HB 2544 Summary

• Establishes a new definition of "existing effluent managed underground storage facility" to identify facilities that stored effluent before January 1, 2019, or received applications before that date, with grandfathered status under the bill's provisions.

• Allows storers at existing effluent managed underground storage facilities to recover 95% of stored water annually (compared to 50% for non-existing facilities), with the difference eligible for long-term storage credits.

• Permits long-term storage credits accrued from effluent storage to demonstrate assured or adequate water supply only if the facility qualifies as an existing effluent managed underground storage facility and credits were earned after this bill's effective date.

• Requires the director to establish a separate subaccount for long-term storage credits earned by mineral extraction and metallurgical processing permittees, then annually debit the account by groundwater pumped by the permittee under the permit.

• Declares the act an emergency measure operative immediately.