Idaho State Statutes - Idaho Attorney Directory

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY PRIMARY ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY
-- AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES. (1) The department of environmental quality is
designated as the primary agency to coordinate and administer ground water
quality protection programs for the state.
(2) Recognizing that the department of water resources has the
responsibility to maintain the natural resource geographic information system
for the state and is the collector of baseline data for the state's water
resources, that the department of environmental quality has the responsibility
for collecting and monitoring data for water quality management purposes and
that the department of agriculture is responsible for regulating the use of
pesticides and fertilizers and for licensing applicators, the department of
environmental quality, the department of water resources and the department of
agriculture shall:
(a) Develop a ground water monitoring plan, concurrently with the
development of a ground water quality plan, for development and
administration of a comprehensive ground water quality monitoring network,
including point of use, point of contamination and problem assessment
monitoring sites across the state and the assessment of ambient ground
water quality utilizing, to the greatest degree possible, collection and
coordination of existing data sources.
(b) Establish a system or systems within state departments and political
subdivisions of the state for collecting, evaluating and disseminating
ground water quality data and information.
(c) Develop and maintain a natural resource geographic information system
and comprehensive water resource data system. The system shall be
accessible to the public.
(3) The responsible state departments or boards should adopt rules which
specify the general standards for determining actions necessary to prevent
ground water contamination and cleanup actions necessary to meet the goals of
the state.
(4) The director of the department of environmental quality may develop
and recommend for approval by the board through rulemaking, ambient ground
water quality standards for contaminants for which the administrator of the
United States environmental protection agency has established drinking water
maximum contaminant levels. The director may develop and recommend for
approval by the board, through rulemaking, ground water quality standards for
contaminants for which the administrator of the United States environmental
protection agency has not established drinking water maximum contaminant
levels. However, the existence of such standards, or the lack of them, should
not be construed or utilized in derogation of the ground water quality
protection goal and protection policies of the state.
(5) The departments of environmental quality, water resources and
agriculture should take actions necessary to promote and assure public
confidence and public awareness of ground water quality protection. In
pursuing this goal, the departments and public health districts should make
public the results of investigations concerning ground water quality subject
to the restrictions contained in section 39-111, Idaho Code.

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