Laws and Programs 



resources, geologically specific water management plans, reuse of surplus Navy lands, 

 recreation, and other related concerns. 



DEM has several program responsibilities that relate to non-point source control, which 

 are shared among several divisions. As outlined in Section 1.2, the Office of 

 Environmental Coordination has a principal role in coordinating the State's Non-point 

 Source Pollution Management Program. Groundwater protection efforts are primarily the 

 responsibility of the Groundwater Section within the Division of Groundwater and 

 Freshwater Wedands, which also houses the ISDS Section and the Freshwater Wetiands 

 Section. The latter sections have major responsibilities related to non-point source control. 



The Division of Water Resources handles water quality certifications under Section 401 

 of the Qean Water Act, and addresses water quality problems associated with combined 

 sewer overflows. (Combined sewer overflows were specifically omitted from the original 

 research scope of this effort, but must be carefiilly considered in development of 

 stormwater runoff and erosion control strategies, and other non-point source management 

 efforts.) The Division of Water Resources also encompasses the Department's oil spill 

 emergency response program, and the clean lakes program. 



Within the Division of Air and Hazardous Materials arc landfill regulation, acid 

 precipitation, chemical spill emergency response, and hazardous waste site monitoring. 

 The Ocean State Qeanup and Recycling Program (OSCAR), run out of the DEM Office of 

 Environmental Coordination, manages the state's recycling and litter control programs. 

 The Office of Environmental Coordination also manages DEM's review of Environmental 

 Impact Statements and other large projects not requiring an EIS. The Division of Coastal 

 Resources monitors and regulates shellfish quality, while the Division of Fish and Wildlife 

 has non-point source responsibilities relating to acid precipitation and aquatic weed control. 



CRMCs ecosystem protection mandate affords it considerable authority to address a 

 range of non-point impacts. Section 300.2 and 300.3 of the Red Book give CRMC 

 authority to establish permit conditions so as to require management of stormwater and 

 emplacement of erosion and sedimentation controls. A potentially important tool in control 

 of urban runoff contamination and pollution of shorefront waters is provided by the 

 requirement that all bulk-oil transfers involving ships and facilities require a permit from 

 CRMC. CRMC addresses stormwater management and erosion and sediment control in 

 more detail in specific Special Area Management (SAM) plans. Plans outline management 

 policies and regulations relating to stormwater control, require development of stormwater 

 management plans as part of the permitting process, and set criteria for performance and 

 design standards to be applied, citing specific publications as design references. 



The breadth of CRMC authority allows the Council to evaluate appropriateness of land 

 uses in areas influencing the coast, an extremely valuable tool in control of non-point 

 sources, which are inseparably related to land use. CRMCs role in implementation of 

 floodplain management policy gives it power to regulate growth and redevelopment in 

 hazard-prone coastal areas and to encourage local consistency with sound ha^ud area 

 management policy. 



The Conservation Districts in the Bay basin provide critical institutional linkages and 

 perform numerous important functions in non-point source control. Districts work closely 

 with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Soil Conservation Service (SCS) and 

 Agricultural Stabilization Service (ASCS)in providing assistance to farm operators in 



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