SRBC Project Review Rules & Regulations

Authority: Secs. 3.4, 3.5, 3.8, 3.10, 15.2, and 15.17, Pub. L. 91-575, 84 Stat. 1509 et seq.

This part establishes the scope and procedures for review and approval of projects under Section 3.10 of the Susquehanna River Basin Compact, Public Law 91-575, 84 Stat. 1509 et seq., (the compact) and establishes special standards under Section 3.4 (2) of the compact governing water withdrawals and the consumptive use of water. The special standards established pursuant to Section 3.4 (2) shall be applicable to all water withdrawals and consumptive uses in accordance with the terms of those standards, irrespective of whether such withdrawals and uses are also subject to project review under Section 3.10.
Except for activities relating to site evaluation, no person or governmental entity shall begin construction or operation of any project subject to commission review and approval until such project is approved by the commission.
When projects subject to commission review and approval are sponsored by governmental entities, the commission shall submit recommendations and findings to the sponsoring agency which shall be included in any report submitted by such agency to its respective legislative body or to any committee thereof in connection with any request for authorization or appropriation therefor. The commission review will ascertain the project's compatibility with the objectives, goals, guidelines and criteria set forth in the comprehensive plan. If determined compatible, the said project will also be incorporated into the comprehensive plan if so required by the compact. This part, and every other part of 18 CFR Chapter VIII, shall also be incorporated into and made a part of the comprehensive plan.
If any portion of this part, or any other part of 18 CFR Chapter VIII, shall, for any reason, be declared invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, all remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.
Except as otherwise stated in this part this part shall be effective on May 11, 1995; provided, however, that nothing in this paragraph shall be deemed to exempt:
1. Any project which has been or could have been subject to review and approval by the commission under the authority set forth in Section 3.10 of the compact or any prior regulations of the commission; or
2. Any withdrawal or consumptive use which has been or could have been subject to special standards adopted pursuant to Section 3.4 (2) of the compact.
When any period of time is referred to in this part, such period in all cases shall be so computed as to exclude the first and include the last day of such period. Whenever the last day of any such period shall fall on Saturday or Sunday, or on any day made a legal holiday by the law of the United States, such day shall be omitted from the computation.
Any forms or documents referenced in this part may be obtained from the commission at 1721 N. Front Street, Harrisburg, PA 17102-2391.

For purposes of this part, the words listed in this section are defined as follows:

Agricultural water use. A water use associated primarily with the raising of food or forage crops, trees, flowers, shrubs, turf, aquaculture and livestock.
Application. A request for action by the commission in written form including without limitation thereto a letter, referral by any agency of a signatory party, or an official form prescribed by the commission.
Basin. The Susquehanna River basin.
Commission. The Susquehanna River Basin Commission, a body politic created under Article 2, Section 2.1 of the compact.
Compensation. Water utilized or provided from storage as makeup for a consumptive use.
Comprehensive plan. The "Comprehensive Plan for Management and Development of the Water Resources of the Susquehanna River Basin" prepared and adopted by the commission pursuant to Article 3, Section 3.3 of the compact.
Construction. Clearing or excavation of the site or installation of any portion of the project on the site.
Consumptive use. Consumptive use is the loss of water from a ground-water or surface water source through a manmade conveyance system (including such water that is purveyed through a public water supply system), due to transpiration by vegetation, incorporation into products during their manufacture, evaporation, diversion from the Susquehanna River basin, or any other process by which the water withdrawn is not returned to the waters of the basin undiminished in quantity. Deep well injection shall not be considered a return to the waters of the basin.
Dedicated augmentation. Release from an upstream storage facility which is required for any other instream or withdrawal use.
Deep well injection. Injection of waste or wastewater substantially below aquifers containing fresh water.
Diversion. The transfer of water into or from the basin.
Executive Director. The chief executive officer of the commission appointed pursuant to Article 15, Section 15.5 of the compact.
Facility. Any real or personal property, within or without the basin, and improvements thereof or thereon, and any and all rights of way, water, water rights, plants, structures, machinery, and equipment acquired, constructed, operated, or maintained for the beneficial use of water resources or related land uses or otherwise including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, any and all things and appurtenances necessary, useful, or convenient for the control, collection, storage, withdrawal, diversion, release, treatment, transmission, sale, or exchange of water; or for navigation thereon, or the development and use of hydroelectric energy and power, and public recreational facilities; of the propagation of fish and wildlife; or to conserve and protect the water resources of the basin or any existing or future water supply source, or to facilitate any other uses of any of them. For purposes of this part and every other part contained in this chapter, a facility shall be considered a project (see definition of project in this section).
Governmental entity. The federal government, the signatory states, their political subdivisions, public corporations, public authorities and special purpose districts.
Ground-water source.
1. Pumped wells or well fields;
2. Flowing wells;
3. Pumped quarries, pits, and underground mines having no significant surface water inflow (significant meaning that any surface water inflow is greater than the withdrawal); or
4. A spring in which the water level is sufficiently lowered by pumping to eliminate the surface flow. All other springs will be considered to be surface water.
Person. An individual, corporation, partnership, unincorporated association, and the like and shall have no gender and the singular shall include the plural.
Pre-compact use. The maximum average quantity or volume of water consumptively used over any consecutive 30 day period prior to January 23, 1971 expressed in "gallons per day" (gpd).
Project. Any work, service, activity, or facility undertaken which is separately planned or financed for the conservation, utilization, control, development, or management of water resources which can be established and utilized independently, or as an addition to an existing facility, and can be considered as a separate entity for purposes of evaluation.
Signatory party. The States of Maryland and New York, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the United States of America.
Signatory state. The States of Maryland and New York, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Sponsor. Any person or governmental entity proposing to undertake a project. The singular shall include the plural.
Surface water source. Any river, perennial stream, natural lake or pond, spring, wetland or other body of surface water situated in the basin.
Susquehanna River basin. The area of drainage of the Susquehanna River and its tributaries into the Chesapeake Bay to the southern edge of the former Pennsylvania Railroad Bridge between Havre de Grace and Perryville, Maryland.
Water(s). Surface and ground water(s) contained within the Susquehanna River basin either before or after withdrawal.
Withdrawal. A taking or removal of water from any source within the basin for use within the basin.

The following projects, if not already covered under з803.4, may be subject to commission review and approval and require, in accordance with the procedures outlined in з803.22, a "request for determination" to be submitted to the executive director:

The commission may, in its discretion, waive or modify the requirements of this part if the essential purposes set forth in з803.2 continue to be served.

The purpose of this subpart is to set forth procedures governing applications required by зз 803.4 and 803.5.

Sponsors of projects which may require review and approval, as described in з803.5, shall submit a "request for determination" to the executive director with such accompanying information and data as the executive director shall prescribe..
If a project sponsor is uncertain whether a "request for determination" should be filed with the commission, the sponsor may ask for and, within thirty days after submission of information in such form and manner as will allow the executive director to make a decision, receive from the executive director a letter stating whether a "request for determination" should be filed. The executive director may also direct a project sponsor to submit a "request for determination."
Within thirty days of the receipt of such "request for determination," the executive director shall determine whether the said project must be reviewed and approved by the commission. In making such determination, the executive director shall be guided primarily by his/her findings as to the following factors:
1. Whether the proposed project will have a significant interstate effect on water supply, stream flows, aquifers, water quality, flooding, sensitive land areas, aquatic or terrestrial forms of plant or animal life, historical or cultural resources, or any other water-related resource.
2. Whether the proposed project will have a significant impact upon the goals, objectives, guidelines, plans, or projects included in the comprehensive plan.
3. Whether the proposed project may have an adverse or adverse cumulative effect on the water resources of the basin.
The executive director shall notify the sponsor of the project, the agency of the signatory party, if any, reviewing the project, the governing body of each municipality and the planning agency of each county in which the project is located of his/her initial determination under this section. Notice to the sponsor shall be by certified mail, and to all other interested parties by regular, first class mail. At a cost to be assessed to the project sponsor, the executive director shall also publish in a newspaper of general circulation in that municipality, at least once, a notice of such determination. If no objection is made to the executive director's initial determination, it shall become final ten days after publication as set forth in this paragraph.
Any interested party objecting to the determination may, within ten days of the newspaper publication, object to such determination and appeal to the executive director by letter for reconsideration. Following such reconsideration, if requested, the executive director shall serve notice upon the agency of the signatory party, the applicant and each such objector of his/her determination. Any such party may appeal such final determination to the commission by notice in writing served upon the executive director within 14 days after the service of the executive director's decision upon reconsideration. The commission will determine such appeal at a regular meeting thereafter.

Applications shall be submitted on forms prescribed by the commission.
If no forms are prescribed by the commission for a particular type of project, the sponsor shall submit an application addressing the following items applicable to the project:
1. Identification of sponsor and name of person authorized to speak for the sponsor.
2. Description of project and site in terms of:
  1. Water use and availability.
  2. Engineering feasibility.
  3. Ability of sponsor to fund the project or action.
  4. Project location.
  5. Project purpose.
  6. Identification and description of reasonable alternatives, the extent of their economic and technical investigation, and an assessment of their potential environmental impact. In the case of a proposed diversion, the sponsor should include information:
    1. Detailing the efforts that have been made to develop its own in-basin sources of water; and
    2. Demonstrating that the proposed diversion will not have substantial adverse effects on the ability of the Susquehanna River basin to meet its own water needs.
  7. Supporting studies, reports and other information upon which assumptions and assertions have been based.
  8. Compatibility of proposed project with existing and anticipated uses.
  9. Plans for avoiding or compensating for consumptive use during low flow periods.
  10. Anticipated impact of the proposed project on:
    1. Flood damage potential considering the location of the project with respect to the flood plain and flood hazard zones;
    2. Surface water characteristics (quality, quantity, flow regimen, other hydrologic characteristics);
    3. Recreation potential;
    4. Fish and wildlife (habitat quality, kind and number of species);
    5. Natural environment uses (scenic vistas, natural and manmade travel corridors, wild and wilderness areas, wild, scenic and recreation rivers);
    6. Site development considerations (geology, topography, soil characteristics, adjoining and nearby land uses, adequacy of site facilities); and
    7. Historical, cultural and archaeological impacts.
3. Governmental considerations:
  1. Need for governmental services or finances.
  2. Commitment of government to provide services or finances.
  3. Status of application with other governmental regulatory bodies.
4. Project estimated completion date and estimated construction schedule.
A report about the project prepared for any other purpose, or an application for approval prepared for submission to a signatory party, may be accepted by the commission provided the said report or application addresses the applicable items listed in paragraph (b) of this section.

The project sponsor shall, within ten days of the submission of an application to the commission, notify area and regional news media, the municipality(ies) in which the project is situated, the county planning agency of the county(ies) in which the project is situated, and contiguous property owners that an application has been submitted to the commission. The commission shall compile a list of additional interested parties who comment on the application, request a hearing or make inquiries concerning the application. The project sponsor shall also publish at least once in a newspaper of general circulation in that municipality a notice of the submission of the application which contains a sufficient description of the project, its purpose and its location. Both the notification and the notice shall contain the address and phone number of the commission.
The project sponsor shall provide the commission with a copy of the return receipt for the required municipal notification and a proof of publication for the required newspaper notice. The project sponsor shall also provide certification on a form provided by the commission that it has made such other notifications as required under paragraph (a) of this section. Until these items are provided to the commission, processing of the application will not proceed.

The commission's staff shall review the application, and if necessary, request the sponsor to provide any additional information that is deemed pertinent for proper evaluation of the project. The staff review shall include:
1. Determination of completeness of the application. An application deemed incomplete will not be processed.
2. Identification of the issues pertinent to commission review.
3. Assessment of the project's compatibility with the compact, comprehensive plan, and with the other requirements of this Part.
4. Consultation with the project sponsor if requested or deemed necessary.
5. Determination of the appropriate application fee in accordance with the commission's project review fee schedule and the transmission of a billing to the project sponsor for that fee. Applications will not be presented to the commission for review and action until such application fee has been paid.
6. Formal docketing of the project and, within 90 days of receipt of a complete application, presentation to the commission along with the recommendations of the staff for disposition of the application. The executive director may, for good cause, extend this review period for up to an additional 60 days. Any further extension must be approved by the commission.
If the project sponsor fails to respond to the commission's request for additional information, the commission may notify the project sponsor that the application process has been terminated. To reactivate the closed file, the project sponsor shall reapply and may be required to submit new or updated evaluations.

In the event of an emergency requiring immediate action to protect the public health, safety and welfare or to avoid substantial and irreparable injury to any person, property, or natural resources and the circumstances do not permit a review and determination in the regular course of the regulations in this part, the executive director, with the concurrence of the chairperson of the commission and the member from the affected signatory state, may issue an emergency certificate authorizing a project sponsor to take such action as the executive director may deem necessary and proper in the circumstances, pending review and determination by the commission as otherwise required by this part.

The commission may, by separate resolution, establish and modify fees for the submission and processing of applications and for the monitoring of project compliance with this part.

Approvals issued under this part shall have a duration equal to the term of any accompanying signatory license or permit regulating the same subject matter. If there is no such accompanying license or permit or if no term is specified in such accompanying license or permit, the duration of a commission approval issued under this part shall be 25 years. The commission, upon its own motion or that of a project sponsor, may modify this duration in consideration of such factors as the time needed to amortize a project investment, the time needed to secure project financing, the potential risks of interference with an existing project, and other equitable factors. Unless there is an accompanying signatory license or permit regulating the same subject matter and specifying a duration, the 25 year duration for projects previously approved by the commission under this part shall commence five years from the date on which such projects were initially approved.
For projects that have been approved by the commission but not implemented, approval by the commission under this part shall expire three years from the date of commission action. Likewise, if the use of a project is discontinued for such a period of time and under such circumstances that an abandonment of the project may reasonably be inferred, the commission may rescind a prior approval for such abandoned project. In either case, an approval may be extended or renewed by the commission upon request.
The sponsors of projects previously approved by the commission should apply for renewal of their approvals no later than six months prior to the expiration of their previous approval. Such applications for renewal shall be reviewed under the same procedures and standards as for newly proposed projects.

Approvals by the commission are transferable to new owners of projects, provided that the transferors or the transferees notify the commission of the transfer either before or within 60 days after the date of the transfer and that the new owners, within 30 days of being requested to do so by the commission, submit in writing their intention to comply with all conditions of the project's docket approval and assume all other associated obligations. The commission may waive or extend any of these deadline periods for good cause.

Once approved, the commission, upon its own motion, or upon application of the project sponsor or any interested party, may at any time reopen any project docket and make additional orders that may be necessary to mitigate or avoid adverse impacts or to otherwise protect the public health, safety, and welfare or natural resources. Whenever an application for reopening is filed by an interested party, the burden shall be upon that interested party to show, by a preponderance of the evidence, that a substantial adverse impact or a threat to the public health, safety or welfare exists that warrants reopening of the docket. Before such application may be submitted to the commission for action, the executive director shall first determine that an interested party has made out a prima facia case favoring the reopening of the docket . The executive director shall inform the commission of any negative finding in this regard so that the commission is afforded the opportunity to over-rule his/her decision.

The commission may, by resolution, establish interest to be paid on all overdue or outstanding fees of any nature that are payable to the commission.

The purpose of this Subpart is to set forth standards that shall be used by the commission to evaluate proposed projects pursuant to зз803.4 and 803.5, and to establish special standards applicable to certain water withdrawals and consumptive uses irrespective of whether such withdrawals and consumptive uses are subject to project review pursuant to Section 3.10 of the compact. General standards applying to all projects and special standards applying to certain types of projects are set forth in this subpart. This subpart does not identify all the aspects of a proposed project that will be evaluated, nor should it be construed as a self-imposed limitation upon the commission's authority and scope of review. The special standards established pursuant to Section 3.4 (2) of the compact shall be applicable to all water withdrawals and consumptive uses in accordance with the terms of those standards, irrespective of whether such withdrawals and uses are also subject to project review under Section 3.10 of the compact.

Requirement
1. Compensation shall be required for consumptive uses of water during periods of low flow. Compensation is required during periods of low flow for the purposes set forth in з803.2.
  1. Surface-water source. Compensation in an amount equal to the project's total consumptive use shall be required when the streamflow at the point of taking equals or is anticipated to equal the low flow criterion which is the 7-day 10-year low flow plus the project's total consumptive use and dedicated augmentation. The commission reserves the right to apply a higher low flow criterion for a particular stream reach when it finds, as the result of evidence presented at a public hearing that it is needed to serve the purposes outlined in paragraph (b) (1) of this section.
  2. Ground-water source. Compensation for the project's consumptive use of ground water shall be required when the stream flow is less than the applicable low flow criterion. For the purposes of implementing this regulation, the commission will identify the appropriate stream gaging station for determining the applicable low flow.
2. Consumptive uses by a project not exceeding an average of 20,000 gpd for any consecutive thirty-day period from surface or groundwaters are exempt from the requirement unless such uses adversely affect the purposes outlined in paragraph (b) (1) of this section.
Method of Compensation.
1. Methods of compensation acceptable to the commission will depend upon the character of the project's source of water supply and other factors noted in this paragraph (b) (1).
  1. The required amount of compensation shall be provided by the applicant or project sponsor at the point of taking (for a surface source) or another appropriate site as approved by the commission to satisfy the purposes outlined in this paragraph (b) (1). If compensation for consumptive use from a surface source is to be provided upstream from the point of taking, such compensation shall reasonably assure no diminution of the flow immediately downstream from the point of taking which would otherwise exist naturally, plus any other dedicated augmentation.
  2. Compensation may be provided by one, or a combination of the following:
    1. Construction or acquisition of storage facilities.
    2. Purchase of available water supply storage in existing public or private storage facilities, or in public or private facilities scheduled for completion prior to completion of the applicant's project.
    3. Purchase of water to be released as required from a water purveyor.
    4. Releases from an existing facility owned and operated by the applicant.
    5. Use of water from a public water supplier utilizing raw water storage that maintains a conservation release or flow-by, as applicable, of Q7-10 or greater at the public water supplier's point of taking.
    6. Ground water.
    7. Purchase and release of waters stored in other subbasins or watersheds.
    8. Other alternatives.
2. Alternatives to compensation may be appropriate such as discontinuance of that part of the project's operation that consumes water, imposition of conservation measures, utilization of an alternative source that is unaffected by the compensation requirement, or a monetary payment to the commission in an amount to be determined by the commission from time-to-time.
3. The commission shall, in its sole discretion, determine the acceptable manner of compensation or alternatives to compensation, as applicable, for consumptive uses by a project. Such a determination will be made after considering the project location, anticipated amount of consumptive use and its effect on the purposes set forth in з803.2 of this part, and any other pertinent factors.
Quantity of consumptive use. For purposes of evaluating a proposed project, the commission shall require estimates of anticipated consumptive use from the project sponsor. The commission, as part of the project review, shall evaluate the proposed methodology for monitoring consumptive losses and compensating flows including flow metering devices, stream gages, and other facilities used to measure the consumptive use of the project or the rate of streamflow. If the commission determines that additional flow measuring devices are required, these shall be provided at the expense of the project sponsor and shall be subject to inspection by the commission at any time. When the project is operational, the commission shall be responsible for determining when compensation is required and shall notify the project sponsor accordingly. The project sponsor shall provide the commission with periodic reports in the time and manner as it requires showing actual consumptive uses associated with the project. The commission may use this data to modify, as appropriate, the magnitude and timing of the compensating releases initially required when the project was approved.
Quality of compensation water. The physical, chemical and biological quality of water used for compensation shall at all times meet the quality requirements for the purposes listed in з803.2, as applicable.
Effective date. Notwithstanding the overall effective date for other portions of this part set forth in з803.1(e), this section shall apply to all consumptive uses initiated on or after January 23, 1971, the effective date of the compact.
Public water suppliers, except to the extent that they are diverting the waters of the basin, shall be exempt from the requirements of this section; provided, however, that nothing in this section shall be construed to exempt individual consumptive users connected to any such public water supply system from the requirements of this section.

Requirement.
1. With respect to projects coming into existence on or after the effective date of this section, any project sponsor proposing to withdraw from a ground-water source in excess of an average of 100,000 gpd for any consecutive thirty-day period, proposing to increase a withdrawal to more than an average of 100,000 for any consecutive thirty-day period or proposing to increase a withdrawal above that amount which was previously approved by the commission, shall apply for approval pursuant to subpart B of this part. These withdrawals may be denied or may be limited by the commission to the amount (quantity and rate) of ground water that is needed to meet the reasonably foreseeable needs of the project sponsor and that can be withdrawn from an aquifer or aquifer system without causing adverse lowering of ground-water levels, rendering competing supplies unreliable, causing water quality degradation that may be injurious to any existing or potential ground or surface water use, causing permanent loss of aquifer storage capacity, or having a substantial adverse impact on low flow of perennial streams.
2. With respect to projects withdrawing any quantity of water prior to the effective date of this section, any project sponsor proposing to increase the said withdrawal in excess of 100,000 gpd above that which such project was withdrawing prior to the said effective date, shall apply for approval pursuant to subpart B of this part.
3. After obtaining approval for the withdrawal pursuant to this paragraph, the sponsor shall also comply with metering, monitoring and reporting requirements as set forth in this section..
Withdrawal application. Information required by the commission is specified in the commission's ground-water withdrawal application and includes but is not limited to the results of a constant rate pumping test. Review and approval by SRBC staff of the test procedures to be used by the applicant are necessary before the test is started.
Metering. Projects approved under this section shall meter all approved ground-water withdrawals. The meters shall be accurate to within 5 percent of the actual flow.
Monitoring and reporting.
1. Monitoring and periodic reporting of water levels, well production, and ground-water quality are required of all approved ground-water withdrawals. The required information is listed in Form SRBC #30 (Ground-water Withdrawal Reporting Form) and includes but is not limited to the following:
  1. Ground-water levels shall be measured weekly in all approved production wells and reported to the commission annually. Additional water level measurements may be required in one or more observation wells as determined by the commission.
  2. Production from approved ground-water sources shall be recorded weekly and reported to the commission annually.
  3. Samples of ground water for water quality analysis shall be obtained and the results reported to the commission every three years. The required chemical constituents to be included in the analysis are listed in Form SRBC #30.
2. The information in paragraph (d)(1) of this section may be provided to the commission either on Form SRBC #30 or other similar document containing all of the required information.
Planning If projections indicate that a project's ground-water supply will be constrained in the future by either the quantity or quality of available ground water, the commission may, in its discretion, require the submission of a water resource development plan prior to accepting any new withdrawal applications for the same or related projects.
Interference with existing withdrawals. If review of the application or substantial data demonstrates that operation of a proposed ground-water withdrawal will significantly affect or interfere with an existing ground-water or surface water withdrawal, the project may be denied or the project sponsor may be required to provide, at its expense, an alternate water supply or other mitigating measures.
Effective date. Notwithstanding the overall effective date for other portions of this part set forth in з803.1(e), this section shall apply to all ground-water withdrawals initiated on or after July 13, 1978.

Requirement.
1. With respect to projects coming into existence on or after the effective date of this section, any project sponsor proposing to withdraw either directly or a public water supplier proposing to withdraw indirectly (through another user) from a surface source in excess of an average of 100,000 gpd for any consecutive thirty-day period, proposing to increase a withdrawal to more than an average of 100,000 gpd for any consecutive thirty-day period or proposing to increase a withdrawal above that amount which was previously approved by the commission, shall obtain commission approval of the withdrawal. These withdrawals may be denied or may be limited by the commission to the amount (quantity and rate) of water that is needed to meet the reasonably foreseeable needs of the project sponsor and that can be withdrawn without causing adverse lowering of streamflow levels, rendering competing supplies unreliable, causing water quality degradation that may be injurious to any existing or potential water use, adversely affecting fish, wildlife or other living resources or their habitat, or having a substantial adverse impact on the low flow of perennial streams.
2. With respect to projects withdrawing any quantity of water prior to the effective date of this section, any project sponsor proposing to increase the said withdrawal in excess of 100,000 gpd above that which such project was withdrawing prior to the said effective date, shall apply for approval pursuant to subpart B of this part.
3. Any sponsor of a project subject to this section shall complete a surface water withdrawal application. After obtaining approval under this section, the sponsor shall comply with metering, monitoring, and conservation requirements as set forth in this section.
Withdrawal application. Information required by the commission is specified in the commission's application for withdrawal from surface water sources.
Metering. Project sponsors shall meter or use other suitable methods of measuring surface withdrawals approved under this section. The meters shall be accurate to within 5 percent of the actual flow.
Monitoring and reporting. Monitoring and periodic reporting of surface water withdrawals approved under this section is required. The required information includes but is not limited to the following:
1. Daily, weekly, or monthly records of withdrawals by source, as specified by the commission, and reported annually;
2. Description of conservation activity; and
3. Records of releases or flowby for instream protection reported annually.
Planning. If projections indicate that a project's surface water supply will be constrained in the future by either the quantity or quality of available surface water, the commission may, in its discretion, require the submission of a water resource development plan prior to accepting any new withdrawal applications for the same or related projects.
Interference with existing withdrawals. If review of the application or substantial data demonstrates that operation of a proposed surface water withdrawal will significantly affect or interfere with an existing ground-water or surface water withdrawal, the project may be denied or the project sponsor may be required to provide, at its expense, an alternate water supply or other mitigating measures.
Effective date. This section shall be effective six months after the effective date set forth in з803.1(e), except for projects previously reviewed and approved by the commission under the general authority of section 3.10 of the compact. Commission authority shall continue over such previously approved projects.
Hydroelectric projects. Hydroelectric projects, except to the extent that such projects constitute a withdrawal, shall be exempt from the requirements of this section; provided, however, that nothing in this paragraph shall be construed as exempting hydroelectric projects from review and approval under any other category of project requiring review and approval as set forth in зз803.4 and 803.5.

In addition to any other requirements of commission regulations, and subject to the consent of the affected signatory state to this requirement, all persons withdrawing or diverting in excess of an average of 10,000 gpd for any consecutive thirty-day period, from surface or ground-water sources, as defined in Part 803 of this chapter, shall register the amount of this withdrawal with the commission and provide such other information as requested on forms prescribed by the commission.

The commission may complete appropriate administrative agreements or informal arrangements to carry out this registration requirement through the offices of signatory agencies. Forms developed by the commission shall apprise registrants of any such agreements or arrangements and provide appropriate instructions to complete and submit the form. Permits issued by a signatory party agency shall be considered a registration with the commission if issued pursuant to an agreement of understanding with the commission specifically providing therefor.

This Subpart shall be effective on May 11, 1995 and shall apply to all present and future withdrawals or diversions irrespective of when such withdrawals or diversions were initiated.

Terms used in this subpart shall be defined as set forth in з803.3 of this chapter.

Any project sponsor whose project is subject to commission approval under this part or part 803 of this chapter proposing to withdraw water either directly or indirectly (through another user) from surface or ground-water sources or both shall comply with the following requirements:

Public water suppliers. As circumstances warrant, the public water supplier shall:
1. Reduce distribution system losses to a level not exceeding 20 percent of the gross withdrawal.
2. Install meters for all users.
3. Establish a program of water conservation that will:
  1. Require installation of water conservation devices, as applicable, by all classes of users;
  2. Prepare and distribute literature to customers describing available water conservation techniques;
  3. Implement a water pricing structure which encourages conservation; and
  4. Encourage water reuse.
Industrial water users. Industrial users shall:
1. Designate a company representative to manage plant water use.
2. Install meters or other suitable devices or utilize acceptable flow measuring methods for accurate determination of water use by various parts of the company operation.
3. Install flow control devices which match the needs of the equipment being used for production.
4. Evaluate and utilize applicable recirculation and reuse practices.
Agricultural and other irrigation. Water users for irrigation purposes shall utilize irrigation systems properly designed for the user's respective soil characteristics, topography and vegetation.

Notwithstanding the effective date for other portions of this Part, this subpart shall apply to all surface and ground-water withdrawals initiated on or after January 11, 1979.

Terms used in this subpart shall be defined as set forth in з803.3 of this chapter.

A public hearing shall be conducted in the following instances:
1. Addition of projects or adoption of amendments to the comprehensive plan except as otherwise provided by Section 14.1 of the compact..
2. Rulemaking.
3. Approval of projects.
4. Hearing requested by a signatory party.
5. When in the opinion of the commission, a hearing is necessary to give adequate consideration to issues relating to public safety, protection of the environment, or other important societal factors.
6. To decide factual disputes.
7. At all other times required by the compact or commission regulations in this chapter.
Notice of public hearing. At least 20 days before any public hearing required by the compact, notices stating the date, time, place and purpose of the hearing including issues of interest to the commission shall be published at least once in a newspaper or newspapers of general circulation in the area affected. Occasions when public hearings are required by the compact include, but are not limited to, amendments to the comprehensive plan, drought emergency declarations, and review and approval of diversions. In all other cases, at least 10 days prior to the hearing, notice shall be posted at the office of the commission, mailed by first class mail to the parties who, to the commission's knowledge, will participate in the hearing, and mailed by first class mail to persons, organizations, news media and governmental entities who have made requests to the commission for notices of hearings or of a particular hearing. In the case of hearings held in connection with rulemaking, notices need only be forwarded to the directors of the New York Register, the Pennsylvania Bulletin, the Maryland Register, and the Federal Register, and it is sufficient that this notice appear only in the Federal Register at least 20 days prior to the hearing and in each individual state publication at least 10 days prior to any hearing scheduled in that state.
Participants to a public hearing.
1. Hearings shall be open to the public. Participants to a public hearing shall be the project sponsor and the commission staff. Participants may also be any person or governmental entity wishing to appear at the hearing and make an oral or written statement. Statements may favor or oppose the project/proposal or may simply express a position without specifically favoring or opposing the project/proposal. Statements shall be made a part of the record of the hearing, and written statements may be received up to and including the last day on which the hearing is held, or within a reasonable time thereafter as may be specified by the presiding officer, which time shall be not less than ten days nor more than 30 days, except that a longer time may be specified if requested by a participant.
2. Participants (except the project sponsor and the commission staff) are encouraged to file with the commission at its headquarters written notice of their intention to appear at the hearing. The notice should be filed at least three days prior to the opening of the hearing.
Representative capacity. Participants wishing to be heard at a public hearing may appear in person or be represented by an attorney or other representative. A governmental entity may be represented by one of its officers, employees or by a designee of the governmental entity. Any person intending to appear before the commission in a representative capacity on behalf of a participant shall give the commission written notice of the nature and extent of his/her authorization to represent the person or governmental entity on whose behalf he/she intends to appear.
Description of project. When notice of a public hearing is issued, there shall be available for inspection at the commission offices such plans, summaries, maps, statements, orders or other supporting documents which explain, detail, amplify, or otherwise describe the project the commission is considering. Instructions on where and how the documents may be obtained will be included in the notice.
Presiding officer. A public hearing shall be conducted by the commission, the executive director, or any member or designee of the commission. The presiding officer shall have full authority to control the conduct of the hearing and make a record of the same.

Generally. The commission, upon application by any interested party or upon its own motion, may determine that, due to outstanding issues of fact, an adjudicatory hearing shall be conducted. If, for any reason, the commission determines that there are not sufficient issues of fact to schedule an adjudicatory hearing, it may still require briefs or oral argument on any issues of law.
Hearing procedure.
1. The presiding officer shall have the power to rule upon offers of proof and the admissibility of evidence, to regulate the course of the hearings, to hold conferences for the settlement or simplification of issues, to determine the proper parties to the hearing, to determine the scope of any discovery procedures, and to delineate the issues to be adjudicated.
2. The presiding officer shall cause each witness to be sworn or to make affirmation.
3. Any party to a hearing shall have the right to present evidence and to examine and cross-examine witnesses.
4. When necessary, in order to prevent undue prolongation of the hearing, the presiding officer may limit the number of times any witness may testify, the repetitious examination or cross-examination of witnesses, or the extent of corroborative or cumulative testimony.
5. The presiding officer shall exclude irrelevant, immaterial or unduly repetitious evidence, but the parties shall not be bound by technical rules of evidence, and all relevant evidence of reasonably probative value may be received.
6. Any party may appear and be heard in person or be represented by an attorney at law.
7. Briefs and oral argument may be required by the presiding officer and shall be permitted upon request made prior to the close of the hearing by any party. They shall be part of the record unless otherwise ordered by the presiding officer.
Staff and other expert testimony. The executive director shall arrange for the presentation of testimony by the commission's technical staff and other experts, as he/she may deem necessary or desirable, to incorporate in the record or support the administrative action, determination or decision which is the subject of the hearing.
Written testimony. If the direct testimony of an expert witness is expected to be lengthy or of a complex, technical nature, the presiding officer may order that such direct testimony be submitted to the commission in sworn, written form. Copies of said testimony shall be served upon all parties appearing at the hearing at least ten days prior to said hearing. Such written testimony, however, shall not be admitted whenever the witness is not present and available for cross-examination at the hearing unless all parties have waived the right of cross-examination.
Assessment of costs.
1. Whenever an adjudicatory hearing is required, the costs thereof, as herein defined, shall be assessed by the presiding officer to the project sponsor or such other party as the hearing officer deems equitable. For the purposes of this section, costs include all incremental costs incurred by the commission, including, but not limited to, hearing examiner and expert consultants reasonably necessary in the matter, stenographic record, rental of the hall and other related expenses.
2. Upon the scheduling of a matter for adjudicatory hearing, the commission secretary shall furnish to the applicant a reasonable estimate of the costs to be incurred under this section. The applicant may be required to furnish security for such costs either by cash deposit or by a surety bond of a corporate surety authorized to do business in a signatory state.
Findings and report. The presiding officer shall prepare a report of his/her findings and recommendations. The report shall be served by personal service or certified mail (return receipt requested) upon each party to the hearing or its counsel unless all parties have waived service of the report. Any party may file objections to the report within 20 days after the service upon the party of a copy of the report. A brief shall be filed together with objections and briefs shall be promptly submitted to the commission. The commission may require or permit oral argument upon such submission prior to its decision.
Action by the commission. The commission will act upon the findings and recommendations of the presiding officer pursuant to law. The determination of the commission will be in writing and shall be filed together with any transcript of the hearing, report of the hearing officer, objections thereto, and all plans, maps, exhibits and other papers, records or documents relating to the hearing.

The commission may order any two or more public hearings involving a common or related question of law or fact to be consolidated for hearing on any or all the matters at issue in such hearings.

The commission may conduct public hearings in concert with any other agency of a signatory party.

A verbatim transcript of the adjudicatory hearings shall be kept by the commission. Other public hearings may be electronically recorded and a transcript made only if deemed necessary by the executive director or general counsel. A certified copy of the transcript and exhibits shall be available for review during business hours at the commission's headquarters to anyone wishing to examine them. Persons wishing to obtain a copy of the transcript of any hearing shall make arrangements to obtain it directly from the recording stenographer at their expense.

The sponsor and all other persons wishing to be heard should be prepared to proceed on the date of the hearing. Applications for continuances will not be granted, except when good cause is shown.

Terms used in this subpart shall be defined as set forth in 803.3 of this chapter.

This subpart shall be applicable where the commission has information indicating that a person or governmental entity (hereafter referred to as alleged violator) has violated or attempted to violate any provision of the compact or any of the commission's rules, regulations or orders.

Upon direction of the commission, the executive director shall, and in all other instances, the executive director may require an alleged violator to show cause before the commission why a penalty should not be assessed in accordance with the provisions of this chapter and Section 15.17 of the compact. The notice to the alleged violator shall:

The executive director may recommend to the commission the amount of the penalty to be imposed or the abatement and remedial actions to be required. Such a recommendation shall be in writing and shall set forth the basis for the penalty amount proposed. Based upon the record submitted to the commission, the commission shall decide whether a violation has occurred that justifies the imposition of a penalty pursuant to Section 15.17 of the compact or the requirement of abatement or remedial action. If it is found that such a violation has occurred, the commission shall determine the amount of the penalty to be paid and the nature of the abatement or remedial action to be undertaken.

Any penalty imposed or abatement or remedial action ordered by the commission shall be paid or completed within such time period as shall be fixed by the commission. The executive director and commission counsel are authorized to take such action as may be necessary to assure enforcement of this subpart. If a proceeding before a court becomes necessary, the action of the commission in determining a penalty amount shall constitute the penalty amount recommended by the commission to be fixed by the court pursuant to Section 15.17 of the compact.

An alleged violator may request settlement of an enforcement proceeding by agreement. If the executive director determines that settlement by agreement is in the best interest of the commission, he/she may submit to the commission a proposed settlement agreement. No settlement will be considered by the commission unless the alleged violator has indicated in writing to the commission acceptance of the terms of the agreement and the intention to comply with all requirements of the settlement agreement including payment of any settlement amount or completion of any abatement or remedial action within the time period provided. If the commission determines not to approve a settlement agreement, the commission may proceed with an enforcement action in accordance with this subpart.

Terms used in this subpart shall be defined as set forth in з803.3 of this chapter.

Project Review Rules and Regulations