113A-54. Powers and duties of the Commission.

(a) The Commission shall, in cooperation with the Secretary of Transportation and other appropriate State and federal agencies, develop, promulgate, publicize, and administer a comprehensive State erosion and sedimentation control program.

(b) The Commission shall develop and adopt and shall revise as necessary from time to time, rules and regulations for the control of erosion and sedimentation resulting from land-disturbing activities. The Commission shall adopt or revise its rules and regulations in accordance with Chapter 150B of the General Statutes.

(c) The rules and regulations adopted pursuant to G.S. 113A-54(b) for carrying out the erosion and sedimentation control program shall:

(1) Be based upon relevant physical and developmental information concerning the watershed and drainage basins of the State, including, but not limited to, data relating to land use, soils, hydrology, geology, grading, ground cover, size of land area being disturbed, proximate water bodies and their characteristics, transportation, and public facilities and services;

(2) Include such survey of lands and waters as may be deemed appropriate by the Commission or required by any applicable laws to identify those areas, including multijurisdictional and watershed areas, with critical erosion and sedimentation problems; and

(3) Contain conservation standards for various types of soils and land uses, which standards shall include criteria and alternative techniques and methods for the control of erosion and sedimentation resulting from land-disturbing activities.

(d) In implementing the erosion and sedimentation control program, the Commission shall:

(1) Assist and encourage local governments in developing erosion and sedimentation control programs and, as a part of this assistance, the Commission shall develop a model local erosion and sedimentation control ordinance. The Commission shall approve, approve as modified, or disapprove local programs submitted to it pursuant to G.S. 113A-60.

(2) Assist and encourage other State agencies in developing erosion and sedimentation control programs to be administered in their jurisdictions. The Commission shall approve, approve as modified, or disapprove programs submitted pursuant to G.S. 113A-56 and from time to time shall review these programs for compliance with rules adopted by the Commission and for adequate enforcement.

(3) Develop recommended methods of control of sedimentation and prepare and make available for distribution publications and other materials dealing with sedimentation control techniques appropriate for use by persons engaged in land-disturbing activities, general educational materials on erosion and sedimentation control, and instructional materials for persons involved in the enforcement of this Article and erosion and sedimentation control rules, ordinances, regulations, and plans.

(4) Require submission of erosion and sedimentation control plans by those responsible for initiating land-disturbing activities for approval prior to commencement of the activities.

(e) To assist it in developing the erosion and sedimentation control program required by this Article, the Commission is authorized to appoint an advisory committee consisting of technical experts in the fields of water resources, soil science, engineering, and landscape architecture.

(f) Repealed by Session Laws 1987, c. 827, s. 10, effective August 13, 1987.

(g) The Commission is authorized to make the final decision on a request for the remission of a civil penalty under G.S. 113A-64.2.