HF 3016

as introduced - 91st Legislature (2019 - 2020) Posted on 02/11/2020 03:38pm

A bill for an act
relating to environment; modifying Clean Water Legacy Act; amending Minnesota
Statutes 2018, section 114D.15, subdivision 10.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 114D.15, subdivision 10, is amended to read:

Subd. 10.

Total maximum daily load or TMDL.

"Total maximum daily load" or
"TMDL" means a scientific study that contains a calculation of the maximum amount of a
pollutant that may be introduced into a surface water and still ensure that applicable water
quality standards for that water are restored and maintained. A TMDL also is the sum of
the pollutant load allocations for all sources of the pollutant, including a wasteload allocation
for point sources, a load allocation for nonpoint sources deleted text begin and deleted text end new text begin , a load allocation for new text end natural
background, an allocation for future growth of point and nonpoint sources, and a margin of
safety to account for uncertainty about the relationship between pollutant loads and the
quality of the receiving surface water. "Natural background" means characteristics of the
water body resulting from the multiplicity of factors in nature, including climate and
ecosystem dynamics, that affect the physical, chemical, or biological conditions in a water
body, but does not include measurable and distinguishable pollution that is attributable to
human activity or influence. A TMDL must take into account seasonal variations.