Subdivision 1.

Generally.

new text begin(a) new text endThe agency is hereby given and charged with the following
powers and duties:

deleted text begin (a)deleted text endnew text begin (1)new text end to administer and enforce all laws relating to the pollution of any of the waters
of the state;

deleted text begin (b)deleted text endnew text begin (2)new text end to investigate the extent, character, and effect of the pollution of the waters of
this state and to gather data and information necessary or desirable in the administration or
enforcement of pollution laws, and to make such classification of the waters of the state as
it may deem advisable;

deleted text begin (c)deleted text endnew text begin (3)new text end to establish and alter such reasonable pollution standards for any waters of the
state in relation to the public use to which they are or may be put as it shall deem necessary
for the purposes of this chapter and, with respect to the pollution of waters of the state,
chapter 116;

deleted text begin (d)deleted text endnew text begin (4)new text end to encourage waste treatment, including advanced waste treatment, instead of
stream low-flow augmentation for dilution purposes to control and prevent pollution;

deleted text begin (e)deleted text endnew text begin (5)new text end to adopt, issue, reissue, modify, deny, or revoke, enter into or enforce reasonable
orders, permits, variances, standards, rules, schedules of compliance, and stipulation
agreements, under such conditions as it may prescribe, in order to prevent, control or abate
water pollution, or for the installation or operation of disposal systems or parts thereof, or
for other equipment and facilities:

deleted text begin (1)deleted text endnew text begin (i)new text end requiring the discontinuance of the discharge of sewage, industrial waste or other
wastes into any waters of the state resulting in pollution in excess of the applicable pollution
standard established under this chapter;

deleted text begin (2)deleted text endnew text begin (ii)new text end prohibiting or directing the abatement of any discharge of sewage, industrial
waste, or other wastes, into any waters of the state or the deposit thereof or the discharge
into any municipal disposal system where the same is likely to get into any waters of the
state in violation of this chapter and, with respect to the pollution of waters of the state,
chapter 116, or standards or rules promulgated or permits issued pursuant thereto, and
specifying the schedule of compliance within which such prohibition or abatement must be
accomplished;

deleted text begin (3)deleted text endnew text begin (iii)new text end prohibiting the storage of any liquid or solid substance or other pollutant in a
manner which does not reasonably assure proper retention against entry into any waters of
the state that would be likely to pollute any waters of the state;

deleted text begin (4)deleted text endnew text begin (iv)new text end requiring the construction, installation, maintenance, and operation by any person
of any disposal system or any part thereof, or other equipment and facilities, or the
reconstruction, alteration, or enlargement of its existing disposal system or any part thereof,
or the adoption of other remedial measures to prevent, control or abate any discharge or
deposit of sewage, industrial waste or other wastes by any person;

deleted text begin (5)deleted text endnew text begin (v)new text end establishing, and from time to time revising, standards of performance for new
sources taking into consideration, among other things, classes, types, sizes, and categories
of sources, processes, pollution control technology, cost of achieving such effluent reduction,
and any nonwater quality environmental impact and energy requirements. Said standards
of performance for new sources shall encompass those standards for the control of the
discharge of pollutants which reflect the greatest degree of effluent reduction which the
agency determines to be achievable through application of the best available demonstrated
control technology, processes, operating methods, or other alternatives, including, where
practicable, a standard permitting no discharge of pollutants. New sources shall encompass
buildings, structures, facilities, or installations from which there is or may be the discharge
of pollutants, the construction of which is commenced after the publication by the agency
of proposed rules prescribing a standard of performance which will be applicable to such
source. Notwithstanding any other provision of the law of this state, any point source the
construction of which is commenced after May 20, 1973, and which is so constructed as to
meet all applicable standards of performance for new sources shall, consistent with and
subject to the provisions of section 306(d) of the Amendments of 1972 to the Federal Water
Pollution Control Act, not be subject to any more stringent standard of performance for new
sources during a ten-year period beginning on the date of completion of such construction
or during the period of depreciation or amortization of such facility for the purposes of
section 167 or 169, or both, of the Federal Internal Revenue Code of 1954, whichever period
ends first. Construction shall encompass any placement, assembly, or installation of facilities
or equipment, including contractual obligations to purchase such facilities or equipment, at
the premises where such equipment will be used, including preparation work at such
premises;

deleted text begin (6)deleted text endnew text begin (vi)new text end establishing and revising pretreatment standards to prevent or abate the discharge
of any pollutant into any publicly owned disposal system, which pollutant interferes with,
passes through, or otherwise is incompatible with such disposal system;

deleted text begin (7)deleted text endnew text begin (vii)new text end requiring the owner or operator of any disposal system or any point source to
establish and maintain such records, make such reports, install, use, and maintain such
monitoring equipment or methods, including where appropriate biological monitoring
methods, sample such effluents in accordance with such methods, at such locations, at such
intervals, and in such a manner as the agency shall prescribe, and providing such other
information as the agency may reasonably require;

deleted text begin (8)deleted text endnew text begin (viii)new text end notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, and with respect to the
pollution of waters of the state, chapter 116, requiring the achievement of more stringent
limitations than otherwise imposed by effluent limitations in order to meet any applicable
water quality standard by establishing new effluent limitations, based upon section 115.01,
subdivision 13, clause (b), including alternative effluent control strategies for any point
source or group of point sources to insure the integrity of water quality classifications,
whenever the agency determines that discharges of pollutants from such point source or
sources, with the application of effluent limitations required to comply with any standard
of best available technology, would interfere with the attainment or maintenance of the
water quality classification in a specific portion of the waters of the state. Prior to
establishment of any such effluent limitation, the agency shall hold a public hearing to
determine the relationship of the economic and social costs of achieving such limitation or
limitations, including any economic or social dislocation in the affected community or
communities, to the social and economic benefits to be obtained and to determine whether
or not such effluent limitation can be implemented with available technology or other
alternative control strategies. If a person affected by such limitation demonstrates at such
hearing that, whether or not such technology or other alternative control strategies are
available, there is no reasonable relationship between the economic and social costs and
the benefits to be obtained, such limitation shall not become effective and shall be adjusted
as it applies to such person;

deleted text begin (9)deleted text endnew text begin (ix)new text end modifying, in its discretion, any requirement or limitation based upon best
available technology with respect to any point source for which a permit application is filed
after July 1, 1977, upon a showing by the owner or operator of such point source satisfactory
to the agency that such modified requirements will represent the maximum use of technology
within the econo