OCR Text |
Show Legislature approves primacy bills During the 1979 Utah Legislative Session, four environmental bills were passed and have been signed by Governor Scott Matheson. All are designed to qualify the State of Utah to assume primary enforcement responsibility (primacy) of federal programs. TheSafe Drinking Water Act brings state and federal requirements into agreement. It provides standards for the quality of public water supplies, ' establishes daily penalties for continued con-tinued violation of drinking water quality standards, and authorizes the State Division of Health to require public notification when water not meeting standards is distributed. The Water Pollution Control Act Amendments authorize the State's Water Pollution Control Committee to issue permits for discharging treated wastewater, and authorizes the Division of Health to enforce permit requirements. The Hazardous Waste Act amends Utah's Solid Waste Law to include handling and disposal of hazardous waste material, and allows Utah to assume primacy under the Federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. The Air Conservation Amendments facilitate implementation of the State air quality control plan by prohibiting conflict of interest among Air Conservation Con-servation Committee members, by establishing fees as required by federal law for the processing of industrial in-dustrial air discharge proposals, and by establishing penalties for continued con-tinued violation of air quality standards. stan-dards. Governor Matheson said the acceptance ac-ceptance of primacy has several distinct advantages. It allows the State to control its environment without routine federal involvement. |