1. Legislative intent. The Legislature finds that sand and gravel aquifers are important public and private resources for drinking water supplies and other industrial, commercial and agricultural uses. The ground water in these formations is particularly susceptible to contamination by pollutants and, once polluted, may not recover for hundreds of years. It is the intent of the Legislature that information be developed which shall determine the degree that the state's sand and gravel aquifers have been contaminated and shall provide a base of knowledge from which decisions may be made to protect the aquifers. [PL 1983, c. 521 (NEW).] 2. Determination of ground water quality. The commissioner and the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry shall delineate the primary recharge areas for all sand and gravel aquifers capable of yielding more than 10 gallons per minute. Utilizing existing water supply information and well drilling logs, the commissioner and the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry shall determine depth to bedrock, depth to water table, surficial material stratigraphy and generalized ground water flow directions of the aquifers. The commissioner and the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry shall also determine the extent and direction of contamination plumes originating from distinct sources within each area studied. The primary recharge areas, flow directions and contamination plumes are to be shown on maps of a scale of 1:50,000. [PL 1989, c. 890, Pt. A, §40 (AFF); PL 1989, c. 890, Pt. B, §22 (AMD); PL 2011, c. 657, Pt. W, §5 (REV).]
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