1997-05-01_AgendaPacket - Laserfiche WebLink

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For more information on general permits for water appropriations, contact Jim Japs at 612/297-2835 or John Stine at 612/296-0440. Six additional counties will be receiving revised maps this winter when the preparation of detailed location maps is completed. By portraying these sources of the cold waters needed to sustain trout populations on the PWI maps, they now are subject to the provisions of the DNR's Pro- tected Waters Permit Program that regulates activities that take place within mapped waters. Activities regulated by the permit program include bridge and culvert installations, dredging, deposition of fill materials, water level controls and channelization. Further information on these new maps is available from the re- gional or area hydrologist serving your area. General Permits for Water Appropriations The Department of Natural Resources proposes to modify the statutes to allow the DNR to issue general permits for water appropriations to governmental units or the general public for certain classes of activities that have minimal impact on waters of the state. Multiple projects could be conducted under a single general permit, which will reduce the time required for processing individual permit applications. Water Appropriation Permits are required (M.S. 103G.271, Subd. 1) for the appropriation and use of surface or ground. waters in excess of 10,000 gallons per day or one million. gallons per year. The proposed legislative changes would help eliminate potential delays for road and utility con- struction dewatering projects and other types of projects that have minimal impact on waters of the state. General permit authority for Protected Waters Permits has existed for two years and has proven to be beneficial for per- mittees and the department. Minnesota Pollution Control Agency es In the current legislative session, the MPCA has proposed several improvements to the Individual Sewage Treatment Systems (ISTS) program in the form of amendments to M.S. 115.55- 115.56. The widespread failure of on-site sewage treatment systems (com- monlycalled septic systems) was a hot topic of discussion during the 1994 legislative session. In response, ISTS regulations were changed. These changes were a big step in the right direction, but the new program. generated many complaints from counties, ISTS professionals, realtors, and local governmental units in different geographic regions. The MPCA initiated a review of the ISTS program with the statutorially 12