LB962 Enacted Into Law - Laserfiche WebLink

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the purpose of benefiting fish or wildlife or producing other environmental benefits. The determination of whether to grant a permit is to be based upon stated factors, including whether the use is a beneficial use, the availability of alternative supplies, negative effects of the proposed withdrawal, cumulative effects of the proposed and other transfers, and consistency with groundwater management plans and integrated management plans. Funding Provisions - LB962 establishes a Water Resources Trust Fund into which state appropriations and other funds relative to the implementation of LB962 may be deposited and from which expenditLires may be made for that implementation. The funds available may be used for determining which basins subbasins and reaches need to have IMPs developed and for irnpier?it?iitacion of those IMPs. In most instances, funds provided to natural resources districts and other local subdivisions will require at least a 20% local match. - For FY2004-05, LB962A appropriates $2.5M. $1M of that amount will be provided through a transfer from the Environmental Trust Fund and the other $1.5M will come from the General Fund. The $1.5M General Fund appropriation comes indirectly through a transfer to the General Fund of the same amount from the Petroleum Release Remedial Action Cash Fund administered by the Department of Environmental Quality. - Natural resources districts will have the authority to levy up to an additional 1 cent per $100 hundred assessed valuation if needed to perform their responsibilities under the Groundwater Management and Protection Act. They may also exceed the allowable annual budget increase for the same reason Other Provisions - The Water Policy Task Force will continue to meet through 2009 to provide guidance on water policy matters - Public water suppliers (cities, villages, rural water districts, etc.) will be entitled to spacing pmtection for up to two years around a proposed wellfield if application for a permit to transfer the water from that wellfield is filed pursuant to the Municipal and Rural Domestics Groundwater Transfers Permit Act administerecl by DNR. The spacing protecUon will be from the boundaries of the tract that is proposed for the wellfield and will be the greater of 1000' or the spacing protection provided by the NRD within whicfi the wellfield would be located. - The bill extends from June 30, 2005 to June 30, 2009 the last date of reporting petroleum releases if financial assistance from the Petroleum Release Remedial Action Cash Fund is to be requested. - LB962 also makes numerous "housekeeping" amendments to several state surface water and groundwater statutes. Those include revisions refating to: map requirements for surface water rights, use of water out of small reservoirs for watering range livestock; annual reporting by surface water users; the review and administration of instream flow appropriations; water well spacing and registration requirements; definitions for the Groundwater Management and Protection Act; the controls that NRDs may adopt in groundwater management areas municipal transfers into NRD declared moratoriuM or temporary suspension areas; standardization of requirements for NRD hearings and notices thrrrof the imposition of water penalties for violation ot NRD cease and desist orders; and the necessiii for hearings before DNR grants permits to trar,?;ff-f groundwater off the overlymg land for industri,.31 purpose5 For additional information on any of those provi;ions.' contact the Department of Natural Resources Nebraska Department of Natural Resources ?- 301 Centennial Mall South P.O. Box 94676 Lincoln, Nebraska 68509-4676 Phone? 402-471-2363 Website: http.-/twww.dnr. state. ne. us