(a) Water treatment plant sludge determined by the secretary to have beneficial properties may be beneficially used in accordance with requirements determined necessary by the secretary to protect human health and the environment. Persons seeking to beneficially use water treatment plant sludge shall meet the requirements of this article and the rules promulgated under this article.
(b) In order to enhance the resource recovery and recycling goals of this article and to encourage the beneficial use of water treatment plant sludge, the secretary shall propose, for promulgation, legislative rules to effectuate the purposes of this section in accordance with the provisions of article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code. The secretary shall, at a minimum, include the following in the proposed rules:
(1) A mechanism to determine beneficial use characteristics of water treatment plant sludge;