§ 1251. Definitions
Whenever used or referred to in this chapter, unless a different meaning clearly appears
from the context:
(1) “Board” means the Secretary of Natural Resources.
(2) “Department” means the Department of Environmental Conservation.
(3) “Discharge” means the placing, depositing, or emission of any wastes or pollutants,
directly or indirectly, into an injection well or into the waters of the State.
(4) “Effluent limitation” means any restrictions or prohibitions established in accordance
with the provisions of this chapter or under federal law including effluent limitations,
standards of performance for new sources, and toxic effluent standards, on quantities,
rates, and concentrations of chemical, physical, biological, and other constituents
that are discharged to waters of the State, including schedules of compliance.
(5) “Hazardous materials” means any material determined by the Secretary to have an unusually
harmful effect on water quality if discharged to the waters of the State.
(6) “Mixing zone” means a length or area within the waters of the State required for the
dispersion and dilution of waste discharges adequately treated to meet federal and
State treatment requirements and within which it is recognized that specific water
uses or water quality criteria associated with the assigned classification for such
waters may not be realized. The mixing zone shall not extend more than 200 feet from
the point of discharge.
(7) “Oil” means oil of any kind, including petroleum; fuel oils; oily sludge; waste oil;
gasoline; kerosene; jet fuel; tar; asphalt; crude oils; lube oil; insoluble or partially
soluble derivatives of mineral, animal, or vegetable oils; or any product or mixture
thereof.
(8) “Person” means any individual; partnership; company; corporation; association; joint
venture; trust; municipality; the State of Vermont or any agency, department, or subdivision
of the State; any federal agency; or any other legal or commercial entity.
(9) “Public interest” means that which is for the greatest benefit to the people of the
State as determined by the standards set forth in subsection 1253(e) of this title.
(10) “Schedule of compliance” means a schedule of remedial measures including an enforceable
sequence of actions or operations leading to compliance with an effluent limitation
or any other limitation, prohibition, or standard, including any water quality standard.
(11) “Secretary” means the Secretary of Natural Resources or authorized representative.
(12) “Waste” means effluent, sewage, or any substance or material, liquid, gaseous, solid,
or radioactive, including heated liquids, whether or not harmful or deleterious to
waters; provided, however, the term “sewage” as used in this chapter shall not include
the rinse or process water from a cheese manufacturing process.
(13) “Waters” or “waters of the State” includes all rivers, streams, creeks, brooks, reservoirs,
ponds, lakes, springs, all artificial or natural bodies of surface waters, and waters
of the United States, as that term is defined under the federal Clean Water Act, that
are contained within, flow through, or border upon the State or any portion of it.
(14) “Injection well” means any opening in the ground used as a means of discharging waste
except for a dry hole not exceeding seven feet in depth that is constructed as, and
used solely for the disposal of domestic wastes.
(15) “Indirect discharge” means any discharge to groundwater, whether subsurface, land-based,
or otherwise.
(16) “Waste management zone” means a specific reach of Class B waters designated by a permit
to accept the discharge of properly treated wastes that prior to treatment contained
organisms pathogenic to human beings. Throughout the receiving waters, water quality
criteria must be achieved but increased health risks exist due to the authorized discharge.
(17) “Basin plan” means a plan prepared by the Secretary for each of Vermont’s 17 basins
in conjunction with the basin planning process required by section 303(e) of the federal
Clean Water Act and 40 C.F.R. part 131.
(18) [Repealed.]
(19) “Stormwater utility” means a system adopted by a municipality or group of municipalities
under 24 V.S.A. chapter 97, 101, or 105 for the management of stormwater runoff.
(20) “Direct discharge” means the placing, depositing, or emission of any waste or pollutant
directly into waters.
(21) “Pollutant” means dredged spoil; solid waste; incinerator residue; sewage; garbage;
sewage sludge; munitions; chemical wastes; biological materials; radioactive materials;
heat; wrecked or discarded equipment; rock; sand; cellar dirt; and industrial, municipal,
and agricultural waste discharged into water. (Amended 1961, No. 100, § 2; 1964, No. 37 (Sp. Sess.), § 2; 1969, No. 252 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. April 4, 1970; 1973, No. 103, § 2, eff. April 24, 1973; 1973, No. 112, § 3, eff. April 25, 1973; 1981, No. 222 (Adj. Sess.), § 25; 1985, No. 199 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. May 17, 1986; 1987, No. 76, § 18; 1991, No. 157 (Adj. Sess.), § 4, eff. May 5, 1992; 1991, No. 211 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 2003, No. 115 (Adj. Sess.), § 24, eff. Jan. 31, 2005; 2015, No. 103 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. May 12, 2016; 2015, No. 158 (Adj. Sess.), § 32, eff. June 2, 2016; 2017, No. 185 (Adj. Sess.), § 15, eff. May 28, 2018; 2025, No. 67, § 7, eff. July 1, 2025.)