Regulated Recharge Area Proposal for the Pleasant Valley Public Water District (PWD)

摘要

Numerous states have developed groundwater protection management programs through statutory and regulatory authority. The Illinois Groundwater Protection Act (IGPA) adopted in 1987 required the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop: groundwater standards; Class III: Special Resource Groundwater designation for groundwater contributing to dedicated nature preserve(s); technology control regulations for certain existing and new activities within the setback zone or regulated recharge areas of potable water supply wells; maximum setback rules; and minimal hazard certification rules for potential sources of groundwater contamination. The IGPA required the Illinois Pollution Control Board (Board) to adopt these regulations. Illinois has a rigorous regulatory development system whereby the legal burden of proof is on the proponent of an environmental regulation (see the Board's procedural rules at: http://www.ipcb.state.il.us/rules/procedural/procedural.htm). Further, the IGPA provided the Board with the authority to adopt regulated recharge area regulations. Additionally, the IGPA authorized counties and municipalities served by community water supply wells to conduct groundwater protection needs assessments, and required the Illinois EPA to conduct well site surveys. The IGPA also required the Illinois State Water and Geological Surveys to develop a Potential for Aquifer Recharge Map to be used by the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Groundwater (ICCG) to designate Priority Groundwater Protection Planning Regions. In addition, the IGPA provided the authority to the Director of Illinois EPA to designate priority groundwater protection planning committees. These committees have the authority to petition the Illinois EPA to propose regulated recharge areas to the Board after a local public meeting. The groundwater standards; technology control regulations; minimal hazard certification rules; and maximum setback rules have all been developed and adopted. These finalized rules and regulations can be accessed at the Board's homepage at: http://www.ipcb.state.il.us/ under Subtitle F. As a result of a petition from the Central Groundwater Protection Planning Committee to develop a regulated recharge area for the Pleasant Valley Public Water District the Illinois EPA developed a proposal to establish a prevention-oriented regulation to apply within the contributing recharge area of Pleasant Valley's community water supply. The Board has published this proposal at Second Notice. This proposal, statement of reasons, pre-filed testimony and transcripts can be accessed at: http://www.ipcb.state.il.us/rules/proposal.htm#R00-017 017. The purpose of this paper is to describe the groundwater management provisions of this proposal. .