§ 1259 - Prohibitions
§ 1259. Prohibitions
(a) No person shall discharge any waste, substance or material into waters of the state, nor shall any person discharge any waste, substance or material into an injection well or discharge into a publicly owned treatment works any waste which interferes with, passes through without treatment, or is otherwise incompatible with those works or would have a substantial adverse effect on those works or on water quality, without first obtaining a permit for that discharge from the secretary. This subsection shall not prohibit the proper application of fertilizer to fields and crops, nor reduce or affect the authority or policy declared in joint house resolution 7 of the 1971 session of the general assembly.
(b) Any records, reports or information obtained under this permit program shall be available to the public for inspection and copying. However, upon a showing satisfactory to the secretary that any records, reports or information or part thereof, other than effluent data, would, if made public, divulge methods or processes entitled to protection as trade secrets, the secretary shall treat and protect those records, reports or information as confidential. Any records, reports or information accorded confidential treatment will be disclosed to authorized representatives of the state and the United States when relevant to any proceedings under this chapter.
(c) No person shall cause a direct discharge into Class A waters of any wastes that, prior to treatment, contained organisms pathogenic to human beings. Except within a waste management zone, no person shall cause a direct discharge into Class B waters of any wastes that prior to treatment contained organisms pathogenic to human beings.
(d) No person shall cause a discharge of wastes into Class A waters, except for on-site disposal of sewage from systems with a capacity of 1,000 gallons per day (gpd), or less, that are either exempt from or comply with the environmental protection rules, or existing systems, which shall require a permit according to the provisions of section 1263(f) of this title.
(e) Except for on-site disposal of sewage from systems of less than 6,500 gpd capacity that are either exempt from or comply with the environmental protection rules, no person shall cause any new or increased indirect discharge of wastes into Class B waters without a permit under section 1263. The secretary shall not issue a permit for on-site disposal of sewage that discharges into Class B waters, unless the applicant demonstrates by clear and convincing evidence, and the secretary finds, that the discharge:
(1) will not significantly alter the aquatic biota in the receiving waters;
(2) will not pose more than a negligible risk to public health;
(3) will be consistent with existing and potential beneficial uses of the waters; and
(4) will not cause a violation of water quality standards.
(f) The provisions of subsections (c), (d), and (e) of this section shall not regulate accepted agricultural or silvicultural practices, as such are defined by the secretary of agriculture, food and markets and the commissioner of forests, parks and recreation, respectively, after an opportunity for a public hearing; nor shall these provisions regulate discharges from concentrated animal feeding operations that require a permit under section 1263 of this title; nor shall those provisions prohibit stormwater runoff or the discharge of nonpolluting wastes, as defined by the board.
(g) Nothing in this chapter shall prohibit the secretary from approving nondischarging sewage treatment systems that the secretary finds are safe, reliable and effective.
(h) The secretary shall adopt rules to assure that the installation of two or more systems discharging sewage will not result in the circumvention of the purposes of this chapter or the requirements of this section.
(i) The secretary of natural resources, to the extent compatible with federal requirements, shall delegate to the secretary of agriculture, food and markets the state agricultural non-point source pollution control program planning, implementation and regulation. A memorandum of understanding shall be adopted for this purpose, which shall address implementation grants, the distribution of federal program assistance and the development of land use performance standards. Prior to executing the memorandum, the secretary of state shall arrange for two formal publications of information relating to the proposed memorandum. The information shall consist of a summary of the proposal; the name, telephone number and address of a person able to answer questions and receive comments on the proposal; and the deadline for receiving comments. Publication shall be subject to the provisions of 3 V.S.A. § 839(d), (e) and (g), relating to the publication of administrative rules. The proposed memorandum of understanding shall be available for 30 days after the final date of publication for public review and comment prior to being executed by the secretary of natural resources and the secretary of agriculture, food and markets. The secretary of natural resources and the secretary of agriculture, food and markets annually shall review the memorandum of understanding to assure compliance with the requirements of the Clean Water Act and the provisions of section 1258 of this title. If the memorandum is substantially revised, it first shall be noticed in the same manner that applies to the initial memorandum. Actions by the secretary of agriculture, food and markets under this section shall be consistent with the water quality standards and water pollution control requirements of chapter 47 of this title and the federal Clean Water Act as amended. (Amended 1967, No. 181, § 2, eff. April 17, 1967; 1969, No. 252 (Adj. Sess.), § 7, eff. April 4, 1970; 1971, No. 255 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. April 11, 1972; 1973, No. 103, § 5, eff. April 24, 1973; 1981, No. 222 (Adj. Sess.), § 25; 1985, No. 199 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. May 17, 1986; 1991, No. 211 (Adj. Sess.), § 4; No. 261 (Adj. Sess.), § 3; 2003, No. 42, § 2, eff. May 27, 2003; 2005, No. 78, § 12, eff. June 24, 2005.)