Montana Code Annotated 2023

TITLE 75. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

CHAPTER 5. WATER QUALITY

Part 1. General Provisions

Interagency Cooperation -- Enforcement Authorization

75-5-106. Interagency cooperation -- enforcement authorization. (1) The council, the board and the department may require the use of records of all state agencies and may seek the assistance of the agencies. When the department's review of a permit application submitted under another chapter or title is required or requested, the department shall coordinate the review under this chapter with the review conducted by the agency or unit under the other chapter, following the time schedule for that review. State, county, and municipal officers and employees, including sanitarians and other employees of local departments of health, shall cooperate with the council, the board and the department in furthering the purposes of this chapter, so far as is practicable and consistent with their other duties.

(2) The department may authorize a local water quality district established according to the provisions of Title 7, chapter 13, part 45, to enforce the provisions of this chapter and rules adopted under this chapter on a case-by-case basis. If a local water quality district requests the authorization, the local water quality district shall present appropriate documentation to the department that a person is violating permit requirements established by the department or may be causing pollution, as defined in 75-5-103, of state waters or placing or causing to be placed wastes in a location where they are likely to cause pollution of state waters. The department may adopt rules regarding the granting of enforcement authority to local water quality districts.

History: En. Sec. 21, Ch. 21, L. 1971; R.C.M. 1947, 69-4827; amd. Sec. 25, Ch. 357, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 497, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 30, Ch. 324, L. 2021.