In order to improve comprehensive groundwater monitoring and increase the availability to the public of information about groundwater contamination, the state board, in consultation with other responsible agencies, as specified in this section, shall do all of the following:

(a) Integrate existing monitoring programs and design new program elements as necessary to establish a comprehensive monitoring program capable of assessing each groundwater basin in the state through direct and other statistically reliable sampling approaches. The interagency task force established pursuant to subdivision (b) shall determine the constituents to be included in the monitoring program. In designing the comprehensive monitoring program, the state board, among other things, shall integrate projects established in response to the Supplemental Report of the 1999 Budget Act, strive to take advantage of and incorporate existing data whenever possible, and prioritize groundwater basins that supply drinking water.

(b) (1) Create an interagency task force for all of the following purposes:

(A) Identifying actions necessary to establish the monitoring program.

(B) Identifying measures to increase coordination among state and federal agencies that collect information regarding groundwater contamination in the state.

(C) Designing a database capable of supporting the monitoring program that is compatible with the state board’s geotracker database.

(D) Assessing the scope and nature of necessary monitoring enhancements.

(E) Identifying the cost of any recommended measures.

(F) Identifying the means by which to make monitoring information available to the public.

(2) The interagency task force shall consist of a representative of each of the following entities:

(A) The state board.

(B) The department.

(C) The State Department of Health Services.

(D) The Department of Pesticide Regulation.

(E) The Department of Toxic Substances Control.

(F) The Department of Food and Agriculture.

(c) Convene an advisory committee to the interagency task force, with a membership that includes all of the following:

(1) Two representatives of appropriate federal agencies, if those agencies wish to participate.

(2) Two representatives of public water systems, one of which shall be a representative of a retail water supplier.

(3) Two representatives of environmental organizations.

(4) Two representatives of the business community.

(5) One representative of a local agency that is currently implementing a plan pursuant to Part 2.75 (commencing with Section 10750).

(6) Two representatives of agriculture.

(7) Two representatives from groundwater management entities.

(d) (1) The members of the advisory committee may receive a per diem allowance for each day’s attendance at a meeting of the advisory committee.

(2) The members of the advisory committee may be reimbursed for actual and necessary travel expenses incurred in connection with their official duties.

(Added by Stats. 2001, Ch. 522, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2002.)