2000 Legislation
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SENATE BILL NO. 1338 – Waste impoundmt structures/regulate

SENATE BILL NO. 1338

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S1338..........................................by RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT
WASTE IMPOUNDMENT STRUCTURES - Amends existing law to provide that the
Department of Water Resources may enter into agreements with other state
agencies to avoid duplicate regulation of impoundment structures; and to
provide that structures less than twenty feet in height which are designed
primarily for retention and treatment of municipal, livestock or domestic
wastes, or sediment and wastes from produce washing or food processing
plants, as determined by the director of the Department of Water Resources,
and which are under the jurisdiction of the Division of Environmental
Quality of the Department of Health and Welfare or the Department of
Agriculture, shall not be defined as dams.
                                                                        
02/01    Senate intro - 1st rdg - to printing
02/02    Rpt prt - to Res/Env
03/02    Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
03/03    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
03/09    3rd rdg - PASSED - 31-0-4
      AYES--Andreason, Boatright, Bunderson, Burtenshaw, Cameron,
      Danielson, Darrington, Davis, Deide, Dunklin, Frasure, Geddes,
      Hawkins, Ingram, Ipsen, Keough, Lee, Noh, Parry, Richardson, Riggs,
      Risch, Sandy, Schroeder, Sorensen, Stegner, Stennett, Walton/Branch,
      Wheeler, Whitworth, Williams
      NAYS--None
      Absent and excused--Crow, King-Barrutia, McLaughlin, Thorne
    Floor Sponsor - Lee
    Title apvd - to House
03/10    House intro - 1st rdg - to Res/Con
03/14    Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
03/15    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
03/23    3rd rdg - PASSED - 62-0-8
      AYES -- Barraclough, Barrett, Bell, Bieter, Boe, Bruneel, Callister,
      Campbell, Chase, Cheirrett, Clark, Crow, Ellsworth, Field(13),
      Field(20), Gagner, Geddes, Hadley, Hammond, Hansen(23), Hansen(29),
      Henbest, Hornbeck, Jaquet, Jones, Judd, Kellogg, Kempton, Kendell,
      Kunz, Lake, Linford, Loertscher, Mader, Marley, McKague, Meyer,
      Montgomery, Mortensen, Moss, Moyle, Pearce, Pischner, Pomeroy,
      Reynolds, Ridinger, Ringo, Robison, Sali, Schaefer, Sellman,
      Shepherd, Smith, Smylie, Stevenson, Stoicheff, Stone, Taylor, Tilman,
      Trail, Wheeler, Zimmermann
      NAYS -- None
      Absent and excused -- Alltus, Black, Cuddy, Deal, Denney, Gould,
      Wood, Mr Speaker
    Floor Sponsor - Robison
    Title apvd - to Senate
03/24    To enrol
03/27    Rpt enrol - Pres signed - Sp signed
03/28    To Governor
03/29    Governor signed
         Session Law Chapter 78
         Effective: 07/01/00

Bill Text


 S1338
                                                                        
                                                                        
  ||||              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ||||
 Fifty-fifth Legislature                  Second Regular Session - 2000
                                                                        
                                                                        
                                       IN THE SENATE
                                                                        
                                    SENATE BILL NO. 1338
                                                                        
                           BY RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
                                                                        
  1                                        AN ACT
  2    RELATING TO WASTE TREATMENT IMPOUNDMENT STRUCTURES; AMENDING SECTION  42-1710,
  3        IDAHO  CODE,  TO  PROVIDE THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES MAY ENTER
  4        INTO AGREEMENTS WITH OTHER STATE AGENCIES TO AVOID DUPLICATE REGULATION OF
  5        IMPOUNDMENT STRUCTURES; AMENDING SECTION 42-1711, IDAHO CODE,  TO  PROVIDE
  6        THAT  STRUCTURES LESS THAN TWENTY FEET IN HEIGHT UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF
  7        THE DIVISION OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND WEL-
  8        FARE OR THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, WHICH ARE  DESIGNED  PRIMARILY  FOR
  9        RETENTION  AND  TREATMENT  OF  MUNICIPAL, LIVESTOCK OR DOMESTIC WASTES, OR
 10        SEDIMENT AND WASTES FROM PRODUCE WASHING OR  FOOD  PROCESSING  PLANTS,  AS
 11        DETERMINED  BY THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES SHALL NOT
 12        BE DEFINED AS DAMS AND TO MAKE A TECHNICAL CORRECTION;  AND  PROVIDING  AN
 13        EFFECTIVE DATE.
                                                                        
 14    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
                                                                        
 15        SECTION  1.  That  Section 42-1710, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby
 16    amended to read as follows:
                                                                        
 17        42-1710.  INTENT OF LEGISLATURE -- CONSTRUCTION, MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION
 18    OF DAMS AND MINE TAILINGS IMPOUNDMENT STRUCTURES. It is the intent of the leg-
 19    islature by this act to provide for the regulation  of  construction,  mainte-
 20    nance  and  operation  of  all  dams, reservoirs and mine tailings impoundment
 21    structures exclusively by the state to the extent required for the  protection
 22    of  public  safety.  All dams, reservoirs and mine tailings impoundment struc-
 23    tures in  the  state  are  under  jurisdiction  of  the  department  of  water
 24    resources.  The  department  of water resources, under the police power of the
 25    state, shall supervise  the  construction,  enlargement,  alteration,  repair,
 26    maintenance,  operation  and  removal  of  dams,  reservoirs and mine tailings
 27    impoundment structures for the protection of life and property. The department
 28    of water resources may enter into agreements with other state agencies  having
 29    jurisdiction over water storage structures to limit duplication of inspection,
 30    review and regulation of such structures.
                                                                        
 31        SECTION  2.  That  Section 42-1711, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby
 32    amended to read as follows:
                                                                        
 33        42-1711.  DEFINITIONS. Unless the context otherwise requires, the  follow-
 34    ing definitions govern the construction of this act.
 35        (a)  "Department" means the department of water resources.
 36        (b)  "Dam"  means any artificial barrier, together with appurtenant works,
 37    constructed for the purpose of storing water or that stores  water,  which  is
 38    ten  (10)  feet or more in height from the natural bed of the stream or water-
 39    course at the downstream toe of the barrier, as determined by the  department,
 40    or from the lowest elevation of the outside limit of the barrier, if it is not
 41    across  a  stream  channel or watercourse, to the maximum water storage eleva-
                                                                        
                                          2
                                                                        
  1    tion, or has or will have an impounding capacity at maximum storage  elevation
  2    of  fifty  (50) acre feet or more. The following are not included as regulated
  3    dams or are not considered dams for the purposes of sections  42-1710  through
  4    42-1721, Idaho Code:
  5        (1)  Barriers constructed in low risk areas as determined by the director,
  6        which are six (6) feet or less in height, regardless of storage capacity.
  7        (2)  Barriers constructed in low risk areas as determined by the director,
  8        which  impound  ten (10) acre-feet or less at maximum water storage eleva-
  9        tion, regardless of height.
 10        (3)  Barriers in a canal used to raise or lower water  therein  or  divert
 11        water therefrom.
 12        (4)  Fills or structures determined by the director to be designed primar-
 13        ily for highway or railroad traffic.
 14        (5)  Fills,  retaining  dikes  or structures less than twenty (20) feet in
 15        height, which are under jurisdiction  of  the  division  of  environmental
 16        quality,  department  of health and welfare, or the department of agricul-
 17        ture, determined by the director of the department of water  resources  to
 18        be  designed  primarily for retention and or treatment of municipal, live-
 19        stock, or domestic wastes, or sediment and wastes from produce washing  or
 20        food processing plants.
 21        (6)  Levees that store water regardless of storage capacity.
 22        (c)  "Levee"  means  a  retaining structure alongside a natural lake which
 23    has a length that is two hundred (200) times or more greater than its greatest
 24    height measured from the lowest elevation of the toe to the maximum crest ele-
 25    vation of the retaining structure.
 26        (d)  "Reservoir" means any basin which contains or will contain the  water
 27    impounded by a dam.
 28        (e)  "Owner"  includes  any  of  the  following who own, control, operate,
 29    maintain, manage, or propose to construct a dam, reservoir  or  mine  tailings
 30    impoundment structure:
 31        (1)  The  state  of  Idaho and its departments, agencies, institutions and
 32        political subdivisions;
 33        (2)  The United States of America and any  of  its  departments,  bureaus,
 34        agencies  and  institutions;  provided  that  the United States of America
 35        shall not be required to pay any of the fees required by section  42-1713,
 36        Idaho  Code,  and  shall  submit  plans,  drawings  and  specifications as
 37        required by section 42-1712, Idaho Code, for information purposes only;
 38        (3)  Every municipal or quasi-municipal corporation;
 39        (4)  Every public utility;
 40        (5)  Every person, firm, association, organization, partnership,  business
 41        trust, corporation or company;
 42        (6)  The  duly authorized agents, lessees, or trustees of any of the fore-
 43        going; or
 44        (7)  Receivers or trustees appointed by any court for any of  the  forego-
 45        ing.
 46        (f)  "Alterations,"  "repairs,"  or either of them, mean only such altera-
 47    tions or repairs as may directly affect the safety of the  dam,  reservoir  or
 48    mine tailings impoundment structure, as determined by the department.
 49        (g)  "Enlargement"  means  any  change  in or addition to an existing dam,
 50    reservoir or mine tailings impoundment structure, which raises  or  may  raise
 51    the water storage elevation of the water impounded by the dam or mine tailings
 52    slurry impounded by the mine tailings impoundment structure.
 53        (h)  "Water  storage  elevation" means the maximum elevation of water sur-
 54    face which can be obtained by the dam or reservoir.
 55        (i)  "Storage capacity" means the total storage  at  the  maximum  storage
                                                                        
                                          3
                                                                        
  1    elevation.
  2        (j)  "Days"  used  in establishing deadlines means calendar days including
  3    Sundays and holidays.
  4        (k)  "Certificate of approval" means a certificate issued by the  director
  5    for  all  dams  or  mine  tailings impoundment structures listing restrictions
  6    imposed by the director, and without which no new dams  shall  be  allowed  to
  7    impound  water  or  mine  tailings  impoundment structures shall be allowed to
  8    impound mine tailings slurry.
  9        (l)  "Mine tailings impoundment structure" means any artificial embankment
 10    which is or will be more than thirty (30) feet in  height  measured  from  the
 11    lowest elevation of the toe to the maximum crest elevation constructed for the
 12    purpose of storing mine tailings slurry.
 13        (m)  "Lift   construction"   means  mine  tailings  impoundment  structure
 14    enlargement by raising the elevation of the structure on a continuous  or  re-
 15    curring  basis.  Such practice will be considered under construction until the
 16    structure reaches its final crest elevation.
 17        (n)  "Mine tailings impoundment elevation" means the maximum elevation  of
 18    stored mine tailings which can be obtained by the impounding structure.
 19        (o)  "Mine  tailings  slurry" means all slurry wastes from a mineral proc-
 20    essing or mining operation.
 21        (p)  "Mine tailings storage capacity" means the total  storage  volume  of
 22    the  impounding area when filled with tailings to the maximum designed storage
 23    elevation.
                                                                        
 24        SECTION 3.  This act shall be in full force and effect on and  after  July
 25    1, 2000.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact


                      STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
                           RS09388C1 

The purpose of this amendment is to make all water storage 
structures greater than twenty (20)feet in height subject to 
the safety of dam requirements of the Department of Water 
Resources. This change would remove the exemption from the 
dam safety requirements for some larger waste impoundment 
structures. IDWR would be authorized to enter into memorandums 
of agreement with other state agencies, having jurisdiction 
over such structures, to avoid duplicative inspections, design 
reviews and other regulatory activities.

                          FISCAL IMPACT

This change will add several dams to the Department of Water 
Resource's inventory of dams, but no additional funds for 
personnel cost or operation cost is requested.  A memorandum 
of agreement will be adopted between the Department of Water 
Resources, the Department of Agriculture and the Division of 
Environmental Quality to eliminate duplication of effort 
and processing. 

CONTACT
Name: Karl Dreher/Norm Young
Agency: Department of Water Resources
Phone: 327-7910

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE                  S 1338