Policies

It is the intent of the Department to implement, through this rule, the following policies from the Protection an d Prevention Sections of the Idaho Ground Water Quality Plan, adopted by the legislature, 1992 Session Law, Chapte r 310, Page 922. These policies are: (3-24-22) 01. Ground Water Quality Protection. It is the policy of the state of Idaho to maintain and protect th e existing high quality of the state’s ground water. (3-24-22) 02. Existing and Projected Future Beneficial Uses. The policy of the state of Idaho is that existin g and projected future beneficial uses of ground water shall be maintained and protected, and degradation that woul d impair existing and projected future beneficial uses of ground water and interconnected surface water shall not b e allowed. (3-24-22) 03. Categorization of Ground Water. The policy of the state of Idaho is to provide differentia l protection for the state’s ground water resources. A ground water categorization system should be established fo r aquifers or portions of aquifers. The categorization system should be based on vulnerability of the ground water , existing and projected future beneficial uses of the ground water, existing quality of the ground water, and social an d economic considerations. (3-24-22) 04. Ground Water Quality Standards. The policy of the state of Idaho is to establish ground wate r quality standards for biological, radiological, and chemical constituents. (3-24-22) 05. Prevention of Ground Water Contamination. The policy of the state of Idaho is to prevent contamination of ground water from all regulated and nonregulated sources of contamination to the maximum exten t practical. (3-24-22) 06. Mining. The policy of the state of Idaho is to protect ground water and allow for the extraction o f minerals above and within ground water. (3-24-22)