Sec. 5301.

As used in this part:

(a) "Assistance" means 1 or more of the following activities to the extent authorized by the federal water pollution control act:

(i) Provision of loans to municipalities for construction of sewage treatment works projects, stormwater treatment projects, or nonpoint source projects.

(ii) Project refinancing assistance.

(iii) The guarantee or purchase of insurance for local obligations, if the guarantee or purchase action would improve credit market access or reduce interest rates.

(iv) Use of the proceeds of the fund as a source of revenue or security for the payment of principal and interest on revenue or general obligation bonds issued by this state, if the proceeds of the sale of the bonds will be deposited into the fund.

(v) Provision of loan guarantees for similar revolving funds established by municipalities.

(vi) The use of deposited funds to earn interest on fund accounts.

(vii) Provision for reasonable costs of administering and conducting activities under title VI of the federal water pollution control act, 33 USC 1381 to 1387.

(b) "Authority" means the Michigan municipal bond authority created in the shared credit rating act, 1985 PA 227, MCL 141.1051 to 141.1076.

(c) "Capitalization grant" means the federal grant made to this state by the United States environmental protection agency for the purpose of establishing a state water pollution control revolving fund, as provided in title VI of the federal water pollution control act, 33 USC 1381 to 1387.

(d) "Construction activities" means any actions undertaken in the planning, designing, or building of sewage treatment works projects, stormwater treatment projects, or nonpoint source projects. Construction activities include, but are not limited to, all of the following:

(i) Project planning services.

(ii) Engineering services.

(iii) Legal services.

(iv) Financial services.

(v) Design of plans and specifications.

(vi) Acquisition of land or structural components, or both.

(vii) Building, erection, alteration, remodeling, or extension of a sewage treatment works.

(viii) Building, erection, alteration, remodeling, or extension of projects designed to control nonpoint source pollution, consistent with section 319 of title III of the federal water pollution control act, 33 USC 1329.

(ix) Building, erection, alteration, or remodeling of a stormwater treatment project.

(x) Municipal supervision of the project activities described in subparagraphs (i) to (ix).

(e) "Disadvantaged community" means a municipality in which all of the following conditions are met:

(i) Users within the area served by a proposed sewage treatment works project or stormwater treatment project are directly assessed for the costs of construction.

(ii) The median household income of the area served by a proposed sewage treatment works project or stormwater treatment project does not exceed 120% of the statewide median annual household income for Michigan.

(iii) The municipality demonstrates at least 1 of the following:

(A) More than 50% of the area served by a proposed sewage treatment works project or stormwater treatment project is identified as a poverty area by the United States bureau of census.

(B) The median annual household income of the area served by a proposed sewage treatment works project or stormwater treatment project is less than the most recently published federal poverty guidelines for a family of 4 in the 48 contiguous United States. In determining the median annual household income of the area served by the proposed sewage treatment works project or stormwater treatment project under this sub-subparagraph, the municipality shall utilize the most recently published statistics from the United States bureau of the census, updated to reflect current dollars, for the community which most closely approximates the area being served by the project.

(C) The median annual household income of the area served by a proposed sewage treatment works project or stormwater treatment project is less than the most recently published statewide median annual household income for this state, and annual user costs for sewage treatment or stormwater treatment exceed 1% of the median annual household income of the area served by the proposed sewage treatment works project or stormwater treatment project.

(D) The median annual household income of the area served by a proposed sewage treatment works project or stormwater treatment project is not greater than 120% of the statewide median annual household income for this state, and annual user costs for sewage treatment or stormwater treatment exceed 3% of the median annual household income of the area served by the proposed project.

(f) "Federal water pollution control act" means 33 USC 1251 to 1387.

(g) "Fund" means the state water pollution control revolving fund established under the shared credit rating act, 1985 PA 227, MCL 141.1051 to 141.1076, established pursuant to title VI of the federal water pollution control act.

(h) "Fundable range" means those projects, taken in descending order on the priority lists, for which sufficient funds are estimated by the department to exist to provide assistance at the beginning of each annual funding cycle.

(i) "Municipality" means a city, village, county, township, authority, or other public body, including an intermunicipal agency of 2 or more municipalities, authorized or created under state law; or an Indian tribe that has jurisdiction over construction and operation of sewage treatment works or other projects qualifying under section 319 of title III of the federal water pollution control act, 33 USC 1329.

(j) "Nonpoint source project" means construction activities designed to reduce nonpoint source pollution consistent with the state nonpoint source management plan pursuant to section 319 of title III of the federal water pollution control act, 33 USC 1329.

(k) "Priority list" means the annual ranked listing of projects developed by the department in section 5303 or used by the department pursuant to section 5315.

(l) "Project" means a sewage treatment works project, a stormwater treatment project, or a nonpoint source project, or a combination of these.

(m) "Project refinancing assistance" means buying or refinancing the debt obligations of municipalities within the state if construction activities commenced after March 7, 1985 and the debt obligation was incurred after March 7, 1985.

(n) "Sewage treatment works project" means construction activities on any device or system for the treatment, storage, collection, conveyance, recycling, or reclamation of the sewage of a municipality, including combined sewer overflow correction and major rehabilitation of sewers.

(o) "Stormwater treatment project" means construction activities of a municipality on any device or system for the treatment, storage, recycling, or reclamation of storm water that is conveyed by a storm sewer that is separate from a sanitary sewer.

(p) "Tier I project" means a project for which assistance is sought or provided from funds made directly available from the federal capitalization grant or from the Great Lakes water quality bond fund pursuant to section 19708(1)(a).

(q) "Tier II project" means a project for which assistance is sought or provided from funds other than those made directly available from the federal capitalization grant or from the Great Lakes water quality bond fund pursuant to section 19708(1)(a).

History: 1994, Act 451, Eff. Mar. 30, 1995 ;-- Am. 2002, Act 397, Eff. Nov. 5, 2002 ;-- Am. 2005, Act 255, Imd. Eff. Dec. 1, 2005 ;-- Am. 2012, Act 560, Imd. Eff. Jan. 2, 2013 Compiler's Notes: Enacting section 2 of Act 397 of 2002 provides:“Enacting section 2. This amendatory act does not take effect unless the question provided for in the Great Lakes water quality bond authorization act is approved by a majority of the registered electors voting on the question at the November 2002 general election.”Act 396 of 2002, the Great Lakes water quality bond authorization act, which was approved by the Governor on May 29, 2002, and filed with the Secretary of State on May 30, 2002, provided that bonds “shall not be issued under this act unless the question set forth in section 5 [MCL 324.95205] is approved by a majority vote of the registered electors voting on the question.” In accordance with Const 1963, art 9, sec 15, the question of borrowing a sum of not to exceed $1,000,000,000.00 and the issuance of general obligation bonds of the state for the purposes set forth in the act was submitted to, and approved by, the qualified electors of the state as Proposal 02-2 at the November 5, 2002, general election.Popular Name: Act 451Popular Name: NREPA