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The Vermont Statutes Online



Title

10

:
Conservation and Development






Chapter

047

:
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL






Subchapter

001
:
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL










 

§

1278. Operation, management, and emergency response plans for pollution

abatement facilities

(a) Findings.

The general assembly finds that the state shall protect Vermont's lakes,

rivers, and streams from pollution by implementing programs to prevent sewage

spills to Vermont waters and by requiring emergency planning to limit the

damage from spills which do occur. In addition, the general assembly finds it

to be cost-effective and generally beneficial to the environment to continue

state efforts to ensure energy efficiency in the operation of treatment

facilities.

(b) Planning

requirement. Effective July 1, 2007, the secretary of natural resources shall

as part of a permit issued under section 1263 of this title, require a

pollution abatement facility, as that term is defined in section 1571 of this

title, to prepare and implement an operation, management, and emergency

response plan for those portions of each pollution abatement facility that

include the treatment facility, the sewage pumping stations, and the sewer line

stream crossing.

(c) Collection

system planning. As of July 1, 2010, the secretary of natural resources, as

part of a permit issued under section 1263 of this title, shall require a

pollution abatement facility, as that term is defined in section 1571 of this

title, to prepare and implement an operation, management, and emergency

response plan for that portion of each pollution abatement facility that

includes the sewage collection systems. The requirement to develop a plan under

this subsection shall be included in a permit issued under section 1263 of this

title, and a plan developed under this subsection shall be subject to public

review and inspection.

(d) Plan

components. An operation, management, and emergency response plan shall include

the following:

(1)

Identification of those elements of the facility, including collection systems

that are determined to be prone to failure based on installation, age, design,

or other relevant factors.

(2)

Identification of those elements of the facility identified under subdivision

(1) of this subsection which, if one or more failed, would result in a

significant release of untreated or partially treated sewage to surface waters

of the state.

(3) A

requirement that the elements identified in subdivision (2) of this subsection

shall be inspected in accordance with a schedule approved by the secretary of

natural resources.

(4) An emergency

contingency plan to reduce the volume of a detected spill and to mitigate the

effect of such a spill on public health and the environment.

(e) Notice of

certain discharges. The secretary of natural resources shall post publicly

notice of an illegal discharge that may pose a threat to human health or the

environment on its website within 24 hours of the agency's receipt of

notification of the discharge. (Added 2005, No. 154 (Adj. Sess.), § 5a, eff.

July 1, 2006; amended 2007, No. 130 (Adj. Sess.), § 8, eff. May 12, 2008; 2007,

No. 209 (Adj. Sess.), § 5.)