Title 27A, Title 27A — Environment and Natural Resources

Chapter 1 of this title shall be known and may be cited as the "Oklahoma Environmental Quality Act". Added by Laws 1992, c. 398, § 1, emerg. eff. June 12, 1992. Amended by Laws 1993, c. 145, § 1, eff. July 1, 1993. Renumbered from § 1 of this title by Laws 1993, c. 145, § 359, ef…

The purpose of the Oklahoma Environmental Quality Act is to provide for the administration of environmental functions which will: 1. Provide that environmental regulatory concerns of industry and the public shall be addressed in an expedient manner; 2. Improve the manner in which…

As used in the Oklahoma Environmental Quality Act: 1. “Clean Water Act” means the federal Water Pollution Control Act, 33 U.S.C., Section 1251 et seq., as amended; 2. “Discharge” includes but is not limited to a discharge of a pollutant, and means any addition of any pollutant to…

responsibilities. A. Each state environmental agency shall: 1. Be responsible for fully implementing and enforcing the laws and rules within its jurisdictional areas of environmental responsibility; 2. Utilize and enforce the Oklahoma Water Quality Standards established by the De…

for issuance or denial of permits or licenses and complaint resolution. A. Each state environmental agency and each state agency with limited environmental responsibilities, within its areas of environmental jurisdiction, shall promulgate, by rule, time periods for issuance or de…

investigation and response process - Rules - False complaints. A. Each state environmental agency and each state agency with limited environmental responsibilities shall develop, implement and utilize a complaint investigation and response process that will ensure all state envir…

assigned programs and functions - Unexpired or unrevoked licenses, permits, certifications or registrations - Existing rights, obligations and remedies - Existing orders, claims or causes of action. A. With regard to all programs and functions transferred and assigned among the s…

A. Each state environmental agency in promulgation of permanent rules within its areas of environmental jurisdiction, prior to the submittal to public comment and review of any rule that is more stringent than corresponding federal requirements, unless such stringency is specific…

United States Senate. A. Neither the legislative or executive branch of the State of Oklahoma shall take actions to implement the Kyoto Protocol until such time as the Kyoto Protocol has been ratified by the United States Senate or otherwise enacted into law. B. Nothing in this s…

position - Powers, duties and responsibilities. A. The Secretary of Environment or successor cabinet position having authority over the Department of Environmental Quality shall have the following jurisdictional areas of environmental responsibility: 1. Powers and duties for envi…

of eutrophic lakes - Discharge of wastewater into eutrophic lake - Penalties - Order of suspension and forfeiture. A. The Office of the Secretary of the Environment shall coordinate monitoring lakes in the State of Oklahoma and identify those lakes which it determines to be eutro…

There is hereby created in the State Treasury a revolving fund for the Secretary of Energy and Environment or the successor cabinet position having authority over the Department of Environmental Quality to be designated the "Environmental Remediation Revolving Fund". The fund sha…

There is hereby created in the State Treasury a revolving fund for the Secretary of Energy and Environment or the successor cabinet position having authority over the Department of Environmental Quality to be designated the "Environmental Programs Revolving Fund". The fund shall …

OS 27A-1-3-101v1 (HB 3824, Laws 2022, c. 113, § 1) OS 27A-1-3-101v2 (SB 269, Laws 2025, c. 247, § 2)

of environmental responsibilities. A. The provisions of this section specify the jurisdictional areas of responsibility for each state environmental agency and state agencies with limited environmental responsibility. The jurisdictional areas of environmental responsibility speci…

of environmental responsibilities. A. The provisions of this section specify the jurisdictional areas of responsibility for each state environmental agency and state agencies with limited environmental responsibility. The jurisdictional areas of environmental responsibility speci…

A. The Department of Environmental Quality shall maintain a computerized information system of water quality data, including but not limited to the results of surface water and groundwater quality monitoring in a manner that is accessible to the state environmental agencies and t…

Safety Audit Privilege Act. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Oklahoma Environmental, Health and Safety Audit Privilege Act". Added by Laws 2019, c. 229, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2019.

A. The purpose of this act is to encourage voluntary compliance with environmental and occupational health and safety laws. B. A regulatory agency in this state shall not adopt a rule or impose a condition that circumvents the purpose of this act. Added by Laws 2019, c. 229, § 2,…

A. As used in this act: 1. "Acquisition closing date" means the date on which ownership of, or a direct or indirect majority interest in the ownership of, a regulated facility or operation is acquired in an asset purchase, equity purchase, merger or similar transaction; 2. "Audit…

A. An audit report is a report that includes each document and communication, other than those set forth in Section 8 of this act, produced from an environmental or health and safety audit. B. General components that may be contained in a completed audit report include: 1. A repo…

A. An audit report is privileged as provided in this section. B. Except as provided in Sections 6 through 9 of this act, any part of an audit report is privileged and is not admissible as evidence or subject to discovery in: 1. A civil action, whether legal or equitable; or 2. An…

Liability. A. The privilege described by Section 5 of this act does not apply to the extent the privilege is expressly waived by the owner or operator who prepared the audit report or caused the report to be prepared. B. Disclosure of an audit report or any information generated …

officials. A. A court or administrative hearings official with competent jurisdiction may require disclosure of a portion of an audit report in a civil or administrative proceeding if the court or administrative hearings official determines, after an in camera review consistent w…

A. The privilege established by Section 5 of this act does not apply to: 1. A document, communication, datum or report or other information required by a regulatory agency to be collected, developed, maintained or reported under a federal or state environmental or health and safe…

privileged information required under state or federal law. A. If an audit report is obtained, reviewed or used in a criminal proceeding, the administrative or civil evidentiary privilege established by Section 5 of this act is not waived or eliminated for any other purpose. B. N…

A. Except as otherwise provided by this act, a person who makes a voluntary disclosure of a violation of an environmental or health and safety law is immune from an administrative or civil penalty for the violation disclosed. B. A disclosure is voluntary only if: 1. The disclosur…

The privilege established by this act applies to environmental or health and safety audits that are conducted on or after the effective date of this act. Added by Laws 2019, c. 229, § 11, eff. Nov. 1, 2019.

This act shall not limit, waive or abrogate the scope or nature of any statutory or common law privilege, including the work product doctrine and the attorney-client privilege. Added by Laws 2019, c. 229, § 12, eff. Nov. 1, 2019.

Sections 1 through 7 of this act shall be known and may be cited as the "State Beneficiary Public Trusts - Publicly Owned Treatment Works Act". Added by Laws 1993, c. 217, § 1, eff. July 1, 1993.

The Legislature hereby finds that there are one or more public trusts having the State of Oklahoma as beneficiary which hold permits issued under the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), pursuant to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended by the Fe…

CTT deemed "publicly owned treatment works" (POTW). A Central Treatment Trust, as defined in Section 2 of this act, is hereby granted the authority, exercisable by a duly enacted resolution of its Board of Trustees, to elect that its waste water treatment facilities shall be deem…

A Central Treatment Trust that makes the election provided for in Section 3 of this act shall have the following powers (terms used, but not defined, in this section, but defined in 40 CFR, Section 403.3, shall have the same meanings ascribed to them in 40 CFR, Section 403.3): 1.…

Penalties - Power to halt or prevent discharge. A. Once a Central Treatment Trust has made the election and given the notice specified in Section 3 of this act, and entered into the coordinating agreement with the Department as specified in paragraph 2 of Section 4 of this act, t…

At such time as the Central Treatment Trust's National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permit terminates, and any application for issuance of an interim, successor, renewal or substitute permit has been finally rejected or abandoned, or the CTT's waste treatment system is …

etc. of CTT. Nothing in this act shall directly or indirectly increase, decrease, limit or in any other manner affect the legal status, capacity, rights, powers or duties of any CTT in any area separate from its NPDES permit and the ownership and operation of its POTW. Added by L…

A. Chapter 2 of this title shall be known and may be cited as the "Oklahoma Environmental Quality Code". B. All statutes hereinafter enacted and codified in Chapter 2 of this title shall be considered and deemed part of the Oklahoma Environmental Quality Code. Added by Laws 1993,…

As used in the Oklahoma Environmental Quality Code: 1. "Administrative hearing" means an individual proceeding, held by the Department when authorized by the provisions of this Code and conducted pursuant to the Administrative Procedures Act, this Code and rules promulgated there…

headquarters — Report. A. The Department of Environmental Quality is hereby authorized to remove or dismantle any appurtenances connected to the Department's headquarters at 707 N. Robinson in downtown Oklahoma City. Once the appurtenance is removed, the site may be used for a pa…

and disbursement of funds - Contracts for land, facilities and vehicles - Operational policies - Personnel - Violations and penalties - Exempt counties. A. The board of county commissioners in each county of the state shall develop a plan, subject to the approval of the Departmen…

This article shall be known and may be cited as the Oklahoma Solid Waste Management Act. Laws 1970, c. 69, § 1, emerg. eff. March 17, 1970. Renumbered from Title 63, § 2251 by Laws 1990, c. 217, § 10, eff. Sept. 1, 1990 and by Laws 1990, c. 225, § 11, eff. Sept. 1, 1990. Amended …

It is the purpose of the Oklahoma Solid Waste Management Act and it is hereby declared to be the policy of this state and its political subdivisions to regulate the collection, transportation, processing and disposal of solid waste in a manner that will: 1. Protect the public hea…

As used in the Oklahoma Solid Waste Management Act: 1. "Advanced plastic recycling" means a manufacturing process for the conversion of post-use polymers and recovered feedstocks into basic hydrocarbon raw materials, feedstocks, chemicals, liquid fuels and other products like wax…

A. The Board of Environmental Quality is directed and empowered to promulgate rules for solid waste management including but not limited to: 1. The permitting, posting of security, construction, operation, closure, maintenance and remediation of solid waste disposal sites; 2. Dis…

Quality. A. The Department of Environmental Quality shall have the power and duty to: 1. Advise, consult and cooperate with other agencies and instrumentalities of the state, other states and the federal government and with affected groups and industries in the formulation of pla…

agency for participation in federal program. The Department is hereby designated the agency to implement the federal Solid Waste Disposal Act (Public Law 89-272) as it exists or may be amended. Laws 1970, c. 69, § 11, emerg. eff. March 17, 1970. Renumbered from Title 63, § 2261 b…

A. The Legislature hereby recognizes and declares that it is necessary for the public interest, health and economic welfare to encourage and promote the recycling and reuse of recoverable materials. The recycling and reuse of recoverable materials substantially reduces disposal c…

burdensome regulation. A. To further the goals promoted in the Oklahoma Recycling Initiative, Section 2-10-205 of this title, it is necessary to protect recycled material and the businesses who handle it from unnecessary and burdensome regulation. To prevent such impediments: 1. …

A. Except as otherwise specified in this section: 1. No person shall dispose of solid waste at any site or facility other than a site or facility for which a permit for solid or hazardous waste disposal has been issued by the Department of Environmental Quality; 2. No person shal…

No person shall operate a commercial composting facility without a valid permit issued by the Department of Environmental Quality. The Environmental Quality Board shall adopt rules establishing requirements for the permitting and operation of commercial composting facilities. Suc…