Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2007/10/01/E7-19290/review-and-approval-of-projects
Timestamp: 2018-07-17 17:38:01
Document Index: 754824529

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 808', 'art 808', 'arts 806', '§\u2009806', '§\u2009806', '§\u2009806', '§\u2009806', '§\u2009806', '§\u2009806', '§\u2009806', '§\u2009806']

A Proposed Rule by the Susquehanna River Basin Commission on 10/01/2007
The Commission has scheduled a public hearing on the proposed rules on Wednesday, November 7, 2007, at 2 p.m. Comments on these proposed rules may be submitted to the SRBC on or before November 15, 2007.
72 FR 55711
E7-19290
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/E7-19290 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/E7-19290
This document contains proposed rules that would amend project review regulations to clarify the definition of “agricultural water use” and to provide a qualified exception to the consumptive use approval requirements for agricultural water use projects. In addition, this proposed rule would make a technical correction to an error in the “Authority” citation for Part 808.
The location of the public hearing is listed in the addresses section of this document. Additionally, individuals wishing to testify are asked to notify the Commission in advance, if possible, at the regular or electronic addresses given below.
The public hearing will be held in the Goddard Conference Room, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Northcentral Regional Office, 208 West Third Street, Suite 101, Williamsport, PA 17701.
Those wishing to testify are asked to notify the Commission in advance, if possible, at the regular or electronic addresses given below
Richard A. Cairo, General Counsel, 717-238-0423; fax: 717-238-2436; e-mail: rcairo@srbc.net. Also, for further information on the proposed rulemaking, visit the Commission's Web site at http://www.srbc.net.
The SRBC adopted final rulemaking on December 5, 2006, published at 71 FR 78570, December 29, 2006 establishing: (1) The scope and procedures for review and approval of projects under Section 3.10 of the Susquehanna River Basin Compact, Pub. L. 91-575; 83 Stat. 1509 et seq. (the compact); (2) special standards under Section 3.4(2) of the compact governing water withdrawals, consumptive use of water; diversions of the basin's waters, water conservation, and water use registration; and (3) procedures for hearings and enforcement actions.
The December 2006 rulemaking made extensive revisions to project review regulations that were promulgated in May 1995. Since 1995, SRBC has continued to suspend the application of its consumptive use regulation to agricultural water uses pending the implementation of a mitigation method that is more suited to agriculture's unique circumstances.
The Commission's member states have taken definitive steps to support projects that will provide storage and release of water to mitigate agricultural water use in their jurisdictions and thus satisfy the standards for consumptive use mitigation set forth in 18 CFR 806.22. The proposed rulemaking would amend 18 CFR 806.4(a)(1) to provide an exception for agricultural water use projects from the consumptive use review and approval requirements of 18 CFR 806.4(a)(1) and (3), unless water is diverted for use beyond lands that are at least partially in the basin, and provided the Commission makes a determination that the state-sponsored projects are sufficient to meet the consumptive use mitigation standards contained in 18 CFR 806.22.
A third amendment corrects an error made as part of the December 5, 2006 rulemaking in the “Authority” citation to Part 808 by replacing the erroneous Sec. 3.5(9) with the correct Sec. 3.4(9).
For the reasons set forth in the preamble, the Susquehanna River Basin Commission proposes to amend 18 CFR parts 806 and 808 and as follows:
3. In § 806.4, revise paragraphs (a)(1) introductory text, (a)(3) introductory text and (b)(3) to read as follows:
(1) Consumptive use of water. Any consumptive use project described below shall require an application to be submitted in accordance with § 806.13, and shall be subject to the standards set forth in § 806.22, and, to the extent that it involves a withdrawal from groundwater or surface water, shall also be subject to the standards set forth in § 806.23. Except to the extent that they involve the diversion of the waters of the basin, public water supplies shall be exempt from the requirements of this section regarding consumptive use; provided, however, that nothing in this section shall be construed to exempt individual consumptive users connected to any such public water supply from the requirements of this section. Provided the commission Start Printed Page 55712determines that low flow augmentation projects sponsored by the commission's member states provide sufficient mitigation for agricultural water use to meet the standards set forth in § 806.22, and except as otherwise provided below, agricultural water use projects shall not be subject to the requirements of this paragraph (a)(1). Notwithstanding the foregoing, an agricultural water use project involving a diversion of the waters of the basin shall be subject to such requirements unless the property, or contiguous parcels of property, upon which the agricultural water use project occurs is located at least partially within the basin.
(3) Diversions. Except with respect to agricultural water use projects not subject to the requirements of paragraph (a)(1), the projects described below shall require an application to be submitted in accordance with § 806.13, and shall be subject to the standards set forth in § 806.24. The project sponsors of out-of-basin diversions shall also comply with all applicable requirements of this part relating to consumptive uses and withdrawals.
3. In § 806.6, revise paragraph (b)(3) to read as follows:
[FR Doc. E7-19290 Filed 9-28-07; 8:45 am]