SB-0289, As Passed House, July 16, 2003

HOUSE SUBSTITUTE FOR

SENATE BILL NO. 289

                                                                             A bill to amend 1994 PA 451, entitled                                             

"Natural resources and environmental protection act,"                       

by amending sections 32701, 32705, 32707, 32708, and 32714 (MCL             

324.32701, 324.32705, 324.32707, 324.32708, and 324.32714),                 

sections 32701, 32707, and 32708 as amended and section 32714 as            

added by 1996 PA 434 and section 32705 as added by 1995 PA 59,              

and by adding part 328.                                                     

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

1       Sec. 32701.  As used in this part:                                          

2       (a) "Agricultural purpose" means the agricultural production                

3   of  forestry, livestock, food, feed, or fiber those plants and             

4   animals useful to human beings produced by agriculture and                  

5   includes, but is not limited to, forages and sod crops, grains              

6   and feed crops, field crops, dairy and dairy products, poultry              

7   and poultry products, cervidae, livestock, including breeding and           

1   grazing, equine, fish and other aquacultural products, bees and             

2   bee products, berries, herbs, fruits, vegetables, flowers, seeds,           

3   grasses, nursery stock, trees and tree products, mushrooms, and             

4   other similar products, or any other product, as determined by              

5   the commission of agriculture, that incorporates the use of food,           

6   feed, fiber, or fur.                                                        

7       (b) "Consumptive use" means that portion of water withdrawn                 

8   or withheld from the Great Lakes basin and assumed to be lost or            

9   otherwise not returned to the Great Lakes basin due to                      

10  evaporation, incorporation into products, or other processes.               

11      (c) "Department" means the department of environmental                      

12  quality.                                                                    

13  (d) "Farm" means that term as it is defined in section 2 of                 

14  the Michigan right to farm act, 1981 PA 93, MCL 286.472.

15  (e)  (d)  "Great Lakes basin" means the watershed of the                    

16  Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence river.                                     

17  (f)  (e)  "Great Lakes charter" means the document                          

18  establishing the principles for the cooperative management of the           

19  Great Lakes water resources, signed by the governors and premiers           

20  of the Great Lakes region on February 11, 1985.                             

21  (g)  (f)  "Great Lakes region" means the geographic region                  

22  composed of the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota,           

23  New York, Ohio, and Wisconsin, the commonwealth of Pennsylvania,            

24  and the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, Canada.                            

25  (h)  (g)  "Industrial or processing facility" means an                      

26  operating plant or other entity, including a thermoelectric power           

27  generation plant, carrying on a common manufacturing activity,              

1   trade, or business on a common site, including similar plants or            

2   entities under common ownership or control located on contiguous            

3   properties.  Plants or entities under common ownership or control           

4   located on separate sites shall be considered separate                      

5   facilities.  Industrial or processing facility does not include             

6   an irrigation facility or a farm.                                           

7   (i)  (h)  "Irrigation facility" means all wells, pumps,                     

8   intakes, gates, tanks, pipes, or other equipment under common               

9   ownership or control and located either on the same site or on              

10  separate sites, which are used to withdraw, convey, or distribute           

11  water for the purposes of irrigating golf courses, parks,                   

12  recreational areas, or other grounds.  , but not including                  

13  irrigation for an agricultural purpose. Irrigation facility does           

14  not include a farm.

15  (j)  (i)  "Public water supply system" means a water system                 

16  that provides water for human consumption or other purposes to              

17  persons other than the supplier of water.                                   

18  (k)  (j)  "Registrant" means any industrial or processing                   

19  facility or irrigation facility registered under this part.                 

20  (l)  (k)  "Water of the Great Lakes basin" means the Great                           

21  Lakes and all streams, rivers, lakes, connecting channels, and              

22  other bodies of water, including groundwater, within the Great              

23  Lakes basin.                                                                

24  (m)  (l)  "Withdrawal" means the removal of water from its                  

25  source for any purpose, other than for hydroelectric generation             

26  at sites certified, licensed, or permitted by the federal energy            

27  regulatory commission.                                                      

1       Sec. 32705.  (1)  A Subject to subsection (2), a person who                

2   makes a withdrawal shall register with the department  by                   

3   December 31, 1991  on a form provided by the department if,                 

4   during the calendar year  1990 or 1991, the person does either

5   in which the withdrawal occurs, any of the following apply:                 

6       (a)  Owns The person owns an industrial or processing                      

7   facility that has the capacity to withdraw over 100,000 gallons             

8   of water per day average in any consecutive 30-day period from              

9   the waters of the Great Lakes basin.                                        

10      (b)  Owns The person owns an irrigation facility that has                  

11  the capacity to withdraw over 100,000 gallons of water per day              

12  average in any consecutive 30-day period from the waters of the             

13  Great Lakes basin.                                                          

14  (c) Beginning 1 year after the effective date of the                        

15  amendatory act that added this subdivision, the person owns a               

16  farm that has the capacity to withdraw over 100,000 gallons of              

17  water per day average in any consecutive 30-day period from the             

18  waters of the Great Lakes basin.

19      (2)  Beginning January 1, 1992, a person who meets the                      

20  requirements of subsection (1)(a) or (b) shall register with the            

21  department during the calendar year in which the withdrawal                 

22  occurred. The owner of a farm who registers under section 32708            

23  is not required to register under subsection (1).

24      (3) In calculating the total amount of an existing or                       

25  proposed withdrawal for the purpose of this section, a person               

26  shall combine all separate withdrawals that the person makes or             

27  proposes to make, whether or not these withdrawals are for a                

1   single purpose or are for related but separate purposes.                    

2       Sec. 32707.  (1) Except as provided in  subsection

3   subsections (2) and (3), a person who owns an industrial or                 

4   processing facility,  or  an irrigation facility, or a farm

5   registered under this  section part shall file a report annually           

6   with the department on a form provided by the department.   The             

7   first report shall be submitted to the department by March 31,              

8   1992.  Subsequent reports Reports shall be submitted  within 3             

9   months after the end by April 1 of each  calendar  year.                   

10  Reports shall include the following information:                            

11      (a)  Amount The amount and rate of water withdrawn on an                   

12  annual and monthly basis.                                                   

13      (b)  Source The source or sources of the water supply.                     

14      (c)  Use The use or uses of the water withdrawn.                           

15      (d)  Amount The amount of consumptive  water  use of water                 

16  withdrawn.                                                                  

17  (e) If the source of the water withdrawn is groundwater, the                

18  location of the well or wells in latitude and longitude, with the           

19  accuracy of the reported location data to within 15 feet.                   

20      (f) If the source of water withdrawn is groundwater, the                    

21  static water level of the aquifer or aquifers.                              

22      (g)  (e)  Other information specified by rule of the                        

23  department.                                                                 

24      (2) If a person reports the information required by this                    

25  section to the department in conjunction with a permit or for any           

26  other purpose, that reporting, upon approval of the department,             

27  shall satisfy the reporting requirements of this section.                   

1   (3) The owner of a farm who reports water use under section                 

2   32708 is not required to report under subsection (1).

3   (4)  (3)  The department  shall may, upon request from a                   

4   person required to report under this section, accept a formula or           

5   model that provides to the department's satisfaction the                    

6   information required in subsection (1).                                     

7   (5)  (4)  The department shall develop forms for reporting                  

8   under this section that minimize paperwork and allow for a                  

9   notification to the department instead of a report if the annual            

10  amount of water withdrawn by a person required to report under              

11  this section is within 4% of the amount last reported and the               

12  other information required in subsection (1) has not changed                

13  since the last year in which a report was filed.                            

14  (6)  (5)  A person who files an annual report or notification               

15  pursuant to under this section shall annually remit a water use           

16  reporting fee of  $50.00 $100.00 to the department.  Water use             

17  reporting fees shall be remitted to the department in conjunction           

18  with the annual report or notification submitted  pursuant to

19  under this section.  The department shall transmit water use                

20  reporting fees collected under this section to the state                    

21  treasurer to be credited to the water use protection fund created           

22  in section 32714.  A water use reporting fee is not required for            

23  a report or notification related to a farm that reports water use           

24  under section 32708.

25      Sec. 32708.  (1) Beginning 1 year after the effective date                  

26  of the 2003 amendatory act that amended this section, the owner             

27  of a farm described in section 32705(1)(c) who makes a withdrawal           

1   for an agricultural purpose, including irrigation for an                    

2   agricultural purpose, may register the farm address and report              

3   the water use on the farm by annually submitting to the                     

4   department of agriculture a water use conservation plan.  The               

5   water use conservation plan shall include, but need not be                  

6   limited to, all of the following information:                               

7       (a) The amount and rate of water withdrawn on an annual and                 

8   monthly basis in either gallons or acre inches.                             

9       (b) The type of crop irrigated, if applicable.                              

10      (c) The acreage of each irrigated crop, if applicable.                      

11      (d) The source or sources of the water supply.                              

12      (e) If the water withdrawn is not used entirely for                         

13  irrigation, the use or uses of the water withdrawn.                         

14      (f) If the source of water withdrawn is groundwater, the                    

15  static water level of the aquifer or aquifers.

16  (g) Applicable water conservation practices and an                          

17  implementation plan for those practices.

18  (2)  (1)  The department and the department of agriculture in               

19  consultation with  the cooperative extension service and the soil           

20  conservation districts Michigan state university shall  develop

21  validate and use a formula or model to  determine the amount of             

22  water withdrawn estimate the consumptive use of withdrawals made

23  for agricultural purposes consistent with the objectives of                 

24  section 32707.   For a period of 3 years beginning January 1,               

25  1997, a person using water for an agricultural purpose who                  

26  withdraws over 100,000 gallons of water per day average in any              

27  consecutive 30-day period for irrigation shall provide                      

1   information regarding the location and source of the water, the             

2   type of crop irrigated, and the acreage of each irrigated crop to           

3   the county soil conservation district.  The soil conservation               

4   districts and the department of agriculture shall use the model             

5   or formula developed to aggregate these data and provide county             

6   and watershed totals by water source to the department by April 1           

7   of each year for irrigation water use that occurred in the                  

8   previous year.                                                              

9       (2) At the end of the 3-year period provided in                             

10  subsection (1), the department and the department of agriculture            

11  shall assess the reliability of annual irrigation water use data            

12  and determine if reliable data could be deduced from surveys                

13  conducted every 2 or 3 years.

14  (3) The department of agriculture shall use water use                       

15  conservation plan information received under subsection (1) to              

16  determine an estimate of water use and consumptive use data for             

17  each township in the state.  The department of agriculture shall            

18  forward the township water use and consumptive use data to the              

19  department for inclusion in the statewide groundwater inventory             

20  and map prepared under section 32802.

21      Sec. 32714.  (1) The water use protection fund is created                   

22  within the state treasury.                                                  

23      (2) The state treasurer may receive money or other assets                   

24  from any source for deposit into the fund.  The state treasurer             

25  shall direct the investment of the fund, and shall credit to the            

26  fund interest and earnings from fund investments.                           

27      (3) Money in the fund at the close of the fiscal year shall                 

1   remain in the fund and shall not lapse into the general fund.               

2       (4) The department may expend money from the fund, upon                     

3   appropriation, only for  the implementation 1 or more of the               

4   following:                                                                  

5       (a) The implementation and administration of this part.                     

6   (b) The preparation of the statewide groundwater inventory                  

7   and map under section 32802.

8   (c) The implementation and administration of part 317.

9   (5) By December 31, 1999, the department shall conduct an                   

10  assessment of the fund and report to the legislature on the                 

11  overall number of irrigation and industrial or processing                   

12  facilities registered in the program, the annual amount of water            

13  use reporting fees received by the fund, and the staff workload             

14  necessary to implement this part, to determine if the amount of             

15  the annual water use reporting fees can be lowered.

16  PART 328 AQUIFER PROTECTION

17  Sec. 32801.  As used in this part:                                          

18      (a) "Annex 2001" means the Great Lakes charter annex signed                 

19  by the governors and premiers of the Great Lakes region on June             

20  18, 2001.                                                                   

21      (b) "Aquifer" means any water bearing bed or stratum of earth               

22  or rock capable of yielding groundwater to a water well in                  

23  sufficient quantities that can be withdrawn.                                

24      (c) "Base flow" means groundwater discharge to rivers and                   

25  streams.                                                                    

26      (d) "Conflict areas" means an aquifer or a portion of an                    

27  aquifer in which the department has determined that there is                

1   reasonable, scientifically based evidence of a pattern of                   

2   groundwater withdrawal conflicts or a single extended groundwater           

3   withdrawal conflict.                                                        

4       (e) "Council" means the groundwater conservation advisory                   

5   council created under section 32803.                                        

6       (f) "Department" means the department of environmental                      

7   quality.                                                                    

8   (g) "Director" means the director of the department.                        

9       (h) "Groundwater" means water below the land surface in a                   

10  zone of saturation.                                                         

11      (i) "Groundwater withdrawal conflict" means the failure of an               

12  existing water well that was constructed in compliance with part            

13  127 of the public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.12701 to                

14  333.12771, to furnish its normal supply of groundwater because of           

15  a progressive decline of the static water level within the                  

16  aquifer due to the withdrawal of groundwater from the aquifer by            

17  a high-capacity well or sump, as determined based on reasonable,            

18  scientifically based evidence.                                              

19      (j) "Static water level" means the distance between the                     

20  ground surface and the water level within a well that is not                

21  being pumped.                                                               

22      Sec. 32802.  (1) Not later than 2 years after the effective                 

23  date of the amendatory act that added this section, the                     

24  department shall collect and compile groundwater data into a                

25  statewide groundwater inventory and map.  The department shall              

26  use existing sources of groundwater data where those data are               

27  available, including information reported under part 327,                   

1   information reported under the safe drinking water act, 1976 PA             

2   399, MCL 325.1001 to 325.1023, and information collected under              

3   the groundwater dispute resolution program created in part 317,             

4   but may supplement those data through additional studies if those           

5   data are incomplete.  Following completion of the initial                   

6   statewide groundwater inventory and map, the department shall               

7   update the statewide groundwater inventory and map as new                   

8   information becomes available.  The department shall include data           

9   on all of the following in the statewide groundwater inventory              

10  and map:                                                                    

11      (a) Location and water yielding capabilities of aquifers in                 

12  the state.                                                                  

13      (b) Aquifer recharge rates in the state, if available to the                

14  department.                                                                 

15      (c) Static water levels of groundwater in the state.                        

16      (d) Base flow of rivers and streams in the state.                           

17      (e) Conflict areas in the state.                                            

18      (f) Surface waters, including designated trout lakes and                    

19  streams, and groundwater dependent natural resources, that are              

20  identified on the natural features inventory.                               

21      (g) The location and pumping capacity of all of the                         

22  following:                                                                  

23                                                                               (i) Industrial or processing facilities registered under                            

24  section 32705 that withdraw groundwater.                                    

25      (ii) Irrigation facilities registered under section 32705                    

26  that withdraw groundwater.                                                  

27      (iii) Public water supply systems that have the capacity to                  

Senate Bill No. 289 (H-2) as amended July 16, 2003

1   withdraw over 100,000 gallons of groundwater per day average in             

2   any consecutive 30-day period.                                              

3       (h) Aggregate agricultural water use and consumptive use, by                

4   township.                                                                   

5       (2) The department shall make the statewide groundwater                     

6   inventory and map available to the general public.                          

7       Sec. 32803.  (1) The groundwater conservation advisory                      

8   council is created within the department.  The council shall                

9   consist of all of the following members:                                    

10  (a) Three individuals appointed by the senate majority leader               

11  representing business and manufacturing interests, utilities, and           

12  conservation organizations.                                                 

13      (b) Three individuals appointed by the speaker of the house                 

14  of representatives representing well drilling contractors, local            

15  units of government, and agricultural interests.                            

16      (c) Four individuals appointed by the director representing                 

17  nonagriculture irrigators, the aggregate industry, environmental            

18  organizations, and the general public.                                      

19      (d) Three individuals representing the department, the                      

20  department of agriculture, and the department of natural                    

21  resources, as nonvoting members [who shall serve as information resources to the council].                                                                   

22      (2) The council shall do all of the following:                              

23      (a) Study the sustainability of the state's groundwater use                 

24  and whether the state should provide additional oversight of                

25  groundwater withdrawals.                                                    

26      (b) Monitor Annex 2001 implementation efforts and make                      

27  recommendations on Michigan's statutory conformance with Annex              

Senate Bill No. 289 (H-2) as amended July 16, 2003

1   2001, including whether groundwater withdrawals should be subject           

2   to best management practices or certification requirements and              

3   whether groundwater withdrawals impact water-dependent natural              

4   features.                                                                   

5       (c) Study the implementation of and the results from the                    

6   groundwater dispute resolution program created in part 317.                 

7       (3) Within 2-1/2 years after the effective date of the                      

8   amendatory act that added this section, the council shall submit            

9   a report[, approved by a majority of the voting members of the council,] on its findings and recommendations under subsection (2)                               

10  to the senate majority leader, the speaker of the house of                  

11  representatives, and the standing committees of the legislature             

12  with jurisdiction primarily related to natural resources and the            

13  environment.                                                                

14      (4) Effective 6 months after the council submits its findings               

15  and recommendations under subsection (3), the council is                    

16  disbanded.

17      Enacting section 1.  This amendatory act does not take                      

18  effect unless House Bill No. 4087 of the 92nd Legislature is                

19  enacted into law.