Section 69-7-207 - Duties and powers of board of water quality, oil and gasIn addition to powers under all other statutes, including, but not limited to, the Water Quality Control Act, compiled in chapter 3, part 1 of this title, and the Safe Drinking Water Act, compiled in title 68, chapter 221, part 7, the board of water quality, oil and gas, created by § 69-3-104, has the following powers and duties under this part:
(1) To promulgate rules to be effective by October 1, 2000, to effectuate the purposes of this part including, but not limited to:(A) Defining necessary terms;(B) Setting criteria for permit issuance and denial as well as for permit conditions, taking into account all appropriate factors including, but not limited to, existing uses downstream of a proposed withdrawal, low flow conditions, classified uses of the stream under the Water Quality Control Act, climatic conditions, alternatives to the proposed withdrawal, the number of downstream river miles from which water will be diverted as a result of the transfer, quantity of a proposed withdrawal, and quantity and location of water returned;(C) Establishing procedures for permit issuance, including application fees for permits under this part, categories of withdrawals for which general permits would be appropriate, requirements for public notice, including notice to potentially affected communities and water users and notice to the public of receipt of a permit application within thirty (30) days of receipt, and opportunity for public comment and public hearings;(2) To hear appeals from assessments of civil penalty assessments; and(3) To hold a contested case hearing concerning the commissioner's issuance or denial of a permit, upon receiving a petition for permit appeal. During this hearing, the board shall review the commissioner's permit decision and may reverse or modify the decision upon finding that it does not comply with any provisions of this part. A petition for permit appeal may be filed pursuant to this subdivision (3) by the permit applicant, or by any aggrieved person who participated in the public comment period or gave testimony at a formal public hearing, whose appeal is based upon any of the issues that were provided to the commissioner in writing during the public comment period or in testimony at a formal public hearing on the permit application. Any petition for permit appeal under this subdivision (3) shall be filed with the board within thirty (30) days after public notice of the commissioner's decision to issue or deny the permit. Notwithstanding §§ 4-5-223 or 69-3-118(a), or any other law to the contrary, this subdivision (3) shall be the exclusive means for obtaining administrative review of the commissioner's issuance or denial of a permit.Amended by 2018 Tenn. Acts, ch. 839, s 37, eff. eight (8) months immediately following the receipt of notification from the secretary of the interior that this state has been approved to exercise primacy over the regulation of surface coal mining and reclamation operations within its territorial boundaries.Acts 2000, ch. 854, §8; T.C.A. § 69-8-207; Acts 2005, ch. 325, § 2.