2022 -- S 2220 | |
======== | |
LC003315 | |
======== | |
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2022 | |
____________ | |
A N A C T | |
RELATING TO WATERS AND NAVIGATION -THE JOHNSON'S POND PROTECTION | |
ACT | |
| |
Introduced By: Senators Raptakis, Archambault, Anderson, Calkin, Sosnowski, and | |
Date Introduced: February 08, 2022 | |
Referred To: Senate Judiciary | |
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: | |
1 | SECTION 1. Short title. This act shall be known and citied as "The Johnson's Pond |
2 | Protection Act". |
3 | SECTION 2. Section 46-18-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 46-18 entitled "Damages |
4 | from Milldams" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
5 | 46-18-1. Right of owner to continue and improve dam and pond. |
6 | (a) Whenever any person, either upon his or her own land or upon the land of another with |
7 | his or her consent, shall have set up any water mill or dam for the purpose of forming a pond to |
8 | supply water to any mill or mills upon the stream whereon the dam is located, the owner of the mill |
9 | or dam may continue and improve the pond and keep up the dam thereof on his or her own land for |
10 | his or her advantage without molestations, except as provided in subsection (b). |
11 | (b) The provisions of this section shall be governed by the provisions of chapter 1 of title |
12 | 2 (the "fresh water wetlands act"), specifically with respect to a certain parcel of land located within |
13 | the town of Coventry, commonly known as "Johnson's Pond". |
14 | SECTION 3. Section 2-1-23 of the General Laws in Chapter 2-1 entitled "Agricultural |
15 | Functions of Department of Environmental Management" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
16 | 2-1-23. Violations. |
17 | (a) In the event of a violation of ยง 2-1-21, the director of environmental management has |
18 | the power to order complete restoration of the freshwater wetland, buffer, floodplain, or other |
| |
1 | jurisdictional area involved by the person or agent responsible for the violation. If the responsible |
2 | person or agent does not complete the restoration within a reasonable time following the order of |
3 | the director of the department of environmental management, the director has the authority to order |
4 | the work done by an agent of the director's choosing and the person or agent responsible for the |
5 | original violation is liable for the cost of the restoration. The violator is liable for a fine not |
6 | exceeding five thousand dollars ($5,000) for each violation, except that if the violator knowingly |
7 | or recklessly alters a freshwater wetland, buffer, floodplain or other jurisdictional area without a |
8 | permit or approval from the director; knowingly or recklessly alters a freshwater wetland, buffer, |
9 | floodplain or other jurisdictional area in violation of the rules or regulations promulgated by the |
10 | director; or alters a freshwater wetland, buffer, floodplain or other jurisdictional area in violation |
11 | of a permit issued by the director, then the violator is liable for a fine not exceeding ten thousand |
12 | dollars ($10,000) for each violation, except if the violation occurs on the land commonly known as |
13 | "Johnson's Pond", the fine shall be sixty thousand dollars ($60,000) per day. |
14 | SECTION 4. Title 46 of the General Laws entitled "WATERS AND NAVIGATION" is |
15 | hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter: |
16 | CHAPTER 19.1 |
17 | JOHNSON'S POND COVENTRY |
18 | 46-19.1-1. Regulation of water levels. |
19 | The town of Coventry shall at all times, including during a weather emergency, have the |
20 | sole and exclusive authority to maintain and control the water levels of Johnson's Pond and to |
21 | maintain, operate, and monitor the control gates that regulate the flow of water from Johnson's |
22 | Pond into the Pawtuxet River, between April 1 and November 1, each year. This section shall take |
23 | precedence over any agreements that are not consistent with provisions contained herein. |
24 | SECTION 5. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
======== | |
LC003315 | |
======== | |
| LC003315 - Page 2 of 3 |
EXPLANATION | |
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL | |
OF | |
A N A C T | |
RELATING TO WATERS AND NAVIGATION -THE JOHNSON'S POND PROTECTION | |
ACT | |
*** | |
1 | This act would make the Mill Damn Act subject to the provisions of the Freshwater |
2 | Wetlands Act as it related to Johnson's Pond in the town of Coventry. It would also grant the |
3 | exclusive authority to the town of Coventry to regulate the water levels and flow rates of Johnston's |
4 | Pond, between April 1 and November 1, each year. This act would also increase the fines for failing |
5 | to restore the wetland at Johnson's Pond to sixty thousand dollars ($60,000) per day. |
6 | This act would take effect upon passage. |
======== | |
LC003315 | |
======== | |
| LC003315 - Page 3 of 3 |