The information I received from others on the lake
HB 1103, relative to revising the penalties of the shoreland protection act
This bill makes it less difficult for the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services to enforce penalties for violations of the Shoreland Water Quality Protection Act. The act establishes a 250-foot buffer around our lakes where vegetation removal, fertilizer use, excavation, fill, and development are regulated. Currently, the department must prove that a violation damaged the waterbody and fines can only be issued after the department determines the violator failed to make a good-faith effort to correct the problem. This bill does not raise fees for violations of the act.
NH LAKES and the WWN support HB 1103 for these key reasons:
• It will help the department hold individuals who violate the act accountable for their actions and may deter others from violating the act.
• It will reduce the amount of polluted runoff water flowing off the landscape degrading the health of our lakes and potentially contributing to the increasing frequency and severity of toxic cyanobacteria blooms in our lakes.
• It is consistent with the recommendations included in the State's recently released plan to address cyanobacteria blooms.
HB 1103 Hearing Information:
• Date: Wednesday, January 17, 2024
• Time: 1:00 p.m.
• Committee: House Resources, Recreation and Development
• Location: Room 305, Legislative Office Building, Concord, New Hampshire
HB 1113, relative to relative to shoreland septic systems
This bill modifies requirements for site assessments of shoreland septic systems when a property near a lake is sold. If the system is not approved by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, or was approved more than 20 years ago, a detailed septic evaluation by a permitted septic system designer will be required. If the system is found to be in failure, the state and the local health officer must be notified, and this must be included in the site assessment report. As the bill is currently written, failed systems will need to be replaced prior to the close of the sale.
NH LAKES and the WWN support HB 1113 for these key reasons:
The current site assessment requirement, which relies on visual inspection of the land surface, is not sufficient to determine if a septic system is failing. Many septic systems cause pollution problems without any visible signs of failure. This bill requires that a system be evaluated for its ability to contain and treat sewage discharge by inspecting a number of components of the system.
Septic systems contribute a substantial portion of the nutrient pollution to our waters, degrading lake health and potentially contributing to the increasing frequency and severity of toxic cyanobacteria blooms in our lakes.
This bill is consistent with the recommendations included in the State's recently released plan to address cyanobacteria blooms.
HB 1113 Hearing Information:
Date: Wednesday, January 17, 2024
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Committee: House Resources, Recreation and Development
Location: Room 305, Legislative Office Building, Concord, New Hampshire
Sent from my iPhone using
Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app