Office of
Indiana State Chemist and Seed Commissioner

GROUND WATER PROTECTION

STATE OF INDIANA DRAFT GENERIC
PESTICIDE MANAGEMENT PLAN

Office of
Indiana State Chemist and Seed Commissioner

Synopsis of the proposed Indiana State Management Plan

In May 1989, Indiana passed its Ground Water Protection Act which institutionalized the Indiana Ground Water Task Force as the oversight committee for implementing the Indiana Ground Water Protection Strategy. On October 23, 1992, the Ground Water Task Force adopted a policy framework for the protection of Indiana's ground water. That policy framework shall serve as the basis for the development of the goals of this generic State Management Plan (SMP).

Intent and Goals of the Plan

It is the intent of the SMP to outline various prevention, response and enforcement mechanisms available under the authorities of the Indiana Pesticide Registration Law and the Indiana Pesticide Use and Application Law.

The underlying goal of the SMP is founded on protecting ground water resources which currently meet criteria for human health protection.

This can be accomplished though a coordinated program of education, voluntary best management practices (BMP's), necessary regulatory management approaches, and restrictions on pesticide product use where needed.

To focus the State's limited resources toward achieving the maximum benefit from this goal, the concept of pesticide management areas may be utilized to allow resource focus in those areas of the state where the potential for a pesticide to impact ground water quality is most likely to occur.

The State recognizes that it may need to take into account a number of practical considerations in protecting ground water quality including, but not limited to: site characteristics, technical feasibility, cost and relative benefit.

Part I. The State of Indiana will protect ground water resources which currently meet criteria for human health protection, as established in the prevention (Component#4) and response (Component#6) components of this plan, focusing on preventative measures and activities.

Specifically, Indiana will protect our resources by:

A. The establishment of siting, design, and monitoring criteria for potential sources of ground water contamination and promoting the use of nonpolluting materials or alternative management.

B. The implementation of best management practices in potentially vulnerable areas for pesticide use.

C. Banning or restricting the use of pesticides where best management practices and other pesticide management measures cannot protect ground water to the level of established health protection standards.

D. Provide protection of wells used for public water supply be establishing criteria which mitigate existing and future potential threats of ground water contamination and which ensures the continued availability of the resource for present and future generation. Ground water protection zones should be established around community and non-community public water supply wells.

Part II. For ground water resources contaminated to levels that pose a health threat remediation should be considered and pursued as follows:

A. The first step in remediation should be to stop the body of contamination from spreading any further and to eliminate the cause of the contaminant release.

B. Standards for ground water remediation shall ensure that the ground water resource meets criteria for the protection of human health, animal life, plant life, and the environment. The potential uses of the specific ground water resource and the technical and economic feasibility for meeting the standard must be evaluated and incorporated in the decision on the required remediation level.

C. Remediation of the ground water resource shall be governed by Federal regulation for Superfund sites and State laws and regulations for non-Superfund sites.

D. Ground water remediation should be prioritized to limit the risk of adverse affects to humans.

The purpose and the scope of the Ground Water Task Force is to guide the implementation of a coordinated, comprehensive and effective ground water protection and management program consistent with Indiana's Comprehensive Ground Water Protection and Management Strategy.

Committee membership includes representatives from all state programs with statutory responsibilities for the management of Indiana's ground water. Representation consists of Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), Office of Indiana State Chemist and Seed Commissioner (OISC), Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH), Office of the State Fire Marshal, Labor, Environmental, Agriculture, Business and Local Government.