(a)(1)Notwithstanding Section 13242, on and after January 1, 2030, a regional water quality control plan, including the program of implementation, shall not include a schedule for implementation for achieving a water quality standard for a surface water of the state that was adopted in an approved regional water quality control plan as of January 1, 2021. It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this requirement to ensure that all water quality standards in effect as of January 1, 2021, are fully implemented and achieved by January 1, 2030.
(2)Paragraph (1) does not apply to salt and nutrient management plans, including the program of
implementation, approved as of January 1, 2021, that include a time schedule for compliance.
(b)The state board and regional boards shall only include in a regional water quality control plan a schedule for implementation of a water quality standard for a surface water of the state that is adopted after January 1, 2021, if all of the following conditions are met:
(1)The schedule for implementation of the water quality standard is the shortest time necessary, and in no instance exceeds five years.
(2)The schedule for implementation is necessary for the permittee to undertake physical construction that is necessary to achieve compliance with the water quality standard.
(3)The water quality standard is not substantially similar to a water quality standard that was in effect as of January 1, 2021.
(c)(1)An NPDES permit, waste discharge requirement, or waiver of a waste discharge requirement to discharge to a surface water of the state shall not be renewed, reissued, or modified to contain effluent limitations or conditions that satisfy any of the following:
(A)Are less stringent than the comparable effluent limitations or conditions in the previous permit, requirement, or
waiver.
(B)Are less stringent than required by effluent limitation guidelines promulgated under Section 304(b) of the federal Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. Sec. 1314(b)) in effect at the time the permit is renewed, reissued, or modified.
(C)The implementation of the limitation or condition would result in a violation of a water quality standard under Section 303 of the federal Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. Sec. 1313) to those waters.
(2)A permit with respect to which paragraph (1) applies may be renewed, reissued, or modified to contain a less stringent effluent limitation or condition applicable to a pollutant if any of the following apply:
(A)Material
and substantial alterations or additions to the permitted facility occurred after permit issuance that justify the application of the less stringent effluent limitation or condition.
(B)Information, other than revised regulations, guidance, or test methods, is available that was not available at the time of permit issuance that would have justified the application of the less stringent effluent limitation or condition at the time of permit issuance.
(C)The permit issuer determines that technical mistakes or mistaken interpretations of law were made in issuing the permit in accordance with Section 402(a)(1)(B) of the federal Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. Sec. 1342(a)(1)(B)).
(D)The less stringent effluent limitation or
condition is necessary because of events over which the permittee has no control and for which there is no reasonably available remedy.
(E)The permittee has received a permit modification pursuant to Section 301(c), 301(g), 301(h), 301(i), 301(k), 301(n), or 316(a) of the federal Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. Secs. 1311(c), 1311(g), 1311(h), 1311(i), 1311(k), 1311(n), and 1326(a)).
(F)The permittee has installed the treatment facilities required to meet the effluent limitations or conditions in the previous permit and has properly operated and maintained the facilities but has nevertheless been unable to achieve the previous effluent limitations or conditions, in which case the limitations or conditions in the renewed, reissued, or modified permit may reflect the level of pollutant
control actually achieved, but shall not be less stringent than required by effluent limitation guidelines promulgated under Section 304(b) of the federal Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. Sec. 1314(b)) in effect at the time of permit renewal, reissuance, or modification.
(3)Subparagraphs (B) and (C) of paragraph (2) do not apply to a revised waste load allocation or an alternative grounds for translating water quality standards into effluent limitations or conditions unless both of the following are satisfied:
(A)The cumulative effect of the revised allocation or alternative grounds results in a decrease in the amount of pollutants discharged into receiving waters.
(B)The revised allocation or alternative grounds is not the
result of a discharger eliminating or substantially reducing its discharge of pollutants due to complying with the requirements of the federal Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. Sec. 1251 et seq.) or for reasons otherwise unrelated to water quality.
(d)The state board and regional boards shall not authorize an NPDES permit, waste discharge requirement, or waiver of a waste discharge requirement that does not include a complete antidegradation analysis as set out in State Water Resources Control Board Resolution No. 68-16 and Administrative Procedures Update 90-004.