2010 Tennessee Code
Title 69 - Waters, Waterways, Drains And Levees
Chapter 3 - Water Pollution Control
Part 1 - Water Quality Control Act
69-3-104 - Water quality control board.

69-3-104. Water quality control board.

(a)  (1)  There is hereby created and established the Tennessee water quality control board, referred to as the “board” in this part, which shall be composed of ten (10) members as follows:

          (A)  The commissioner of environment and conservation, who shall be the chair of the board;

          (B)  The commissioner of health;

          (C)  The commissioner of agriculture; and

          (D)  Seven (7) citizen members appointed for terms of four (4) years by the governor of Tennessee.

     (2)  Each ex officio member may, by official order filed with the director, designate a representative from such member's staff who shall have the powers and be subject to the duties and responsibilities of the ex officio member designating the representative, except that the representative designated by the commissioner of environment and conservation shall not serve as chair.

     (3)  In the absence of the commissioner of environment and conservation, the board shall elect one (1) of its members to serve as chair.

     (4)  (A)  One (1) of the seven (7) citizen members shall be from the public-at-large, one (1) shall be representative of environmental interests appointed from a list of three (3) persons nominated by the Tennessee conservation league, one (1) shall be a representative of counties appointed from a list of three (3) persons nominated by the county services association, one (1) shall be representative of agricultural interests appointed from a list of three (3) persons nominated by the Tennessee Farm Bureau, one (1) shall be representative of the municipalities of the state appointed from a list of three (3) persons nominated by the Tennessee municipal league, one (1) shall be representative of small generators of water pollution and shall be appointed from a list of three (3) persons nominated by the Tennessee Automotive Association, and one (1) shall be representative of industries appointed from a list of three (3) persons nominated by the Tennessee Association of Business. The occupation of the member representing the public-at-large shall not be in the same primary area of interest as any other citizen member of the board.

          (B)  If the governor does not choose to appoint one (1) of the persons recommended under the terms of this subdivision (a)(4), the appropriate organization shall submit a new list of nominations to the governor equal in number to their original nominations. If the governor does not choose to appoint one (1) of the persons nominated by the Tennessee Automotive Association, such organization shall submit a new list of nominations to the governor equal in number to their original nominations.

     (5)  Each appointive member shall be a resident and domiciliary of the state of Tennessee.

     (6)  No member shall be appointed, unless at the time of the member's appointment, the member or the member's employer is in compliance with the provisions of this part as certified by the commissioner.

     (7)  The three (3) ex officio members shall hold their positions on the board throughout their respective terms and until the appointment of their successors as such.

     (8)  All appointments of citizen members shall be for a full four-year term.

     (9)  Any appointive member who is absent from three (3) consecutive, regularly scheduled meetings shall be removed from the board by the governor.

     (10)  Upon the death, resignation, or removal of any appointive member, the governor shall appoint some person representing the same area of interest as the member whose position has been vacated to fill the unexpired term of such member.

     (11)  Appointive members shall continue to serve until a successor has been appointed.

     (12)  In making appointments to the board, the governor shall strive to ensure that at least one (1) person appointed to serve on the board is sixty (60) years of age or older and that at least one (1) person appointed to serve on the board is a member of a racial minority.

(b)  The state shall ensure that those members of the board who do not receive, or during the previous two (2) years have not received, a significant portion of their income directly or indirectly from permit holders or applicants for a permit shall hear all appeals on permit matters. If the chair is not eligible to hear any permit matter, the members of the board shall select a member by majority vote to serve as chair. An ex officio member of the board who is not eligible to hear a permit matter shall designate a representative to serve on the board for that purpose in accordance with subsection (a). Board member participation in permit matters shall also be in accordance with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5, part 3, in addition to the provisions set forth in subdivisions (b)(1)-(4).

     (1)  For the purposes of this section, “significant portion of their income” means ten percent (10%) of gross personal income for a calendar year, except that it means fifty percent (50%) of gross personal income for a calendar year if the recipient is over sixty (60) years of age and is receiving such portion pursuant to retirement, pension, or similar arrangement.

     (2)  For the purposes of this section, “permit holders or applicants for a permit” does not include any department or agency of the state.

     (3)  For the purposes of this section, “income” includes retirement benefits, consultant fees, and stock dividends.

     (4)  For the purposes of this section, income is not received “directly or indirectly from permit holders or applicants for a permit” where it is derived from mutual fund payments, or from other diversified investments over which the recipient does not know the identity of the primary sources of income. If members other than the ex officio members are not qualified, then the seven (7) citizen members who are not ex officio members shall select, by agreement, qualified temporary replacements to serve for the duration of any proceeding before the board.

(c)  Each member of the board, other than the ex officio member, shall be entitled to be paid fifty dollars ($50.00) for each day actually and necessarily employed in the discharge of official duties, and each member shall be entitled to receive the amount of such member's traveling and other necessary expenses actually incurred while engaged in the performance of any official duties when so authorized by the board, but such expenses shall be made in accordance with the comprehensive state travel regulations promulgated by the commissioner of finance and administration and approved by the attorney general and reporter.

(d)  The board shall have two (2) regularly scheduled meetings each year, one (1) in October and one (1) in April. Special meetings may be called by the chair at any time and shall be called as soon as possible by the chair on the written request of two (2) members. Regular meetings of the panel shall be held as necessary to review permit matters. All members shall be duly notified by the technical secretary of the time and place of any regular or special meeting at least five (5) days in advance of such meeting. The majority of the board constitutes a quorum and the concurrence of a majority of those present and voting in any matter within its duties shall be required for a determination of matters within its jurisdiction.

(e)  [Deleted by 2005 amendment.]

(f)  The board shall keep complete and accurate records of the proceedings of all their meetings, a copy of which shall be kept on file in the office of the director and open to public inspection.

(g)  The director shall serve as the technical secretary of the board. In that capacity, the member shall report the proceedings of the board pursuant to § 69-3-110 and perform such other duties as the board may require.

(h)  (1)  If the board incurs a vacancy, it shall notify the appointing authority in writing within ninety (90) days after the vacancy occurs. All vacancies on the board, other than ex officio members, shall be filled by the appointing authority within ninety (90) days of receiving written notice of the vacancy and of providing sufficient information for the appointing authority to make an informed decision in regard to filling such vacancy. If such sufficient information has been provided and the board has more than one (1) vacancy that is more than one hundred eighty (180) days in duration, such board shall report to the house and senate government operations committees why such vacancies have not been filled.

     (2)  If more than one half (½) of the positions on the board are vacant for more than one hundred eighty (180) consecutive days, the board shall terminate, provided that such board shall wind up its affairs pursuant to § 4-29-112. If the board is terminated pursuant to this subdivision (h)(2), it shall be reviewed by the evaluation committees pursuant to the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5, before ceasing all its activities. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the general assembly from continuing, restructuring, or re-establishing the board.

[Acts 1971, ch. 164, § 4; 1971, ch. 386, § 1; 1972, ch. 631, § 1; 1976, ch. 806, § 1(125); 1977, ch. 366, § 1; 1979, ch. 422, § 18; T.C.A., § 70-327; Acts 1984, ch. 804, § 2; 1988, ch. 1013, § 72; 1991, ch. 117, § 4; 1992, ch. 693, § 3; 1994, ch. 610, §§ 6, 7, 8; 1994, ch. 628, §§ 3-6; 1995, ch. 155, § 1; 1996, ch. 728, §§ 4-8; 2000, ch. 835, § 6; 2005, ch. 85, §§ 1-4.]