Title 46, Title 46 and Navigation

Any order of the director may at any time, or from time to time, after at least twenty (20) days’ notice in writing to the person or persons affected thereby, and after a hearing, if so requested by the affected person or persons, be modified or revoked by an order duly entered b…

Except as specified in §§ 46-12-26 and 46-12-27, any person who shall violate the provisions of this chapter, or of any permit, rule, regulation, or order issued pursuant thereto, shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) for each…

(a) Except as specified in §§ 46-12-26 and 46-12-27, any person who shall be found guilty of violating, willfully or with criminal negligence, any of the provisions of this chapter, or of any permit, rule, or regulation issued pursuant thereto, or an order of the director, shall …

The director shall have full powers to inspect, and make orders regulating and directing all methods, means, and devices employed on any steamer or other vessel in the waters of the state, or at any installation on land, in receiving, carrying, storing, heating, handling or disch…

The director, without being required to enter into any recognizance or to give surety for costs, may institute civil or criminal proceedings for the violation of any provision of this chapter or of any permit, rule, regulation, or order issued pursuant thereto. It shall be the du…

The superior court for Providence County shall have concurrent jurisdiction to enforce the provisions of this chapter and any rule, regulation, permit, or order issued pursuant thereto. Proceedings for enforcement may be instituted and prosecuted in the name of the director, by e…

The director may, by regulation, order, permit, or otherwise, require any person who discharges to the waters or who discharges to a publicly owned treatment works to: (1) Establish and maintain such records; (2) Make such reports; (3) Install, calibrate, use, and maintain such m…

(a) Any permit, permit application, or effluent data shall be available to the public for inspection and copying. (b) Other records, reports, or information obtained under this chapter also may be made available to the public for inspection and copying; provided, that upon a show…

(a) It shall be the responsibility of the director of the department of environmental management to administer this chapter. Within the department of environmental management, the director may employ personnel who shall come within the classified service in accordance with the la…

In establishing any rule or regulation hereunder or in the conduct of proceedings or in any appeal from an order of the director provided for by this chapter, the provisions of chapter 35 of title 42 shall apply.

Any person who shall negligently or intentionally pollute groundwater shall be liable to any other person who is damaged by that pollution.

The attorney general, the director of the department of environmental management, and their agents, while in the performance of their duties, may at all reasonable times enter any premises, buildings, plant, or equipment, or other places belonging to, or controlled by, any person…

The town council of every town and city council of every city are hereby authorized to make available sufficient money to pay for the proper control of the pollution of waters in their respective towns or cities, and the towns and cities may raise the money by the issue of intere…

The director is authorized, within any limits of funds made available therefor, to make grants and loans to any municipality, inter-municipal agency, municipal sewer district, or state district or agency for the construction of necessary facilities to prevent the discharge of unt…

The director is authorized within any limits of funds made available therefor, to make grants and loans to any nongovernmental entities in Rhode Island for the construction of necessary facilities to prevent the discharge of untreated or inadequately treated pollutants into the w…

(a) Findings. (1) Protecting the ground and surface water of the state from pollution is vital to the health and general welfare of the citizens of the state; (2) Construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance of modern and efficient waste water treatment systems and facilities is…

If any person, firm, or corporation continuously uses any area for the disposal of solid waste which is located within two hundred feet (200′) of any water course, then the owner of the land or lessee, if leased land, where the area is located must submit to the director a writte…

Any person, firm, or corporation who shall fail to submit reports as required by § 46-12-25, shall be punished by a fine of four hundred dollars ($400) per day for each day that a report is not filed.

Any person, firm, or corporation who shall falsify any report required by § 46-12-25, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding four hundred dollars ($400), or by imprisonment of not more than one year, or both.

Groundwaters shall be and shall be deemed to be waters of the state and shall be protected pursuant to the provisions of this chapter with respect to the following activities, which shall be regulated by the director in accordance with the provisions of this chapter and chapter 1…

This chapter shall take effect on September 15, 1983, except that prior to that date the director of the department of environmental management may conduct any hearings necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter, and file with the secretary of state any rules and regulat…

In addition to the other powers granted the director of the department of environmental management herein, the director shall have and may exercise the following powers and duties: (1) To exercise general supervision of the administration and enforcement of this chapter, and all …

(a) All definitions and guidelines for replacement and periodic inspection of tanks shall be developed by the director of the department of environmental management in conjunction with the director’s efforts to promulgate regulations for underground storage facilities used for pe…

The general treasurer is hereby authorized and empowered, with the approval of the governor and in accordance with the requirements of law, to issue from time to time bonds in the name and on behalf of the state and in such amounts as may be specified in an amount not to exceed o…

The owners and/or agents of any seagoing vessel entering the waters or waterways of this state which intends to transfer or discharge any type of waste or bilge at a certified shore facility or terminal pursuant to the Resource and Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA), 42 U.S.C. § 69…

(a) Definitions. As used in this section and in conjunction with this chapter these terms shall be construed to mean: (1) “Test” means a tank tightness test capable of detecting a five hundredths (.05) gallon per hour leak from any portion of an underground storage tank (includin…

(a) It shall be unlawful to discharge any sewage from a boat into the waters of the state unless discharged via a marine toilet which is either a marine sanitation device-type I, or a marine sanitation device-type II, in proper working condition. (b) It shall be unlawful to disch…

(a) Definitions. As used in this section and in conjunction with this chapter, the following terms shall be construed as follows: (1) “Marine sanitation device” means either a marine sanitation device-type I, a marine sanitation device-type II, or a marine sanitation device-type …

(a) Every person in violation of § 46-12-39 or owning, operating, or causing to be operated, upon the waters of the state, a boat in violation of the provisions of § 46-12-39 or aiding in so doing, shall for the first offense be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred do…

(a) The department of environmental management, harbormasters, assistant harbormasters, police officers authorized to make arrests, and employees of the department of environmental management authorized to enforce the provisions of chapter 22 of this title shall have the authorit…

(a) Any applicant seeking an order of approval from the department of environmental management for the distribution or land application of biosolids shall test its biosolids for PFAS contaminants, as that term is defined by § 46-32-2, and the results shall be submitted to the dep…

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to place any pollutant in a location where it is likely to enter the waters or to place or cause to be placed any solid waste materials, junk, or debris of any kind whatsoever, organic or non organic, in any waters. (b) It shall be unlawful…

(a) If the director shall have cause to believe that any person is violating any provision of this chapter, or any regulation, permit, or order of the department of environmental management adopted in accordance therewith, it shall be the director’s duty to cause the matter to be…

(a) All subpoenas shall be served as subpoenas in civil cases in superior court, and witnesses so subpoenaed shall be entitled to the same fees for attendance and travel as are provided witnesses in civil cases in superior court. In cases of contumacy or refusal to obey the comma…

The director may employ any professional or expert services that the director may deem desirable in making any investigation or in conducting any prosecution for the violation of the provisions of this chapter, within the limit of the amount appropriated therefor by the general a…

(a) The director shall follow the procedures provided in § 42-17.1-2(21) in issuing any notice of violation or compliance order authorized pursuant to this chapter or any rules, regulations, or permits promulgated thereunder. (b) Where an order of the director does not specify th…

The purpose of this chapter is to aid in assuring the public is provided with safe and potable drinking water.

When the water from a public water supply system is not safe, potable, or is subject to contamination as determined by the director, the person maintaining the public water supply system shall take immediate action to correct sanitary defects, improve operation, provide necessary…

Any person maintaining a public water supply system shall submit or cause to be submitted by operating personnel such reports of operation pertaining to the sanitary quality, treatment, and output as may be requested by the director. The operation reports shall be submitted withi…

Whenever investigations indicate that the water from a public water supply system is not safe, potable, or is subject to contamination and, in the opinion of the director, the health of the water consumers is or may become endangered, the director may call the person maintaining …

The director shall proceed with a hearing pursuant to § 46-13-12 whenever a written complaint made against any public drinking water supplier shall be substantiated by investigation. Any proceedings, pursuant to § 46-13-12, resulting from the complaint shall be held at a public l…

The director is hereby empowered to assign all his or her functions authorized by this chapter to such subordinate or subordinates as the director deems advisable.

(a) Any violation of any provision of this chapter, any rule or regulation promulgated pursuant to this chapter, or any term or condition of any permit, shall constitute a public nuisance. Any person or municipality committing a violation shall be liable for the costs of abatemen…

(a) It shall be the duty of any person to proceed diligently to comply with any order issued pursuant to this chapter. If that person fails to proceed diligently or fails to comply with the order within such time, if any, as may be specified, the order may be enforced by the supe…

Compliance with requirements of this chapter shall in no way release the owners or official custodians of a public water supply system from any liability for damage to person or property caused by or resulting from the installation, operation, or maintenance of a public water sup…

(a) The director is hereby authorized to adopt regulations consistent with the provisions of this chapter, the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, 42 U.S.C. § 300f et seq., and the federal regulations adopted under that act. All new and existing public water supply systems subject t…