|
|
About the Stormwater Education and Outreach
Program
Overview of the Phase II Stormwater Program
Since the passage of
the Clean Water Act (CWA), the quality of our Nation’s
waters has improved dramatically. Despite this progress, however,
degraded waterbodies still exist. According
to the 2000 National Water Quality Inventory (Inventory), a biennial
summary of State surveys of water quality, approximately 40 percent
of surveyed U.S. waterbodies are still impaired by pollution and
do not meet water quality standards. A leading source of this impairment
is polluted runoff. In fact, according to the Inventory, 13 percent
of impaired rivers, 18 percent of impaired lake acres and 32 percent
of impaired estuaries are affected by urban/suburban stormwater
runoff.
Phase I of the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA)
stormwater program was promulgated in 1990 under the CWA. Phase
I relies on National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
permit coverage to address stormwater runoff from: (1) “medium” and “large” municipal
separate storm sewer systems (MS4s) generally serving populations
of 100,000 or greater, (2) construction activity disturbing 5 acres
of land or greater, and (3) ten categories of industrial activity.
The Stormwater Phase
II Final Rule is the next step in EPA’s
effort to preserve, protect and improve the Nation’s water
resources from polluted stormwater runoff. The Phase II program
expands the Phase I program by requiring additional operators of
MS4s in urbanized areas and operators of small construction sites,
through the use of NPDES permits, to implement programs and practices
to control polluted stormwater runoff.
Phase II is intended to further reduce adverse impacts to water
quality and aquatic habitat by instituting the use of controls
on the unregulated sources of stormwater discharges that have the
greatest likelihood of causing continued environmental degradation.
The environmental problems associated with discharges from MS4s
in urbanized areas and discharges resulting from construction activity
are outlined below.
MS4s in Urbanized Areas
Stormwater discharges from MS4s in urbanized areas are a concern
because of the high concentration of pollutants found in these
discharges. Concentrated development in urbanized areas substantially
increases impervious surfaces, such as city streets, driveways,
parking lots, and sidewalks, on which pollutants from concentrated
human activities settle and remain until a storm event washes them
into nearby storm drains. Common pollutants include pesticides,
fertilizers, oils, salt, litter and other debris, and sediment.
Another concern is the possible illicit connections of sanitary
sewers, which can result in fecal coliform bacteria entering the
storm sewer system. Stormwater runoff picks up and transports these
and other harmful pollutants then discharges them – untreated – to
waterways via storm sewer systems. When left uncontrolled, these
discharges can result in fish kills, the destruction of spawning
and wildlife habitats, a loss in aesthetic value, and contamination
of drinking water supplies and recreational waterways that can
threaten public health.
Construction Activity
Uncontrolled runoff from construction sites is a water quality
concern because of the devastating effects that sedimentation can
have on local waterbodies, particularly small streams. Numerous
studies have shown that the amount of sediment transported by stormwater
runoff from construction sites with no controls is significantly
greater than from sites with controls. In addition to sediment,
construction activities yield pollutants such as pesticides, petroleum
products, construction chemicals, solvents, asphalts, and acids
that can contaminate stormwater runoff. During storms, construction
sites may be the source of sediment-laden runoff, which can overwhelm
a small stream channel’s capacity, resulting in streambed
scour, streambank erosion, and destruction of near-stream vegetative
cover. Where left uncontrolled, sediment-laden runoff has been
shown to result in the loss of in-stream habitats for fish and
other aquatic species, an increased difficulty in filtering drinking
water, the loss of drinking water reservoir storage capacity, and
negative impacts on the navigational capacity of waterways.
Text taken from EPA Fact sheet: Stormwater Phase
II Final Rule, factsheet 1.0, Jan 2000, EPA 833-F-00-001 accessed
from http://www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/fact1-0.pdf
Who Is Covered by the Phase II Final Rule?
The final rule “automatically” covers two classes
of stormwater dischargers on a nationwide basis:
(1) Operators of small MS4s located in “urbanized areas” as
delineated by the Bureau of the Census. A “small” MS4
is any MS4 not already covered by Phase I of the NPDES stormwater
program. In Rhode Island this includes all towns except: Charlestown,
Foster, Hopkinton, Little Compton, New Shoreham and Richmond.
Of the regulated towns, several were eligible for a waiver.
The towns
not covered under Phase II will be required to demonstrate
protection of their waters.
(2) Operators of small construction activities that disturb equal
to or greater than 1 (one) and less than 5 (five) acres of land. Sites
disturbing 5 acres or more were previously regulated.
Text taken from EPA Fact sheet: Stormwater Phase II Final Rule,
factsheet 1.0, Jan 2000, EPA 833-F-00-001 accessed from http://www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/fact1-0.pdf
Components of the Phase II regulations
Minimum Measure I – Public Education and Outreach
Minimum requirements for this minimum control measure:
1. Implement a public education program to distribute educational
materials in the community or conduct equivalent outreach
activities regarding impacts and pollution prevention; and
2. Determine appropriate best management practices (BMPs) and measurable
goals for this minimum control measure.
Minimum Measure II – Public Involvement/Participation
Minimum requirements for this minimum control measure:
1. Comply with applicable State and local public notice requirements;
and
2. Determine appropriate best management practices (BMPs) and measurable
goals for this minimum control measure.
Minimum Measure III - Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination
Minimum requirements for this minimum control measure:
1. Develop a storm sewer map, showing the location of all outfalls
and the names and location of all waters of the State that receive
discharges from those outfalls;
2. Develop ordinances or other regulatory mechanisms to prohibit
non-storm water discharges into the MS4, and ensure program can
take appropriate enforcement actions;
3. Develop and implement a plan to detect and address non-storm
water discharges, including illegal dumping into the MS4
4. Educate public employees, businesses, and the general public
about the hazards associated with illegal discharges and improper
disposal of waste; and
5. Determine appropriate best management practices (BMPs) and
measurable goals for this minimum control measure.
Minimum Measure IV - Construction Site Runoff Control
Minimum requirements for this minimum control measure:
1. Develop an ordinance or other regulatory mechanism (with penalties
to ensure compliance), that requires the implementation of
proper erosion and sediment controls, and controls for other
wastes,
on applicable construction sites;
2. Have procedures for site plan review site of construction
plans that consider potential water quality impacts as well
as site inspection
and enforcement of control measures;
3. Establish procedures for the receipt and consideration of
information submitted by the public; and;
4. Determine appropriate best management practices (BMPs) and
measurable goals for this minimum control measure.
Minimum Measure V - Post Construction Runoff Control
Minimum requirements for this minimum control measure:
1. Develop and implement strategies which include a combination
of structural and/or nonstructural BMPs;
2. Develop an ordinance or other regulatory mechanism requiring
the implementation of post-construction runoff controls to
the extent allowable under State or local law;
3. Ensure adequate long-term operation and maintenance of
controls;
4. Determine appropriate best management practices (BMPs) and
measurable goals for this minimum control measure.
Minimum Measure VI - Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping
Minimum requirements for this minimum control measure:
1. Develop and implement an operation and maintenance program
with the ultimate goal of preventing or reducing pollutant
runoff from
municipal operations into the storm sewer systems;
2. Include employee training on how to incorporate pollution
prevention/good housekeeping techniques into municipal operations
such as park
and open space maintenance, fleet and building maintenance,
new construction and land disturbances, and storm water system
maintenance;
3. Determine appropriate best management practices (BMPs) and
measurable goals for this minimum control measure.
Minimum Measure information taken from RIDEM web-site http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/benviron/water/permits/ripdes/stwater/index.htm
University of Rhode Island, Rhode Island
Dept. of Transportation and Rhode Island Dept. of Environmental
Management
Stormwater
Education and Outreach Program
In an effort to reduce the burden of the Phase II program on local
municipalities as well as provide a consistent statewide educational
message and program, the Rhode Island Dept. of Transportation (RIDOT)
has funded the Stormwater Education and Outreach Program. The University
of Rhode Island (URI) in cooperation with the Rhode Island Dept.
of Environmental Management (RIDEM) and RIDOT is providing training,
outreach and resources to local municipalities under this program
which focuses on minimum measures I and II, public education and
outreach, and public involvement/participation.
Local municipalities that choose to participate in this program
will be required to complete specific defined tasks associated
with public education and outreach as well as public involvement/participation.
Successful completion of defined tasks will meet the municipalities
requirements for minimum measures I and II.
Project
Progress
2006
Project Progress Report (181 KB, PDF)
Additional Information:
Rhode Island Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (RIPDES)
Stormwater Program http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/benviron/water/permits/ripdes/stwater/index.htm
EPA Stormwater Program
http://www.epa.gov/ne/topics/water/stormwater.html
|
