Montana Title 75. Environmental Protection § 75-5-310. Site-specific standards of water quality for aquatic life

(1) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter and except as provided in subsection (2), the department, upon application by a permit applicant, permittee, or person potentially liable under any state or federal environmental remediation statute, shall adopt site-specific standards of water quality for aquatic life, both acute and chronic, as the standards of water quality required under 75-5-301(2) and (3). The site-specific standards of water quality must be developed in accordance with the procedures set forth in draft or final federal regulations, guidelines, or criteria.

(2) If the department, based upon its review of an application submitted under subsection (1) and sound scientific, technical, and available site-specific evidence, determines that the development of site-specific criteria in accordance with draft or final federal regulations, guidelines, or criteria would not be protective of beneficial uses, the department, within 90 days of the submission of an application under subsection (1), shall notify the applicant in writing of its determination and of all additional procedures that the applicant is required to comply with in the development of site-specific standards of water quality under this section. If there is a dispute between the department and the applicant as to the additional procedures, the board shall, on the request of the department or the applicant, hear and determine the dispute. The board's decision must be based on sound scientific, technical, and available site-specific evidence.