2023 Oklahoma Statutes › Title 27A. Environment and Natural Resources › §27A-2-6-203. Powers and duties of Board - Authority of Department.

A. The Board shall have the power and duty to promulgate rules implementing or effectuating the Oklahoma Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Act. Such rules may incorporate by reference any applicable rules, regulations and policies of the United States Environmental Protection Agency adopted under the Clean Water Act. Any such rules shall be in reasonable accord with the United States Environmental Protection Agency regulations and policies, including but not limited to rules which:
1. Allow the inclusion of technology-based effluent limitations and require water-quality-related effluent limitations in discharge permits to the extent necessary to protect the designated and existing beneficial uses of the waters of the state and to comply with the requirements of the Clean Water Act;
2. Establish pretreatment standards and standards for the removal of toxic materials and pollutants from effluent discharges and establish procedures and programs necessary to implement and enforce such standards and ensure compliance with applicable federal regulations;
3. Apply applicable national standards of performance promulgated pursuant to Section 306 of the Clean Water Act in establishing terms and conditions of Executive Director issued permits;
4. Prohibit or control the discharge of pollutants into wells within the jurisdiction of the Department of Environmental Quality;
5. Develop or assist in development of any effluent limitation or other limitation, prohibition, or effluent regulation;
6. Establish procedures, including, but not limited to, notice and opportunity for public hearing, which provide that whenever the owner or operator of any point source discharge can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Executive Director that any effluent limitation proposed for the control of the thermal component of any discharge from such source will require effluent limitations more stringent than necessary to assure the protection and propagation of a balanced, indigenous population of shellfish, fish and wildlife in and on the body of water into which the discharge is to be made, the Executive Director may impose an effluent limitation for such discharge, taking into account the interaction of such thermal component with other pollutants, that will assure the protection and propagation of a balanced, indigenous population of shellfish, fish and wildlife in and on that body of water;
7. Ensure that the public and any other state, the waters of which may be affected, receive notice of each application for a discharge permit;
8. Ensure that any other state, the waters of which may be affected by the activities allowed by a proposed permit, may submit written recommendations on the application to the Department. The rules shall provide that if such recommendations or any parts thereof are not adopted, the Department will notify the affected state in writing and shall provide the reasons therefor;
9. Establish a fee schedule to implement the provisions of the Oklahoma Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Act; and
10. Establish management standards for sludge which are no less stringent than applicable federal regulations and establish procedures and requirements necessary to ensure compliance with applicable federal laws.
B. The Department shall have authority to:
1. Require the owner or operator of any system for the treatment, storage, discharge or transport of pollutants to establish, maintain and submit plans, specifications, records, and other data relative to disposal systems or any part thereof, in connection with the issuance of discharge permits or in connection with any permit, purposes or requirements of the Oklahoma Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Act, to make reports, to install, calibrate, use and maintain monitoring equipment or methods including biological monitoring methods, take samples of effluents in such manner as may be prescribed, and provide such other information as may be reasonably required;
2. Take all actions which may be necessary or incidental to implement and maintain a pollutant discharge permit program and sludge program, including the authority to assume and obtain authorization to implement and maintain a portion of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System state permit program and a state sludge program pursuant to Section 402 and other provisions of the Clean Water Act and other applicable federal law. The Executive Director shall issue permits for the discharge of pollutants and storm water from facilities and activities within its areas of environmental jurisdiction specified in Section 1-3-101 of this title;
3. Take necessary and appropriate actions to revoke and reissue, modify, suspend, or otherwise administer and enforce discharge permits and sludge permits issued by the United States Environmental Protection Agency which are transferred to the Department upon federal authorization of the Department's program; and
4. Exercise all necessary incidental powers which are necessary and proper to carry out the purposes of the Oklahoma Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Act and to comply with the requirements of the Clean Water Act and the requirements of the United States Environmental Protection Agency regulations promulgated thereunder.
Added by Laws 1992, c. 398, § 15, eff. July 1, 1993. Amended by Laws 1993, c. 145, § 64, eff. July 1, 1993. Renumbered from § 1003 of this title by Laws 1993, c. 145, § 359, eff. July 1, 1993. Amended by Laws 1993, c. 324, § 21, eff. July 1, 1993; Laws 1994, c. 353, § 11, eff. July 1, 1994.