House File 2685 - Introduced



                                       HOUSE FILE       
                                       BY  COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS

                                       (SUCCESSOR TO HF 2518)
                                       (SUCCESSOR TO HSB 647)


    Passed House,  Date               Passed Senate, Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to rules for the discharge of wastewater from
  2    water well drilling sites and providing for a fee.
  3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  4 TLSB 6093HZ 82
  5 tw/nh/5

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  455B.198  WASTEWATER DISCHARGE
  1  2 FROM WELL DRILLING SITES == RULES.
  1  3    1.  The commission shall adopt rules to regulate the
  1  4 discharge of wastewater from water well drilling sites.  The
  1  5 rules shall incorporate the following considerations:
  1  6    a.  The size of the well as measured by the flow of water
  1  7 in gallons per minute.
  1  8    b.  The best management practices to address wastewater
  1  9 discharge.
  1 10    c.  Requirements for notification to the department prior
  1 11 to the commencement of drilling operations.
  1 12    d.  Requirements for retention of records for a well.
  1 13    e.  Reasonable and appropriate limitations on wastewater
  1 14 discharge that take into consideration the need for the well
  1 15 and the need to protect the environment.
  1 16    2.  The commission shall have the authority in the rules to
  1 17 provide for the issuance of a general permit and to establish
  1 18 a fee sufficient to recover the costs of issuing a general
  1 19 permit, which shall not exceed fifty dollars.  The fees shall
  1 20 be remitted to the department and shall be used by the
  1 21 department to administer the permitting requirements of this
  1 22 section.
  1 23    3.  The commission shall convene an advisory committee that
  1 24 includes representatives of the Iowa water well association to
  1 25 assist in the development of the rules.
  1 26    4.  The rules shall be adopted no later than July 31, 2009.
  1 27                           EXPLANATION
  1 28    This bill relates to water well drilling.
  1 29    The bill directs the environmental protection commission to
  1 30 develop rules for water well drilling and requires the rules
  1 31 to incorporate the following considerations:  the size of the
  1 32 well as measured by the flow of water in gallons per minute,
  1 33 best management practices to address wastewater discharge,
  1 34 requirements for notification to the department prior to the
  1 35 commencement of drilling operations, requirements for
  2  1 retention of records for a well, and reasonable and
  2  2 appropriate limitations on wastewater discharge that consider
  2  3 the need for the well and the need to protect the environment.
  2  4    The bill directs the commission to impose a fee sufficient
  2  5 to cover the cost of issuing permits provided the fee is less
  2  6 than $50.
  2  7    The bill directs the commission to convene an advisory
  2  8 committee of representatives from the Iowa water well
  2  9 association to assist in the development of the rules.
  2 10    The bill provides that the rules be adopted no later than
  2 11 July 31, 2009.
  2 12 LSB 6093HZ 82
  2 13 tw/nh/5