Chapter 115 — State Water Pollution Control Act

115.01 Definitions Defines key terms used in Minnesota's water pollution control laws, including pollutant, discharge, waters of the state, … 115.02 This section has been repealed. 115.03 Powers and Duties Gives the MPCA commissioner power to set water quality standards, issue permits, and enforce pollution rules. 115.035 External Peer Review of Water Quality Standards Requires outside expert review of new water quality standards and public comment before adoption. 115.04 Disposal Systems and Point Sources Requires disposal system operators to share information with the MPCA and allow inspections. 115.05 Judicial Review All subdivisions of this section have been repealed. 115.06 Cooperation Allows the MPCA to work with other states, federal agencies, and local governments on water pollution, and supports … 115.061 Duty to Notify; Avoiding Water Pollution Requires anyone who spills a substance that could pollute water to notify the MPCA right away and clean it up. 115.063 Hazardous and Radioactive Waste; Policy to Protect Potable Water Declares that protecting drinking water is the state's top priority and that hazardous or radioactive waste must not … 115.065 Disposal Prohibited Bans placing hazardous or radioactive waste anywhere it could pollute drinking water. 115.067 Below-grade Disposal Systems; Prohibition; Exception Bans underground hazardous or radioactive waste storage unless the operator proves it will not pollute drinking water. 115.069 Radionuclide Pollution; High-level Nuclear Waste Depository Requires that decisions about nuclear waste storage follow the rules in section 116C.76 for protecting groundwater. 115.07 Violations and Prohibitions Requires a permit from the MPCA before building or running any wastewater disposal system. 115.071 Enforcement Sets penalties for violating water pollution laws, including fines up to $15,000 per day and criminal charges for … 115.072 Recovering Litigation Costs and Expenses Allows the state to recover its legal costs when it wins a case against a willful polluter. 115.073 Disposition of Receipts; Enforcement Funding Money collected from pollution fines and settlements goes into the state's environmental fund. 115.075 Information and Monitoring Makes it illegal to falsify environmental records, reports, or monitoring equipment. 115.076 Background of Permit Applicants Lets the MPCA deny waste facility permits to applicants who lack experience or have criminal records. 115.08 Interpretation States that water pollution control laws add to existing laws and do not replace them. 115.09 Citation; Water Pollution Control Act Names sections 115.01 to 115.09 as the State Water Pollution Control Act. 115.091 This section has been repealed. 115.092 This section has been repealed. 115.093 This section has been repealed. 115.094 This section has been repealed. 115.095 This section has been repealed. 115.096 This section has been repealed. 115.097 This section has been repealed. 115.098 This section has been repealed. 115.099 This section has been repealed. 115.10 This section has been repealed. 115.101 This section has been repealed. 115.102 This section has been repealed. 115.103 This section has been repealed. 115.15 All subdivisions of this section have been repealed. 115.16 This section has been repealed. 115.17 This section has been repealed. 115.1701 Definitions Defines key terms for ballast water rules, including ballast water, management, and commissioner. 115.1703 Ballast Water; Management Plan Requires ships in Lake Superior to have an approved plan for managing ballast water to prevent invasive species. 115.1705 Ballast Water Record Book Requires ships to keep a ballast water record book in English for at least three years. 115.1707 Consultation and Cooperation Directs state agencies to work together and with other governments to prevent invasive species through ballast water. 115.18 All subdivisions of this section have been repealed. 115.19 This section has been repealed. 115.20 This section has been repealed. 115.21 This section has been repealed. 115.22 This section has been repealed. 115.23 This section has been repealed. 115.24 This section has been repealed. 115.25 This section has been repealed. 115.26 This section has been repealed. 115.27 This section has been repealed. 115.28 This section has been repealed. 115.29 This section has been repealed. 115.30 This section has been repealed. 115.31 This section has been repealed. 115.32 This section has been repealed. 115.33 This section has been repealed. 115.34 This section has been repealed. 115.35 This section has been repealed. 115.36 This section has been repealed. 115.37 This section has been repealed. 115.41 Definitions Defines terms used in the water quality standards sections, including agency and additional terms from section 115.01. 115.42 Policy; Long-range Plan; Purpose Declares state policy to prevent and control water pollution and directs the MPCA to create a long-range plan. 115.425 Noningested Sources; Phosphorus Reduction Goal Sets a state goal to cut phosphorus from non-food sources entering wastewater systems by at least 50 percent. 115.426 Incentive for Voluntary Municipal or Industrial Investment in Nutrient Treatment Technology Offers cities and industries regulatory stability for 20 years if they voluntarily install nutrient removal technology. 115.43 Powers Gives the MPCA power to make rules and take action to carry out water quality goals. 115.44 Classification of Waters; Standards of Quality and Purity Requires the MPCA to classify state waters and set quality standards based on their best uses. 115.445 This section has been repealed. 115.447 This section has been repealed. 115.449 Public Wastewater Treatment Facilities; Proposal Requirements Requires engineering proposals for public wastewater plants to include treatment options and five-year cost estimates. 115.45 Compliance Requires everyone to follow the Water Pollution Control Act, MPCA rules, orders, and permits. 115.455 Effluent Limitations; Compliance Gives cities 16 years to comply with new wastewater limits after building a treatment facility. 115.456 Compliance Schedules Requires the MPCA to consider a city's existing debt when setting timelines for new wastewater limits. 115.46 Taxation by Municipality Lets cities levy unlimited taxes and issue bonds to pay for wastewater disposal systems ordered by the MPCA. 115.47 This section has been repealed. 115.48 Agency Assuming Power Lets the MPCA take over a city's authority to build and operate a disposal system if the city fails to comply. 115.49 Cooperation Between Municipalities; Contracts Allows the MPCA to require cities to cooperate on shared wastewater treatment through binding contracts. 115.50 Towns; Powers to Act Gives townships the same authority as cities to build, maintain, and fund wastewater disposal systems. 115.51 Enforcing Contracts Between Municipalities Allows enforcement of pollution-control contracts between cities through court action. 115.52 Severability States that if any part of sections 115.41 to 115.53 is found invalid, the rest still applies. 115.53 Modifying Classification or Standards Lets the MPCA change water classifications and standards if conditions change, after a public hearing. 115.54 This section has been repealed. 115.542 Notice Requirements for Publicly Owned Wastewater Treatment Facilities Requires public wastewater facilities to notify the public, media, and affected parties about raw sewage overflows. 115.55 Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems Sets rules for septic systems, including design standards, permits, inspections, and compliance requirements. 115.551 Tank Fee Charges a fee for underground storage tanks to fund cleanup of leaking tanks. 115.56 Mandatory Licensing Program Requires licensing for people who design, install, inspect, or maintain septic systems. 115.57 Loan Program; Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems and Wells Creates a loan program to help homeowners fix failing septic systems and wells. 115.58 Alternative Discharging Sewage Systems; General Permits Allows general permits for small alternative sewage systems that discharge treated wastewater. 115.59 This section has been repealed. 115.60 This section has been repealed. 115.61 Authority of District Gives the sanitary district authority to prevent and control water pollution within its area. 115.62 Board; Membership; Term; Quorum; Officers; Compensation Describes the board structure, membership terms, quorum rules, and compensation for sanitary district boards. 115.63 Manager Authority; Employees Gives the district manager authority to hire employees and manage daily operations. 115.64 Acquiring Property Allows the sanitary district to buy, lease, or condemn property needed for its operations. 115.65 Purpose; Duties of District; Annexing Territory Describes the purpose and duties of sanitary districts, including the power to annex nearby territory. 115.66 Severability States that if any part of the sanitary district provisions is invalid, the rest still applies. 115.67 Citation Provides the citation name for the sanitary district sections. 115.71 Definitions Defines terms for water system and wastewater operator certification, including types of facilities and operators. 115.72 Rules Gives the commissioner power to adopt rules for water and wastewater operator certification. 115.73 Certification Required Requires operators of water supply and wastewater systems to be certified. 115.74 This section has been repealed. 115.741 This section has been repealed. 115.7411 Advisory Council on Water Supply Systems and Wastewater Treatment Facilities Creates an advisory council to advise on water supply and wastewater facility operations. 115.75 Operator Certificates Describes how operator certificates are issued, renewed, suspended, or revoked. 115.76 Reciprocity Allows recognition of operator certificates from other states with similar standards. 115.77 Fees Sets fees for operator certification exams and certificate renewals. 115.78 This section has been repealed. 115.79 This section has been repealed. 115.80 This section has been repealed. 115.81 This section has been repealed. 115.82 This section has been repealed. 115.83 This section has been repealed. 115.84 Wastewater Laboratory Certification Requires labs testing wastewater to be certified and sets standards for lab quality.