§ 55-0109. Special groundwater protection areas; nomination.

1. Any municipality or person may nominate a special groundwater
protection area within a federally designated sole source aquifer
contained within counties having a population of one million or more.

2. Such a nomination petition shall be sent to the commissioner and
shall include the following information:

(a) whether the special groundwater protection area is a recharge zone
for groundwater with a present or future water supply potential;

(b) whether the special groundwater protection area is largely
undeveloped with tracts of natural vegetation, or natural geological
conditions;

(c) whether the groundwater which is recharged through the special
groundwater protection area is of high quality;

(d) whether the hydrogeologic conditions are such that development
could lead to degradation of water quality;

(e) whether portions of the groundwater within the sole source aquifer
area are already contaminated with toxic organics, nutrients, salts or
other pollutants so as to warrant special protection for areas which
recharge high quality groundwater;

(f) whether maintenance of existing high quality in the groundwater
recharged through the special groundwater protection area would have
significant economic, social, ecological, recreational or aesthetic
benefits for the sole source aquifer area; and

(g) whether degradation of such groundwater would have significant
economic, social, ecological, recreational and aesthetic costs for the
area.

3. The nomination petition shall also identify:

(a) the preliminary boundaries of the special groundwater protection
area or areas;

(b) a brief outline of the plan of work;

(c) a tentative membership list for any advisory committees; and

(d) a reasonable budget request for the project.