§ 3-0301. General functions, powers and duties of the department and the\n commissioner.\n 1. It shall be the responsibility of the department, in accordance\nwith such existing provisions and limitations as may be elsewhere set\nforth in law, by and through the commissioner to carry out the\nenvironmental policy of the state set forth in section 1-0101 of this\nchapter. In so doing, the commissioner shall have power to:\n a. Coordinate and develop policies, planning and programs related to\nthe environment of the state and regions thereof;\n b. Promote and coordinate management of water, land, fish, wildlife\nand air resources to assure their protection, enchancement, provision,\nallocation, and balanced utilization consistent with the environmental\npolicy of the state and take into account the cumulative impact upon all\nof such resources in making any determination in connection with any\nlicense, order, permit, certification or other similar action or\npromulgating any rule or regulation, standard or criterion;\n bb. Prescribe the qualifications for operators of public sewage\ntreatment plants.\n c. Provide for the propagation, protection, and management of fish and\nother aquatic life and wildlife and the preservation of endangered\nspecies;\n cc. Prescribe and certify the qualifications for operators of solid\nwaste management facilities as defined in section 27-0701 of this\nchapter; provided, however, that the commissioner shall not require the\ncertification of operators until the commissioner shall have identified\nor established programs of training within the state that satisfy such\nqualifications;\n d. Provide for the care, custody, and control of the forest preserve;\n e. Provide for the protection and management of marine and coastal\nresources and of wetlands, estuaries and shorelines;\n f. Foster and promote sound practices for the use of agricultural\nland, river valleys, open land, and other areas of unique value;\n g. Encourage industrial, commercial, residential and community\ndevelopment which provides the best usage of land areas, maximizes\nenvironmental benefits and minimizes the effects of less desirable\nenvironmental conditions;\n gg. Develop a plan to maximize the use of telecommuting to conserve\nenergy otherwise used by the personnel of the department in commuting to\ntheir assigned workplace. Within one year of the effective date of this\nparagraph, the department shall submit a report to the governor and the\nlegislature on the impact of such plan to include, but not be limited\nto, energy conservation, air quality, workforce acceptance, office costs\nand potential cost savings.\n h. Assure the preservation and enhancement of natural beauty and\nman-made scenic qualities;\n hh. Cooperate with the office of probation and correctional\nalternatives by identifying appropriate worksites where persons\nperforming community service as part of a criminal disposition may be\nassigned to provide cleanup and other maintenance services in order to\npreserve and enhance the state's natural beauty and human-made scenic\nqualities. Such sites may include but are not limited to the state's\nshorelines, beaches, parks, roadways, historic sites and other natural\nor human-made resources.\n i. Provide for prevention and abatement of all water, land and air\npollution including, but not limited to, that related to hazardous\nsubstances, particulates, gases, dust, vapors, noise, radiation, odor,\nnutrients and heated liquids;\n j. Promote control of pests and regulate the use, storage and disposal\nof pesticides and other chemicals which may be harmful to man, animals,\nplant life, or natural resources;\n k. Promote control of weeds and aquatic growth, develop methods of\nprevention and eradication, and regulate herbicides;\n l. Provide and recommend methods for the recovery, recycling and\nreuse; or, where recycling and reuse are not possible, the disposal of\nsolid wastes, including
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