§ 42-64-7.9. Orders as to pretreatment of sewage.
(a) Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the authority vested in the Rhode
Island commerce corporation shall include the authority to limit, reject, or prohibit
any direct or indirect discharge of pollutants or combination of pollutants as defined
by applicable federal or state law, into any treatment facility operated by the corporation,
to require that any person or class of user shall submit any and all discharges into
the corporation's wastewater collection and treatment system to those pretreatment
standards and requirements as prescribed by the corporation.
(b) The corporation shall adopt rules, regulations and permit requirements for pretreatment.
The corporation shall adopt rules, regulations and permit requirements necessary to
ensure compliance by all parties with:
(1) Applicable federal and state laws
(2) State and federal discharge permit limitations for the corporation's wastewater treatment
facility
(3) Necessary and appropriate local limitations.
(c) The Rhode Island commerce corporation shall have the authority to issue or deny permits
to any person for the direct or indirect discharge of any pollutants into any corporation
wastewater treatment facility and to require the development of a compliance schedule
by each discharger to insure compliance with any pretreatment required by the corporation.
No person shall discharge any pollutant into the corporation's wastewater facility
except as in compliance with the provisions of this section and any rules and regulations
promulgated under this chapter and pursuant to all terms and conditions of a permit.
(d) The Rhode Island commerce corporation may, by regulation, order, permit, or otherwise
require any person who discharges into any wastewater treatment facility owned by
the corporation to:
(1) Establish and maintain records as required by federal or state statute, or by rule,
regulation, compliance order or permit terms;
(2) Make any and all reports as required by federal or state statute or by rule, regulation,
compliance order or permit terms;
(3) Install, calibrate, use and maintain any and all monitoring equipment or testing procedures
including, where appropriate, biological monitoring methods;
(4) Sample any discharges and effluents in accordance with the methods and at the locations
and at the intervals and in a manner as the corporation may prescribe, and
(5) Provide any other information relating to discharges into the facilities of the corporation
that the corporation may reasonably require to insure compliance with prescribed pretreatment.
The information shall include, but is not limited to, those records, reports, and
procedures required by applicable federal and state laws.
(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the Rhode Island commerce corporation
shall have the authority, and shall accordingly prescribe the appropriate procedures,
to immediately and effectively halt or prevent any discharge of pollutants into the
facilities of the corporation which reasonably appears to present an imminent danger
to human health or the environment. The Rhode Island commerce corporation shall also
have the authority and shall prescribe the appropriate procedures, which shall include
notice to the affected discharger and an opportunity to respond, to hold or prevent
any discharge into the facilities of the corporation, that presents or may present
a threat to the operation of the wastewater collection and/or treatment system. Procedures
prescribed under this subsection, which comply in form to those provided in § 42-17.1-2(21) shall be deemed to be appropriate.