(1) 

Terms Used In Utah Code 19-5-105.5

  • Agriculture water: means :
(a) water used by a farmer, rancher, or feed lot for the production of food, fiber, or fuel;
(b) return flows from irrigated agriculture; and
(c) agricultural storm water runoff. See Utah Code 19-5-102
  • Board: means the Water Quality Board created in Section 19-1-106. See Utah Code 19-5-102
  • Commission: means the Conservation Commission, created in Section 4-18-104. See Utah Code 19-5-102
  • Director: means the director of the Division of Water Quality or, for purposes of groundwater quality at a facility licensed by and under the jurisdiction of the Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control, the director of the Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control. See Utah Code 19-5-102
  • Discharge: means the addition of a pollutant to waters of the state. See Utah Code 19-5-102
  • Person: means an individual, trust, firm, estate, company, corporation, partnership, association, state, state or federal agency or entity, municipality, commission, or political subdivision of a state. See Utah Code 19-1-103
  • (a)  The board shall draft any rules relating to agriculture water in cooperation with the commission.

    (b)  The commission shall advise the board before the board may adopt a rule relating to agriculture water.

    (2)  A program or rule adopted by the board for agriculture production or irrigation water shall:

    (a)  be consistent with the federal Clean Water Act; and

    (b)  if possible, be developed in a voluntary cooperative program with the agriculture producer associations and the commission.

    (3) 

    (a)  The board’s authority to regulate a discharge is subject to Subsection (3)(b) relating to an agriculture discharge.

    (b) 

    (i)  A person responsible for an agriculture discharge shall mitigate the resulting damage in a reasonable manner, as approved by the director after consulting with the commission chair.

    (ii)  A penalty imposed on an agriculture discharge shall be consistent with the penalty policy described in Section 19-5-115 and associated rules, as determined by the director in consultation with the commission chair.

    (iii)  An agriculture producer may not be held liable for an agriculture discharge resulting from a large weather event if the agriculture producer has taken reasonable measures, as the board defines by rule, to prevent an agriculture discharge.

    Amended by Chapter 256, 2020 General Session