HOUSE BILL No. 4805

May 17, 2005, Introduced by Reps. Kathleen Law, Hopgood, Phillips, Anderson, Stewart, Nofs, Meyer and Lipsey and referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, Great Lakes, Land Use, and Environment.

 

     A bill to amend 1994 PA 451, entitled

 

"Natural resources and environmental protection act,"

 

by amending section 3101 (MCL 324.3101), as amended by 2004 PA 142,

 

and by adding section 3109c.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 3101. As used in this part:

 

     (a) "Aquatic nuisance species" means a nonindigenous species

 

that threatens the diversity or abundance of native species or the

 

ecological stability of infested waters, or commercial,

 

agricultural, aquacultural, or recreational activities dependent on

 

such waters.

 

     (b) "Ballast water" means water and associated solids taken on

 

board a vessel to control or maintain trim, draft, stability, or

 


stresses on the vessel, without regard to the manner in which it is

 

carried.

 

     (c) "Ballast water treatment method" means a method of

 

treating ballast water and sediments to remove or destroy living

 

biological organisms through 1 or more of the following:

 

     (i) Filtration.

 

     (ii) The application of biocides or ultraviolet light.

 

     (iii) Thermal methods.

 

     (iv) Other treatment techniques approved by the department.

 

     (d) "Department" means the department of environmental

 

quality.

 

     (e) "Detroit consumer price index" means the most

 

comprehensive index of consumer prices available for the Detroit

 

area from the United States department of labor, bureau of labor

 

statistics.

 

     (f) "Emergency management coordinator" means that term as

 

defined in section 2 of the emergency management act, 1976 PA 390,

 

MCL 30.402.

 

     (g) "Great Lakes" means the Great Lakes and their connecting

 

waters, including Lake St. Clair.

 

     (h) "Group 1 facility" means a facility whose discharge is

 

described by R 323.2218 of the Michigan administrative code.

 

     (i) "Group 2 facility" means a facility whose discharge is

 

described by R 323.2210(y), R 323.2215, or R 323.2216 of the

 

Michigan administrative code.

 

     (j) "Group 3 facility" means a facility whose discharge is

 

described by R 323.2211 or R 323.2213 of the Michigan

 


administrative code.

 

     (k) "Local health department" means that term as defined in

 

section 1105 of the public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.1105.

 

     (l) "Local unit" means a county, city, village, or township or

 

an agency or instrumentality of any of these entities.

 

     (m) "Municipality" means this state, a county, city, village,

 

or township, or an agency or instrumentality of any of these

 

entities.

 

     (n) "National response center" means the national

 

communications center established under the clean water act, 33 USC

 

1251 to 1387, located in Washington, DC, that receives and relays

 

notice of oil discharge or releases of hazardous substances to

 

appropriate federal officials.

 

     (o) "Nonoceangoing vessel" means a vessel that is not an

 

oceangoing vessel.

 

     (p) "Oceangoing vessel" means a vessel that operates on the

 

Great Lakes or the St. Lawrence waterway after operating in waters

 

outside of the Great Lakes or the St. Lawrence waterway.

 

     (q) "Open water disposal of contaminated dredge materials"

 

means the placement of dredge materials contaminated with toxic

 

substances as defined in R 323.1205 of the Michigan administrative

 

code into the open waters of the Great Lakes but does not include

 

the siting or use of a confined disposal facility designated by the

 

United States army corps of engineers or beach nourishment

 

activities utilizing uncontaminated materials.

 

     (r)   (q)  "Primary public safety answering point" means that

 

term as defined in section 102 of the emergency telephone service

 


enabling act, 1986 PA 32, MCL 484.1102.

 

     (s)   (r)  "Sediments" means any matter settled out of ballast

 

water within a vessel.

 

     (t)   (s)  "Sewage sludge" means sewage sludge generated in

 

the treatment of domestic sewage, other than only septage or

 

industrial waste.

 

     (u)   (t)  "Sewage sludge derivative" means a product for land

 

application derived from sewage sludge that does not include solid

 

waste or other waste regulated under this act.

 

     (v)   (u)  "Sewage sludge generator" means a person who

 

generates sewage sludge that is applied to land.

 

     (w)   (v)  "Sewage sludge distributor" means a person who

 

applies, markets, or distributes, except at retail, a sewage sludge

 

derivative.

 

     (x)   (w)  "St. Lawrence waterway" means the St. Lawrence

 

river, the St. Lawrence seaway, and the gulf of St. Lawrence.

 

     (y)   (x)  "Threshold reporting quantity" means that term as

 

defined in R 324.2002 of the Michigan administrative code.

 

     (z)   (y)  "Waters of the state" means groundwaters, lakes,

 

rivers, and streams and all other watercourses and waters,

 

including the Great Lakes, within the jurisdiction of this state.

 

     Sec. 3109c. Notwithstanding any other provision of this part

 

or the rules promulgated under this part, the open water disposal

 

of contaminated dredge materials is prohibited.