HOUSE BILL No. 5274

 

November 6, 2003, Introduced by Reps. Casperson, Hummel, Pappageorge, Pastor, Nitz, Palmer, Huizenga, Newell, Voorhees, Vander Veen, Caul, Ward, Stahl, Emmons, Farhat, Tabor, Shackleton, Kooiman, Mortimer, Caswell, Garfield and Taub and referred to the Committee on Transportation.

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1994 PA 451, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "Natural resources and environmental protection act,"                       

                                                                                

    by amending section 30312 (MCL 324.30312), as amended by 2003 PA            

                                                                                

    14.                                                                         

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 30312.  (1) The department, after notice and                           

                                                                                

2   opportunity for a public hearing, may issue general permits on a            

                                                                                

3   statewide basis or within a local unit of government for a                  

                                                                                

4   category of activities if the department determines that the                

                                                                                

5   activities are similar in nature, will cause only minimal adverse           

                                                                                

6   environmental effects when performed separately, and will have              

                                                                                

7   only minimal cumulative adverse effect on the environment.  A               

                                                                                

8   general permit issued under this subsection shall be based on the           

                                                                                

9   requirements of this part and the rules promulgated under this              

                                                                                

10  part, and shall set forth the requirements and standards that               

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   shall apply to an activity authorized by the general permit.                

                                                                                

2       (2)  The  Subject to subsection (3), the department may                     

                                                                                

3   impose conditions on a permit for a use or development if the               

                                                                                

4   conditions are designed to  remove  do 1 or more of the                     

                                                                                

5   following:                                                                  

                                                                                

6       (a) Remove an impairment to the wetland benefits.  , to                     

                                                                                

7   mitigate                                                                    

                                                                                

8       (b) Mitigate the impact of a discharge of fill material.  ,                 

                                                                                

9   or to otherwise                                                             

                                                                                

10      (c) Otherwise improve the water quality.                                    

                                                                                

11      (3) If both of the following requirements are met, the                      

                                                                                

12  department shall not impose conditions under subsection (2)(b) on           

                                                                                

13  a permit for an activity undertaken in conjunction with road                

                                                                                

14  work, without the consent of the entity with legal jurisdiction             

                                                                                

15  over the road:                                                              

                                                                                

16      (a) The road was in existence on the effective date of the                  

                                                                                

17  amendatory act that added this subsection.                                  

                                                                                

18      (b) The activity takes place within the right-of-way of the                 

                                                                                

19  road.                                                                       

                                                                                

20      (4)  (3)  The department may establish a reasonable time when               

                                                                                

21  the construction, development, or use is to be completed or                 

                                                                                

22  terminated.  A general permit shall not be valid for more than 5            

                                                                                

23  years.                                                                      

                                                                                

24      (5)  (4)  A general permit under this section may be issued                 

                                                                                

25  for the mowing of vegetation or the removal of vegetation in the            

                                                                                

26  area between the ordinary high-water mark and the water's edge.             

                                                                                

27  An application under this subsection may be submitted by a local            


                                                                                

1   unit of government on behalf of property owners within its                  

                                                                                

2   jurisdiction or by 1 or more adjacent property owners for                   

                                                                                

3   riparian property located within the same county.                           

                                                                                

4       (6) As used in this section:                                                

                                                                                

5       (a) "Road" means a city or village street, county road, or                  

                                                                                

6   state trunk line highway.                                                   

                                                                                

7       (b) "Road work" means the maintenance, repair, improvement,                 

                                                                                

8   or reconstruction of a road.  Road work does not include the                

                                                                                

9   construction of a road.