1040                                        LAWS OF MARYLAND                             [Ch. 4

TO ENGAGE IN THE RETAIL BUSINESS OF DISTRIBUTING
WATER.

ARTICLE 5
WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL

5.01.  INTENT AND POLICY.— (A) THE LEGISLATIVE
INTENT IN ENACTING THIS ARTICLE IS TO GIVE SPECIFIC
EMPHASIS TO THE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY OF THE
SIGNATORY STATES FOR WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT AND
CONTROL.

(B) IN ORDER TO CONSERVE, PROTECT, AND IMPROVE
THE QUALITY OF THE WATERS OF THE BASIN, IT SHALL BE
THE POLICY OF THE COMMISSION TO ENCOURAGE AND
COORDINATE THE EFFORTS OF THE SIGNATORIES TO PREVENT,
SEDUCE, CONTROL, AND ELIMINATE POLLUTION SO AS TO
ACHIEVE AND MAINTAIN WATER QUALITY CONSISTENT WITH THE
USES ESTABLISHED IN THE COMPREHENSIVE WATER RESOURCES
PLAN.

5.02.     STANDARDS FOR CONTROLLING WATER
QUALITY.— (A) THE COMMISSION MAY RECOMMEND TO THE
SIGNATORIES THEIR ESTABLISHMENT, MODIFICATION, OR
AMENDMENT OF STANDARDS OF QUALITY FOR ANY WATERS OF
THE BASIN.

(B) THE COMMISSION MAY, AFTER PUBLIC HEARING,
ADOPT AND FROM TIME TO TIME CHANGE, CRITERIA OF WATER
QUALITY FOR EACH CLASSIFICATION OF WATER USE
ESTABLISHED IN THE COMPREHENSIVE WATER RESOURCES PLAN,
STANDARDS OF WATER QUALITY APPLICABLE TO PARTICULAR
WATERS OF THE BASIN, STANDARDS FOR PREVENTING,
CONTROLLING AND ABATING POLLUTION, AND DEFINITIONS OF
POLLUTION AND IDENTIFICATION OF POLLUTANTS.

UPON THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS COMPACT, THE
CRITERIA AND STANDARDS IN FORCE IN THE SIGNATORY
STATES SHALL BE DEEMED TO HAVE BEEN ADOPTED BY THE
COMMISSION AND SHALL BE THE CRITERIA AND STANDARDS OF
THE COMMISSION UNTIL CHANGED AS SET FORTH IN THE
PRECEDING SENTENCE, PROVIDED, THAT UNTIL THE
COMMISSION GIVES NOTICE THAT IT IS PREPARED TO
EXERCISE THE FUNCTIONS VESTED IN IT BY THE PRECEDING
SENTENCE ANY CHANGES MADE BY A SIGNATORY STATE IN ITS
CRITERIA OR STANDARDS SHALL BE EFFECTIVE AS AMENDED
CRITERIA OR STANDARDS OF THE COMMISSION.

5.03.  SCOPE.--CRITERIA FOR WATER QUALITY AND THE

VARIOUS STANDARDS REFERRED TO IN THIS ARTICLE MAY