In 1990, the Legislature enacted substantial amendments
to the Water Pollution Control Act (WPCA), commonly known
as the Clean Water Enforcement Act, P.L. 1990, c. 28 (CWEA).
The CWEA requires the department to inspect permitted
facilities and municipal treatment works at least annually.
Additional inspections are required when the permittee
is identified as a significant noncomplier. The CWEA also
requires the assessment of mandatory minimum penalties
for violations of the WPCA that are considered serious
violations and for violations by permittees designated
as significant noncompliers.
The CWEA requires the department
to submit a report on the implementation of the CWEA's
requirements to the Governor and the Legislature by March
31 of each year. The statute also specifies the items
that the department must include in the report. The department
has organized the required information into several categories,
including Permitting, Enforcement, Delegated Local Agencies,
Criminal Actions, Fiscal, and Water Quality Assessment.
