Minnesota Administrative Rules

1505.2100 DEFINITIONS.

Subpart 1.

Scope.

The definitions in this part and Minnesota Statutes, sections 18B.01 and 18C.005, apply to parts 1505.2100 to 1505.2800.

Subp. 2.

Agricultural chemical.

"Agricultural chemical" means a pesticide as defined in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 18B, or a fertilizer, plant amendment, or soil amendment as defined in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 18C.

Subp. 3.

Antipollution device.

"Antipollution device" means equipment or a device used to prevent the backflow or backsiphonage of agricultural chemicals or mixtures of agricultural chemicals and water to the groundwater or surface water from the application of agricultural chemicals through irrigation systems and includes, but is not limited to, a reduced pressure zone backflow preventer, single or double irrigation system supply check valve, air gap, vacuum relief valve, automatic low pressure drain, injection line check valve, system interlock, low pressure shutdown device, and supply tank safeguard.

Subp. 4.

Automatic low pressure drain valve.

"Automatic low pressure drain valve" means a self-activating device designed and constructed to effectively and immediately drain that portion of an irrigation pipeline or conduit or check valve body whose contents could potentially enter the water supply when operation of the irrigation system pumping plant fails or is shut down.

Subp. 5.

Calibration.

"Calibration" means the use of devices and procedures utilized and employed with a chemigation system to determine the rate of agricultural chemical application.

Subp. 6.

Check valve.

"Check valve" means a device designed and constructed to effectively provide a positive, absolute closure of an irrigation pipeline or conduit or an agricultural chemical injection line that positively prevents the flow of a mixture of agricultural chemicals or agricultural chemicals and water to an irrigation pipeline, water supply, injection device, or supply tank when operation of the irrigation system pumping plant or agricultural chemical injection unit fails or is shut down.

Subp. 7.

Chemigation system.

"Chemigation system" means a device or combination of devices having a hose, pipe, or other conduit directly connected to a water supply through which a mixture of agricultural chemicals, or agricultural chemicals and water, are injected or drawn into and applied to land, crops, or plants.

Subp. 8.

Commissioner.

"Commissioner" means the commissioner of agriculture or an agent authorized by the commissioner.

Subp. 9.

Department.

"Department" means the Department of Agriculture.

Subp. 10.

Fertilizer chemigation.

"Fertilizer chemigation" means a process for applying fertilizers to land or crops including agricultural, nursery, turf, golf course, or greenhouse sites in or with irrigation water during the irrigation process.

Subp. 11.

Incident.

"Incident" means a flood, fire, tornado, transportation accident, storage container rupture, leak, spill, emission discharge, escape, disposal, or other event that releases or immediately threatens to release an agricultural chemical accidentally or otherwise into the environment, and may cause unreasonable adverse effect on the environment. Incident does not include the legal use of an agricultural chemical.

Subp. 12.

Injection unit.

"Injection unit" means an agricultural chemical injection metering pump, venturi (vacuum), pressure differential, or other metering device interlocked with the irrigation system that withdraws an agricultural chemical from a supply tank and injects the agricultural chemical into the irrigation system during a chemigation operation.

Subp. 13.

Interlock.

"Interlock" means the interconnection between an irrigation pump and agricultural chemical injection unit that causes injection system shutdown.

Subp. 14.

Irrigation.

"Irrigation" means the act of supplying water for agricultural and horticultural purposes to land, crops, or plants by means of pipes, hoses, sprinklers, drippers, ditches, furrows, or other devices that are connected directly to a source of ground or surface water.

Subp. 15.

Low pressure shutdown device.

"Low pressure shutdown device" means a device interlocked with the irrigation system that will shut down the irrigation system when the water pressure decreases to the point where an incident may occur.

Subp. 16.

Permitted-by-rule.

"Permitted-by-rule" means an applicant is considered to have a permit under part 1505.2200 to construct and operate a chemigation system if the applicant complies with parts 1505.2100 to 1505.2800, including the submission of a permit application and the required fee under part 1505.2200.

Subp. 17.

Pesticide chemigation.

"Pesticide chemigation" means the process of applying pesticides to land or crops including, but not limited to, agricultural, nursery, turf, golf course, or greenhouse sites in or with irrigation water during the irrigation process.

Subp. 18.

Public water supply.

"Public water supply" has the meaning given in part 4725.0100, subpart 37a.

Subp. 19.

Reduced pressure zone backflow preventer.

"Reduced pressure zone backflow preventer" means a device designed to prevent backflow consisting of two spring loaded check valves with an intermediate reduced pressure zone that drains to the atmosphere by a relief valve, with a reduced pressure maintained in the intermediate zone by means of a pressure differential valve.

Subp. 20.

Substantially altering.

"Substantially altering" means modifying a chemigation system by changing or adding injection units, supply tanks, safeguards, or antipollution devices described in the applicants most recently submitted permit application. Routine maintenance does not constitute a substantial alteration.

Subp. 21.

Vacuum relief valve.

"Vacuum relief valve" means a device effectively designed and built to automatically relieve or break vacuum in an irrigation pipeline or conduit caused by system failure or shut down.

Subp. 22.

Water supply.

"Water supply" means a source of water that is connected directly to an irrigation system such as a single well, group of wells, dug pit, lake, river, or stream.

Statutory Authority:

MS s 18C.121; 18C.575

History:

17 SR 711; 29 SR 655

Published Electronically:

September 17, 2013