80-15-102. Definitions. Unless the context requires otherwise, in this chapter, the following definitions apply:

(1) "Agricultural chemical" means any of the following:

(a) a pesticide as defined in 80-8-102;

(b) an isomer, degradation, or metabolic product of a pesticide; or

(c) a commercial fertilizer as defined in 80-10-101.

(2) "Aquifer" means a water-bearing, subsurface formation capable of yielding sufficient quantities of water to a well for a beneficial use.

(3) "Best management plans" and "best management practices" mean activities, procedures, and practices established by the department, in consultation with the Montana state university-Bozeman extension service, to prevent or remedy the introduction of agricultural chemicals into ground water to the extent technically and economically practical.

(4) "Board" means the board of environmental review provided for in 2-15-3502.

(5) "Confirmatory procedure" means a process for verifying the detection of agricultural chemicals in water, soil, and other related media.

(6) "EPA" means the United States environmental protection agency.

(7) "Ground water" means any water of the state occupying the voids within a geologic formation and within the zone of saturation.

(8) "Interim numerical standard" means a health-based number that expresses the concentration of an agricultural chemical allowed in ground water and that is adopted by a rule of the board pursuant to 80-15-201(3) or (4).

(9) "Margin of safety" means numerical margins that are applied to the no observable effect level in an agricultural chemical toxicology study and that are used by the EPA to extrapolate data obtained from studies of animals to humans, including sensitive individuals.

(10) "No observable effect level" means the highest dose level of an agricultural chemical to which a laboratory animal is exposed, per unit of body weight, at which no effect is observed, as established by EPA's pesticide registration process.

(11) "Nonpoint source" means a diffuse source of agricultural chemicals resulting from human activities over a relatively large area, the effects of which must normally be addressed or controlled by a management or conservation practice.

(12) "Nonpromulgated federal standard" means a health advisory or a suggested no adverse response level that is published but not promulgated by regulation by EPA and that is a suggested measure of the health risk represented by the concentration of an agricultural chemical in water.

(13) "Numerical risk assessment" means a scientific procedure used to measure the statistical probability of human health risk associated with exposure to an agricultural chemical.

(14) "Oncogenic potential" means the potential of an agricultural chemical to cause tumors in laboratory animals and the extrapolation of that potential to humans through use of statistical models and other evidence.

(15) "Person" means any individual, group, firm, cooperative, corporation, association, partnership, political subdivision, state or federal government agency, or other organization or entity.

(16) "Point of standards application" means the specific location in an aquifer where ground water quality and quantity are sampled, measured, evaluated, or otherwise used by either the department or the department of environmental quality to implement the provisions of this chapter.

(17) "Point source" means a point source as defined in 75-5-103, including but not limited to chemical mixing, loading, and storage sites and sites of agricultural chemical spills.

(18) "Promulgated federal standard" means an agricultural chemical maximum contaminant level as established under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, a national primary drinking water standard, or an interim drinking water regulation or other EPA regulation based on federal law.

(19) "Registrant" means a person as defined in 80-8-102 and 80-10-101.

(20) "Standard" means the numerical value expressing the concentration of an agricultural chemical in ground water that, when exceeded, presents a potential human health risk over a lifetime of consumption and that is adopted by a rule of the board as required by 80-15-201.

(21) "Use" means any act of handling or release of an agricultural chemical or exposure of humans or the environment to an agricultural chemical, including but not limited to application, mixing, loading, storage, disposal, or transportation.

History: En. Sec. 2, Ch. 668, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 331, Ch. 418, L. 1995; amd. Secs. 547, 568, Ch. 546, L. 1995; amd. sec. 36, Ch. 308, L. 1995.