State environmental agencies - Jurisdictional areas of environmental responsibilities.

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  4. State environmental agencies - Jurisdictional areas of environmental responsibilities.

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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 specified in this section shall be in addition to those otherwise provided by law and assigned to the specific state environmental agency; provided that any rule, interagency agreement or executive order enacted or entered into prior to the effective date of this section which conflicts with the assignment of jurisdictional environmental responsibilities specified by this section is hereby superseded. The provisions of this subsection shall not nullify any financial obligation arising from services rendered pursuant to any interagency agreement or executive order entered into prior to July 1, 1993, nor nullify any obligations or agreements with private persons or parties entered into with any state environmental agency before July 1, 1993.

B. Department of Environmental Quality. The Department of Environmental Quality shall have the following jurisdictional areas of environmental responsibility:

1. All point source discharges of pollutants and storm water to waters of the state which originate from municipal, industrial, commercial, mining, transportation and utilities, construction, trade, real estate and finance, services, public administration, manufacturing and other sources, facilities and activities, except as provided in subsections D and E of this section;

2. All nonpoint source discharges and pollution except as provided in subsections D, E and F of this section;

3. Technical lead agency for point source, nonpoint source and storm water pollution control programs funded under Section 106 of the federal Clean Water Act, for areas within the Department's jurisdiction as provided in this subsection;

4. Surface water and groundwater quality and protection and water quality certifications;

5. Waterworks and wastewater works operator certification;

6. Public and private water supplies;

7. Underground injection control pursuant to the federal Safe Drinking Water Act and 40 CFR Parts 144 through 148, except for:

  • a.Class II injection wells,
  • b.Class V injection wells utilized in the remediation of groundwater associated with underground or aboveground storage tanks regulated by the Corporation Commission,
  • c.those wells used for the recovery, injection or disposal of mineral brines as defined in the Oklahoma Brine Development Act regulated by the Commission, and
  • d.any aspect of any CO2 sequestration facility, including any associated CO2 injection well, over which the Commission is given jurisdiction pursuant to the Oklahoma Carbon Capture and Geologic Sequestration Act;

8. Notwithstanding any other provision in this section or other environmental jurisdiction statute, sole and exclusive jurisdiction for air quality under the federal Clean Air Act and applicable state law, except for indoor air quality and asbestos as regulated for worker safety by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act and by Chapter 11 of Title 40 of the Oklahoma Statutes;

9. Hazardous waste and solid waste, including industrial, commercial and municipal waste;

10. Superfund responsibilities of the state under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 and amendments thereto, except the planning requirements of Title III of the Superfund Amendment and Reauthorization Act of 1986;

11. Radioactive waste and all regulatory activities for the use of atomic energy and sources of radiation except for electronic products used for diagnosis by diagnostic x-ray facilities and electronic products used for bomb detection by public safety bomb squads within law enforcement agencies of this state or within law enforcement agencies of any political subdivision of this state;

12. Water, waste, and wastewater treatment systems including, but not limited to, septic tanks or other public or private waste disposal systems;

13. Emergency response as specified by law;

14. Environmental laboratory services and laboratory certification;

15. Hazardous substances other than branding, package and labeling requirements;

16. Freshwater wellhead protection;

17. Groundwater protection for activities subject to the jurisdictional areas of environmental responsibility of the Department;

18. Utilization and enforcement of Oklahoma Water Quality Standards and implementation documents;

19. Environmental regulation of any entity or activity, and the prevention, control and abatement of any pollution, not subject to the specific statutory authority of another state environmental agency;

20. Development and maintenance of a computerized information system relating to water quality pursuant to Section 1-4-107 of this title;

21. Development and promulgation of a Water Quality Standards Implementation Plan pursuant to Section 1-1-202 of this title for its jurisdictional area of environmental responsibility; and

22. Development and utilization of policies and requirements necessary for the implementation of Oklahoma Groundwater Quality Standards to the extent that the implementation of such standards are within the scope of the Department's jurisdiction, including but not limited to the establishment of points of compliance when warranted.

C. Oklahoma Water Resources Board. The Oklahoma Water Resources Board shall have the following jurisdictional areas of environmental responsibility:

1. Water quantity including, but not limited to, water rights, surface water and underground water, planning, and interstate stream compacts;

2. Weather modification;

3. Dam safety;

4. Flood plain management;

5. State water/wastewater loans and grants revolving fund and other related financial aid programs;

6. Administration of the federal State Revolving Fund Program including, but not limited to, making application for and receiving capitalization grant awards, wastewater prioritization for funding, technical project reviews, environmental review process, and financial review and administration;

7. Water well drillers/pump installers licensing;

8. Technical lead agency for clean lakes eligible for funding under Section 314 of the federal Clean Water Act or other applicable sections of the federal Clean Water Act or other subsequent state and federal clean lakes programs; administration of a state program for assessing, monitoring, studying and restoring Oklahoma lakes with administration to include, but not be limited to, receipt and expenditure of funds from federal, state and private sources for clean lakes and implementation of a volunteer monitoring program to assess and monitor state water resources, provided such funds from federal Clean Water Act sources are administered and disbursed by the Office of the Secretary of Environment;

9. Except as set forth in paragraph 22 of subsection B of this section, statewide water quality standards and their accompanying use support assessment protocols, anti-degradation policy and implementation, and policies generally affecting Oklahoma Water Quality Standards application and implementation including but not limited to mixing zones, low flows and variances or any modification or change thereof pursuant to Section 1085.30 of Title 82 of the Oklahoma Statutes;

10. Groundwater protection for activities subject to the jurisdictional areas of environmental responsibility of the Board;

11. Development and promulgation of a Water Quality Standards Implementation Plan pursuant to Section 1-1-202 of this title for its jurisdictional area of environmental responsibility;

12. Development of classifications and identification of permitted uses of groundwater, in recognized water rights, and associated groundwater recharge areas;

13. Establishment and implementation of a statewide beneficial use monitoring program for waters of the state in coordination with the other state environmental agencies;

14. Coordination with other state environmental agencies and other public entities of water resource investigations conducted by the federal United States Geological Survey for water quality and quantity monitoring in the state; and

15. Development and submission of a report concerning the status of water quality monitoring in this state pursuant to Section 1-1-202 of this title.

D. Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry.

1. The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry shall have the following jurisdictional areas of environmental responsibility except as provided in paragraph 2 of this subsection:

  • a.point source discharges and nonpoint source runoff from agricultural crop production, agricultural services, livestock production, silviculture, feed yards, livestock markets and animal waste,
  • b.pesticide control,
  • c.forestry and nurseries,
  • d.fertilizer,
  • e.facilities which store grain, feed, seed, fertilizer and agricultural chemicals,
  • f.dairy waste and wastewater associated with milk production facilities,
  • g.groundwater protection for activities subject to the jurisdictional areas of environmental responsibility of the Department,
  • h.utilization and enforcement of Oklahoma Water Quality Standards and implementation documents,
  • i.development and promulgation of a Water Quality Standards Implementation Plan pursuant to Section 1-1-202 of this title for its jurisdictional areas of environmental responsibility, and
  • j.storm water discharges for activities subject to the jurisdictional areas of environmental responsibility of the Department.

2. In addition to the jurisdictional areas of environmental responsibility specified in subsection B of this section, the Department of Environmental Quality shall have environmental jurisdiction over:

  • a.(1)commercial manufacturers of fertilizers, grain and feed products, and chemicals, and over manufacturing of food and kindred products, tobacco, paper, lumber, wood, textile mill and other agricultural products,
  • (2)slaughterhouses, but not including feedlots at these facilities, and
  • (3)aquaculture and fish hatcheries,
  • including, but not limited to, discharges of pollutants and storm water to waters of the state, surface impoundments and land application of wastes and sludge, and other pollution originating at these facilities, and
  • b.facilities which store grain, feed, seed, fertilizer, and agricultural chemicals that are required by federal NPDES regulations to obtain a permit for storm water discharges shall only be subject to the jurisdiction of the Department of Environmental Quality with respect to such storm water discharges.

E. Corporation Commission.

1. The Corporation Commission is hereby vested with exclusive jurisdiction, power and authority, and it shall be its duty to promulgate and enforce rules, and issue and enforce orders governing and regulating:

  • a.the conservation of oil and gas,
  • b.field operations for geologic and geophysical exploration for oil, gas and brine, including seismic survey wells, stratigraphic test wells and core test wells,
  • c.the exploration, drilling, development, producing or processing for oil and gas on the lease site,
  • d.the exploration, drilling, development, production and operation of wells used in connection with the recovery, injection or disposal of mineral brines,
  • e.reclaiming facilities only for the processing of salt water, crude oil, natural gas condensate and tank bottoms or basic sediment from crude oil tanks, pipelines, pits and equipment associated with the exploration, drilling, development, producing or transportation of oil or gas,
  • f.underground injection control pursuant to the federal Safe Drinking Water Act and 40 CFR Parts 144 through 148, of:
    • (1)Class II injection wells,
    • (2)Class V injection wells utilized in the remediation of groundwater associated with underground or aboveground storage tanks regulated by the Commission,
    • (3)those wells used for the recovery, injection or disposal of mineral brines as defined in the Oklahoma Brine Development Act, and
    • (4)any aspect of any CO2 sequestration facility, including any associated CO2 injection well, over which the Commission is given jurisdiction pursuant to the Oklahoma Carbon Capture and Geologic Sequestration Act.
  • Any substance that the United States Environmental Protection Agency allows to be injected into a Class II well may continue to be so injected,
  • g.tank farms for storage of crude oil and petroleum products which are located outside the boundaries of refineries, petrochemical manufacturing plants, natural gas liquid extraction plants, or other facilities which are subject to the jurisdiction of the Department of Environmental Quality with regard to point source discharges,
  • h.the construction and operation of pipelines and associated rights-of-way, equipment, facilities or buildings used in the transportation of oil, gas, petroleum, petroleum products, anhydrous ammonia or mineral brine, or in the treatment of oil, gas or mineral brine during the course of transportation but not including line pipes in any:
    • (1)natural gas liquids extraction plant,
    • (2)refinery,
    • (3)reclaiming facility other than for those specified within subparagraph e of this subsection,
    • (4)mineral brine processing plant, and
    • (5)petrochemical manufacturing plant,
  • i.the handling, transportation, storage and disposition of saltwater, mineral brines, waste oil and other deleterious substances produced from or obtained or used in connection with the drilling, development, producing and operating of oil and gas wells, at:
    • (1)any facility or activity specifically listed in paragraphs 1 and 2 of this subsection as being subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission, and
    • (2)other oil and gas extraction facilities and activities,
  • j.spills of deleterious substances associated with facilities and activities specified in paragraph 1 of this subsection or associated with other oil and gas extraction facilities and activities,
  • k.subsurface storage of oil, natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas in geologic strata,
  • l.groundwater protection for activities subject to the jurisdictional areas of environmental responsibility of the Commission,
  • m.utilization and enforcement of Oklahoma Water Quality Standards and implementation documents, and
  • n.development and promulgation of a Water Quality Standards Implementation Plan pursuant to Section 1-1-202 of this title for its jurisdictional areas of environmental responsibility.

2. The exclusive jurisdiction, power and authority of the Commission shall also extend to the construction, operation, maintenance, site remediation, closure and abandonment of the facilities and activities described in paragraph 1 of this subsection.

3. When a deleterious substance from a Commission-regulated facility or activity enters a point source discharge of pollutants or storm water from a facility or activity regulated by the Department of Environmental Quality, the Department shall have sole jurisdiction over the point source discharge of the commingled pollutants and storm water from the two facilities or activities insofar as Department-regulated facilities and activities are concerned.

4. The Commission and the Department of Environmental Quality are hereby authorized to obtain authorization from the Environmental Protection Agency to administer, within their respective jurisdictions, any and all programs regulating oil and gas discharges into the waters of this state. For purposes of the federal Clean Water Act, any facility or activity which is subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission pursuant to paragraph 1 of this subsection and any other oil and gas extraction facility or activity which requires a permit for the discharge of a pollutant or storm water to waters of the United States shall be subject to the direct jurisdiction and permitting authority of the Oklahoma agency having received delegation of this program from the Environmental Protection Agency.

5. The Commission shall have jurisdiction over:

  • a.underground storage tanks that contain antifreeze, motor oil, motor fuel, gasoline, kerosene, diesel, or aviation fuel and that are not located at refineries or at the upstream or intermediate shipment points of pipeline operations, including, but not limited to, tanks from which these materials are dispensed into vehicles, or tanks used in wholesale or bulk distribution activities, as well as leaks from pumps, hoses, dispensers, and other ancillary equipment associated with the tanks, whether above the ground or below; provided, that any point source discharge of a pollutant to waters of the United States during site remediation or the off-site disposal of contaminated soil, media, or debris shall be regulated by the Department of Environmental Quality,
  • b.aboveground storage tanks that contain antifreeze, motor oil, motor fuel, gasoline, kerosene, diesel, or aviation fuel and that are not located at refineries or at the upstream or intermediate shipment points of pipeline operations including, but not limited to, tanks from which these materials are dispensed into vehicles, or tanks used in wholesale or bulk distribution activities, as well as leaks from pumps, hoses, dispensers, and other ancillary equipment associated with the tanks, whether above the ground or below; provided, that any point source discharge of a pollutant to waters of the United States during site remediation or the off-site disposal of contaminated soil, media, or debris shall be regulated by the Department of Environmental Quality, and
  • c.the Petroleum Storage Tank Release Environmental Cleanup Indemnity Fund, the Oklahoma Petroleum Storage Tank Release Indemnity Program, and the Oklahoma Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund.

6. The Department of Environmental Quality shall have sole jurisdiction to regulate the transportation, discharge or release of deleterious substances or solid or hazardous waste or other pollutants from rolling stock and rail facilities. The Department of Environmental Quality shall not have any jurisdiction with respect to pipeline transportation of carbon dioxide.

7. The Department of Environmental Quality shall have sole environmental jurisdiction for point and nonpoint source discharges of pollutants and storm water to waters of the state from:

  • a.refineries, petrochemical manufacturing plants and natural gas liquid extraction plants,
  • b.manufacturing of equipment and products related to oil and gas,
  • c.bulk terminals, aboveground and underground storage tanks not subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission pursuant to this subsection, and
  • d.other facilities, activities and sources not subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission or the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry as specified by this section.

8. The Department of Environmental Quality shall have sole environmental jurisdiction to regulate air emissions from all facilities and sources subject to operating permit requirements under Title V of the federal Clean Air Act as amended.

F. Oklahoma Conservation Commission. The Oklahoma Conservation Commission shall have the following jurisdictional areas of environmental responsibility:

1. Soil conservation, erosion control and nonpoint source management except as otherwise provided by law;

2. Monitoring, evaluation and assessment of waters to determine the condition of streams and rivers being impacted by nonpoint source pollution. In carrying out this area of responsibility, the Oklahoma Conservation Commission shall serve as the technical lead agency for nonpoint source categories as defined in Section 319 of the federal Clean Water Act or other subsequent federal or state nonpoint source programs, except for activities related to industrial and municipal storm water or as otherwise provided by state law;

3. Wetlands strategy;

4. Abandoned mine reclamation;

5. Cost-share program for land use activities;

6. Assessment and conservation plan development and implementation in watersheds of clean lakes, as specified by law;

7. Complaint data management;

8. Coordination of environmental and natural resources education;

9. Federal upstream flood control program;

10. Groundwater protection for activities subject to the jurisdictional areas of environmental responsibility of the Commission;

11. Development and promulgation of a Water Quality Standards Implementation Plan pursuant to Section 1-1-202 of this title for its jurisdictional areas of environmental responsibility;

12. Utilization of Oklahoma Water Quality Standards and Implementation documents; and

13. Verification and certification of carbon sequestration pursuant to the Oklahoma Carbon Sequestration Enhancement Act. This responsibility shall not be superseded by the Oklahoma Carbon Capture and Geologic Sequestration Act.

G. Department of Mines. The Department of Mines shall have the following jurisdictional areas of environmental responsibility:

1. Mining regulation;

2. Mining reclamation of active mines;

3. Groundwater protection for activities subject to the jurisdictional areas of environmental responsibility of the Commission; and

4. Development and promulgation of a Water Quality Standards Implementation Plan pursuant to Section 1-1-202 of this title for its jurisdictional areas of responsibility.

H. Department of Wildlife Conservation. The Department of Wildlife Conservation shall have the following jurisdictional areas of environmental responsibilities:

1. Investigating wildlife kills;

2. Wildlife protection and seeking wildlife damage claims; and

3. Development and promulgation of a Water Quality Standards Implementation Plan pursuant to Section 1-1-202 of this title for its jurisdictional areas of environmental responsibility.

I. Department of Public Safety. The Department of Public Safety shall have the following jurisdictional areas of environmental responsibilities:

1. Hazardous waste, substances and material transportation inspections as authorized by the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act; and

2. Inspection and audit activities of hazardous waste and materials carriers and handlers as authorized by the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act.

J. Department of Labor. The Department of Labor shall have the following jurisdictional areas of environmental responsibility:

1. Regulation of asbestos in the workplace pursuant to Chapter 11 of Title 40 of the Oklahoma Statutes;

2. Asbestos monitoring in public and private buildings; and

3. Indoor air quality as regulated under the authority of the Oklahoma Occupational Health and Safety Standards Act, except for those indoor air quality issues specifically authorized to be regulated by another agency.

Such programs shall be a function of the Department's occupational safety and health jurisdiction.

K. Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management. The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management shall have the following jurisdictional areas of environmental responsibilities:

1. Coordination of all emergency resources and activities relating to threats to citizens' lives and property pursuant to the Oklahoma Emergency Resources Management Act of 1967;

2. Administer and enforce the planning requirements of Title III of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 and develop such other emergency operations plans that will enable the state to prepare for, respond to, recover from and mitigate potential environmental emergencies and disasters pursuant to the Oklahoma Hazardous Materials Planning and Notification Act;

3. Administer and conduct periodic exercises of emergency operations plans provided for in this subsection pursuant to the Oklahoma Emergency Resources Management Act of 1967;

4. Administer and facilitate hazardous materials training for state and local emergency planners and first responders pursuant to the Oklahoma Emergency Resources Management Act of 1967; and

5. Maintain a computerized emergency information system allowing state and local access to information regarding hazardous materials' location, quantity and potential threat.

Added by Laws 1992, c. 398, § 6, eff. July 1, 1993. Amended by Laws 1993, c. 145, § 11, eff. July 1, 1993. Renumbered from § 6 of this title by Laws 1993, c. 145, § 359, eff. July 1, 1993. Amended by Laws 1993, c. 324, § 6, eff. July 1, 1993; Laws 1994, c. 140, § 24, eff. Sept. 1, 1994; Laws 1997, c. 217, § 1, eff. July 1, 1997; Laws 1999, c. 413, § 4, eff. Nov. 1, 1999; Laws 2000, c. 364, § 1, emerg. eff. June 6, 2000; Laws 2002, c. 397, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2002; Laws 2004, c. 100, § 2, eff. July 1, 2004; Laws 2004, c. 430, § 11, emerg. eff. June 4, 2004; Laws 2009, c. 429, § 8, emerg. eff. June 1, 2009; Laws 2012, c. 110, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2012; Laws 2017, c. 129, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2017; Laws 2018, c. 137, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2018.


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