39-120. DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY PRIMARY ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY — AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES. (1) The department of environmental quality is designated as the primary agency to coordinate and administer ground water quality protection programs for the state.

(2) Recognizing that the department of water resources has the responsibility to maintain the natural resource geographic information system for the state and is the collector of baseline data for the state’s water resources, that the department of environmental quality has the responsibility for collecting and monitoring data for water quality management purposes and that the department of agriculture is responsible for regulating the use of pesticides and fertilizers and for licensing applicators, the department of environmental quality, the department of water resources and the department of agriculture shall:

(a) Develop a ground water monitoring plan, concurrently with the development of a ground water quality plan, for development and administration of a comprehensive ground water quality monitoring network, including point of use, point of contamination and problem assessment monitoring sites across the state and the assessment of ambient ground water quality utilizing, to the greatest degree possible, collection and coordination of existing data sources.

(b) Establish a system or systems within state departments and political subdivisions of the state for collecting, evaluating and disseminating ground water quality data and information.

(c) Develop and maintain a natural resource geographic information system and comprehensive water resource data system. The system shall be accessible to the public.

(3) The responsible state departments or boards should adopt rules which specify the general standards for determining actions necessary to prevent ground water contamination and cleanup actions necessary to meet the goals of the state.

(4) The director of the department of environmental quality may develop and recommend for approval by the board through rulemaking, ambient ground water quality standards for contaminants for which the administrator of the United States environmental protection agency has established drinking water maximum contaminant levels. The director may develop and recommend for approval by the board, through rulemaking, ground water quality standards for contaminants for which the administrator of the United States environmental protection agency has not established drinking water maximum contaminant levels. However, the existence of such standards, or the lack of them, should not be construed or utilized in derogation of the ground water quality protection goal and protection policies of the state.

(5) The departments of environmental quality, water resources and agriculture should take actions necessary to promote and assure public confidence and public awareness of ground water quality protection. In pursuing this goal, the departments and public health districts should make public the results of investigations concerning ground water quality subject to the restrictions contained in section 39-111, Idaho Code.

History:

[39-120, added 1989, ch. 421, sec. 2, p. 1028; am. 1990, ch. 151, sec. 1, p. 334; am. 2000, ch. 132, sec. 28, p. 338.]