SEWAGE DISCHARGE S.B. 1063 (S-3): FLOOR SUMMARY
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Senate Bill 1063 (Substitute S-3 as reported)
Sponsor: Senator Michael Switalski
Committee: Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs

CONTENT
The bill would amend Part 31 (Water Resources Protection) of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to do the following:

-- Provide an exemption from an E. coli testing requirement for a sewage discharge from a wastewater treatment plant or an authorized combined sewer overflow (CSO) if the discharge were in compliance with the final effluent limits for microorganisms in the facility's permit.
-- Require a local health department to give certain entities an annual report summarizing information about discharges during the previous year.
-- Redefine "partially treated sewage".


Under Part 31, if untreated or partially treated sewage is discharged from a sewer system onto land or into the waters of the State, the person responsible for the system immediately must notify the Department of Environmental Quality, local health departments, a daily newspaper of general circulation in the county or counties in which a notified municipality is located, and a daily newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the discharge is occurring. The bill would require a local health department, by February 1 of each year, to compile and post on its website or provide to each entity that is required to be notified of a discharge, and to each municipality within the local health department's jurisdiction, an annual report summarizing and providing a total amount of reported discharge during the previous calendar year.


MCL 324.3112a Legislative Analyst: Julie Cassidy

FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have a minimal fiscal impact on local units of government that operate sewer systems. The local units would be required to compile previously reported data into one report.


Date Completed: 11-13-08 Fiscal Analyst: Jessica Runnels

Analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent. sb1063/0708