Idaho Bills

Adds to existing law to require public notice and opportunity to comment on tentative decisions by the Department of Environmental Quality regarding Idaho Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (IPDES) permits, to provide for appeals of final decisions and for judicial review, to prohibit conflicts of interest; and to provide that provisions of Idaho's Environmental Protection and Health Act shall apply to the IPDES Program and to provide for the enforcement of pretreatment standards.

Amends existing law to provide for the Environmental Protection Trust, to provide for the Environmental Protection Trust Fund and to provide for the investment of moneys with the Idaho Endowment Fund Investment Board under certain conditions.

Amends existing law to revise priority classifications for certain water bodies in regard to the development of total maximum daily load or equivalent processes.

Federal clean water act regulations require states to identify water bodies that do not meet water quality standards and develop a water quality improvement plan, called a total maximum daily load (TMDL), for each. States then prioritize TMDLs by taking into account the severity of pollution and uses of the water bodies. Federal law permits states to take other factors, such as department resources or data quality, under consideration as well when setting priorities for TMDL development. Current Idaho Code language, however, does not allow the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to take advantage of this added flexibility. The purpose of this legislation is to make Idaho Code consistent with federal law and ensure DEQ can fully utilize the flexibility allowed when prioritizing TMDLs.