SENATE BILL No. 254

 

 

March 4, 2003, Introduced by Senators SCHAUER, BRATER, CHERRY, EMERSON and BERNERO 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 section 3112 (MCL 324.3112) and by adding section               

                                                                                

    3113b.                                                                      

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 3112.  (1) A person shall not discharge any waste or                   

                                                                                

2   waste effluent into the waters of this state unless the person is           

                                                                                

3   in possession of a valid permit from the department.   Compliance           

                                                                                

4   with the terms of an outstanding order of determination or final            

                                                                                

5   order of determination or stipulation with the former water                 

                                                                                

6   resources commission that is in effect on April 15, 1973, shall             

                                                                                

7   be considered to meet the requirements of this section until the            

                                                                                

8   department issues its permit.                                               

                                                                                

9       (2) The department shall condition the continued validity of                

                                                                                

10  a permit upon  the  both of the following:                                  

                                                                                


                                                                                

1       (a) The permittee's meeting the effluent requirements that                  

                                                                                

2   the department considers necessary to prevent unlawful pollution            

                                                                                

3   by the dates that the department considers to be reasonable and             

                                                                                

4   necessary and to assure compliance with applicable federal law              

                                                                                

5   and regulations.                                                            

                                                                                

6       (b) Payment of the annual wastewater discharge environmental                

                                                                                

7   fee provided for in section 3113b.                                          

                                                                                

8       (3) If the department finds that the terms of a permit have                 

                                                                                

9   been, are being, or may be violated, it may modify, suspend, or             

                                                                                

10  revoke the permit or grant the permittee a reasonable period of             

                                                                                

11  time in which to comply with the permit.  The department may                

                                                                                

12  reissue a revoked permit upon a showing satisfactory to the                 

                                                                                

13  department that the permittee has corrected the violation.  A               

                                                                                

14  person who has had a permit revoked may apply for a new permit.             

                                                                                

15      (4)  (2)  If the department determines that a person is                     

                                                                                

16  causing or is about to cause unlawful pollution of the waters of            

                                                                                

17  this state, the department may notify the alleged offender of its           

                                                                                

18  determination and enter an order requiring the person to abate              

                                                                                

19  the pollution or refer the matter to the attorney general for               

                                                                                

20  legal action, or both.                                                      

                                                                                

21      (5)  (3)  A person who is aggrieved by an order of abatement                

                                                                                

22  of the department or by the reissuance, modification, suspension,           

                                                                                

23  or revocation of an existing permit of the department executed              

                                                                                

24  pursuant to this section may file a sworn petition with the                 

                                                                                

25  commission setting forth the grounds and reasons for the                    

                                                                                

26  complaint and asking for a contested case hearing on the matter             

                                                                                

27  pursuant to the administrative procedures act of 1969,  Act                 


                                                                                

1   No. 306 of the Public Acts of 1969, being sections 24.201 to                

                                                                                

2   24.328 of the Michigan Compiled Laws  1969 PA 306, MCL 24.201 to            

                                                                                

3   24.328.  A petition filed more than 60 days after action on the             

                                                                                

4   order or permit may be rejected by the commission as being                  

                                                                                

5   untimely.                                                                   

                                                                                

6       Sec. 3113b.  (1) There is established an annual wastewater                  

                                                                                

7   discharge environmental fee.  The fee shall be paid by each                 

                                                                                

8   person required to obtain a permit under section 3113.  The fee             

                                                                                

9   shall consist of an administrative fee of $100.00 plus an                   

                                                                                

10  additional fee established by the department under this section.            

                                                                                

11      (2) The department shall establish, by rule, a fee schedule                 

                                                                                

12  to calculate the annual wastewater discharge environmental fee              

                                                                                

13  under subsection (1).  The fee schedule shall be established                

                                                                                

14  based on the pollutants included in the permit under section                

                                                                                

15  3113, the environmental or public health harm caused by the                 

                                                                                

16  pollutants discharged, the concentration or quantity, or both, of           

                                                                                

17  the pollutants discharged, and the quality of the receiving                 

                                                                                

18  waters.                                                                     

                                                                                

19      (3) In establishing the fee schedule under subsection (2),                  

                                                                                

20  the department shall distinguish among substances discharged                

                                                                                

21  directly to surface waters, those discharged into land disposal             

                                                                                

22  systems, and those discharged into groundwater, based on their              

                                                                                

23  relative impacts on the quality of groundwaters and surface                 

                                                                                

24  waters.                                                                     

                                                                                

25      (4) In determining the amount of the annual wastewater                      

                                                                                

26  discharge environmental fee that is assessed to a person under              

                                                                                

27  this section, the department shall do all of the following:                 


                                                                                

1       (a) Use a 5-year rolling average of discharges by that                      

                                                                                

2   person.                                                                     

                                                                                

3       (b) Use a performance-based approach that increases a                       

                                                                                

4   person's fees in proportion to increases in the number of units             

                                                                                

5   of pollutants discharged by the person as determined under                  

                                                                                

6   subdivision (a) and decreases a person's fees in proportion to              

                                                                                

7   decreases in the number of units of pollutants discharged by the            

                                                                                

8   person as determined under subdivision (a).                                 

                                                                                

9       (c) Not use any multiplier or similar mechanism that would                  

                                                                                

10  increase a person's fees in order to compensate for decreases in            

                                                                                

11  overall amounts of discharges.                                              

                                                                                

12      (d) Not use any provision that would increase the fee per                   

                                                                                

13  unit of pollutant discharged in order to compensate for decreases           

                                                                                

14  in overall amounts of discharges.