18 CFR § 806.23 - Standards for water withdrawals.
(a) The project sponsors of all withdrawals subject to review and approval under § 806.4, § 806.5 or § 806.6 of this part shall comply with the following standards, in addition to those required pursuant to § 806.21.
(b) Limitations on and considerations for withdrawals.
(1) The Commission may limit withdrawals to the amount (quantity and rate) of water that is needed to meet the reasonably foreseeable needs of the project sponsor.
(2) The Commission may deny an application, limit or condition an approval to ensure that the withdrawal will not cause significant adverse impacts to the water resources of the basin. The Commission may consider, without limitation, the following in its consideration of adverse impacts: Lowering of groundwater or stream flow levels; groundwater and surface water availability, including cumulative uses; rendering competing supplies unreliable; affecting other water uses; causing water quality degradation that may be injurious to any existing or potential water use; affecting fish, wildlife or other living resources or their habitat; causing permanent loss of aquifer storage capacity; affecting wetlands; or affecting low flow of perennial or intermittent streams.
(3) The Commission may impose limitations or conditions to mitigate impacts, including without limitation:
(i) Limit the quantity, timing or rate of withdrawal or level of drawdown, including requiring a total system limit.
(ii) Require the project sponsor to provide, at its own expense, an alternate water supply or other mitigating measures.
(iii) Require the project sponsor to implement and properly maintain special monitoring measures.
(iv) Require the project sponsor to implement and properly maintain stream flow protection measures.
(v) Require the project sponsor to develop and implement an operations plan acceptable to the Commission.
(4) The Commission may require the project sponsor to undertake the following, to ensure its ability to meet its present or reasonably foreseeable water needs from available groundwater or surface water without limitation:
(i) Investigate additional sources, interconnections or storage options to meet the demand of the project.
(ii) Submit a water resource development plan that shall include, without limitation, sufficient data to address any supply deficiencies, identify alternative water supply options, including interconnections, and support existing and proposed future withdrawals.
(5) For projects consisting of mine dewatering, water resources remediation, and AMD facilities that qualify as a withdrawal, review of adverse impacts will have limited consideration of groundwater availability, causing permanent loss of aquifer storage and lowering of groundwater levels provided these projects are operated in accordance with the laws and regulations of the member jurisdictions.
(6) Notwithstanding this paragraph, existing withdrawals that successfully complete the process in § 806.12(h) and (i) shall satisfy the standards in paragraph (b)(2) of this section. Further, evaluation of the withdrawal shall include reasonably foreseeable need and the need for total system limits, compliance with § 806.21, and any changes to the project or project location and setting.
(i) Approval of withdrawal limits on existing sources will not be set above the amount supported by the existing historical and current operating data or otherwise supported by the evaluation under § 806.12, and may be set at a different rate if supported by the evaluation required in this paragraph.
(ii) Any approvals shall include metering and measurement of parameters consistent with § 806.30, and may include conditions requiring monitoring of surface water features or other withdrawal sources.
(iii) If any reported metering or monitoring data or other information show a significant adverse impact to any consideration in paragraph (b)(2) of this section, the Commission may take actions necessary to eliminate the significant adverse impact, including but not limited to requiring the project to undertake more data collection and analysis, aquifer testing and/or conditioning the docket approval.
(7) Notwithstanding this paragraph, small capacity sources shall be subject to any withdrawal limit, including total system limit, set by the Commission and shall include metering and measurement of parameters consistent with § 806.30.