Water quality: scientific peer review.

Under existing law, the State Water Resources Control Board and the 9 California regional water quality control boards regulate water quality in accordance with the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. Among other things, the state board and the regional boards prescribe waste discharge requirements for the discharge of waste in accordance with the federal national pollutant discharge elimination system permit program. Existing law requires the California Environmental Protection Agency, or a board, department, or office within the agency, to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences, the University of California, the California State University, or any similar scientific institution of higher learning, or any combination of those entities, or with a scientist or group of scientists of comparable stature and qualifications that are recommended by the President of the University of California, to conduct an external scientific peer review of the scientific basis for any proposed rule, as prescribed. Under existing law, a proposed rule is defined to include, among other things, regulations. This bill would require the state board to post on its Internet Web site a copy of the external scientific peer review conducted for proposed rules of the state board or a California regional water quality control board.