                

7   section unless the applicant has demonstrated to the satisfaction           

                                                                                

8   of the department that all reasonable steps have been taken to              

                                                                                

9   prevent the presence of contaminants in the discharge.                      

                                                                                

10      (4) If a permit is granted, the department shall condition                  

                                                                                

11  the permit upon such restrictions that the department considers             

                                                                                

12  necessary to adequately guard against unlawful uses of the waters           

                                                                                

13  of the state as are set forth in section 3109 and the payment of            

                                                                                

14  the annual wastewater discharge environmental fee under                     

                                                                                

15  section 3113b.                                                              

                                                                                

16      (5)  (3)  If the permit or denial of a new or increased use                 

                                                                                

17  is not acceptable to the permittee, the applicant, or any other             

                                                                                

18  person, the permittee, the applicant, or other person may file a            

                                                                                

19  sworn petition with the department setting forth the grounds and            

                                                                                

20  reasons for the complaint and asking for a contested case hearing           

                                                                                

21  on the matter pursuant to the administrative procedures act of              

                                                                                

22  1969,  Act No. 306 of the Public Acts of 1969, being sections               

                                                                                

23  24.201 to 24.328 of the Michigan Compiled Laws  1969 PA 306,                

                                                                                

24  MCL 24.201 to 24.328.  A petition filed more than 60 days after             

                                                                                

25  action on the permit application may be rejected by the                     

                                                                                

26  commission  department as being untimely.                                  

                                                                                

27      Enacting section 1.  This amendatory act does not take                      


                                                                                

1   effect unless all of the following bills of the 92nd Legislature            

                                                                                

2   are enacted into law:                                                       

                                                                                

3       (a) Senate Bill No. 252.                                                    

                                                                                

4                                                                               

                                                                                

5       (b) Senate Bill No. 253.                                                    

                                                                                

6                                                                               

                                                                                

7       (c) Senate Bill No. 250.                                                    

                                                                                

8