Stormwater Treatment System for PCB in Seattle

The Boeing Company signed an agreement with EPA to construct a new stormwater treatment system at North Boeing Field in Seattle. The treatment system will be designed to reduce the amount of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which are an on-going source of pollution to the Duwamish River.

The North Boeing Field storm drain system carries stormwater to the Duwamish River through more than seven miles of catch basins, drains, inlets, and oil-water separators. Studies by the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology), the City of Seattle, and Boeing showed the North Boeing Field storm drain system is the biggest source of PCBs to the river sediments in Slip 4, one of the most highly contaminated sites on the lower Duwamish waterway.

With the installation of this stormwater treatment system to address the on-going source of PCBs, cleanup of Slip 4 will proceed in 2011. Several acres of contaminated sediments in Slip 4 will be cleaned up under an EPA settlement agreement with the City of Seattle and King County.

Caltha LLP provides expert consulting services to public and private sector clients nationwide to address Stormwater Permitting & Regulatory Support, Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPP), Stormwater Monitoring and Stormwater Training.

For further information contact Caltha LLP at

info@calthacompany.com or Caltha LLP Website

Fee Increase For California Storm Water Permits

The California State Water Resources Control Board is considering emergency measures that will result in a significant increase the fees charged to stormwater permittees.

According to the State Board, the increase is needed to respond to both reductions in revenue generated and increased program costs. The shortfall in revenue is a result of under-collection of revenue in the Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program (SWAMP) in FY 2009-10 and a substantial drop in enrollment under the State Water Board’s recently adopted storm water construction permit. In July 2009, the State Water Board adopted Order 2009-0009-DWQ requiring storm water construction dischargers to enroll in a new storm water construction permit by July 1, 2010. Approximately 64 % of previous storm water construction permit holders did not renew their permits by the deadline and have been terminated from coverage. Many of these permittees did not reenroll because of a decline in construction activity. At the same time, the downturn in the construction industry has resulted in a reduction of the number of new permits being issued.

During the same period, costs increased substantially due to a shift in funding for basin planning from General Fund support to fee support and a return to full payroll costs due to the discontinuance of the furlough program.

According to the State Board, the Storm Water program needs to generate an additional $4.4 million in revenue to meet the FY 2010-11 Budget, which translates to a 21.5 % increase to all Storm Water fee categories.

Caltha LLP provides expert consulting services to public and private sector clients nationwide to address Stormwater Permitting & Regulatory Support, Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPP), Stormwater Monitoring and Stormwater Training.

For further information contact Caltha LLP at info@calthacompany.com or Caltha LLP Website

Stormwater Seminar in MN & ND Permiting and Design

Minnesota and North Dakota Stormwater Management Seminar
Fargo, North Dakota
Friday, November 19, 2010


Purpose:

• Examine federal, state, and local rules on stormwater management
• Review municipal, industrial and construction permits and the permitting process
• Explore green stormwater practices
• Examine site selection, sizing, and design
• Evaluate erosion and water quality

Agenda:

Understanding Federal and State Rules on Stormwater Management
Federal statutes and regulations, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) requirements, State statutes and regulations, North Dakota Department of Health NDDH stormwater requirements, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency MPCA stormwater requirements, Local requirements and procedures, Storm water permits and permit application process, Special waters and impaired waters

Stormwater Management Using Wet and Dry Detention Facilities
Detention/retention pond overview, Advantages and disadvantages, Design considerations, Hydrology, Permitting, Site selection, Water quality, Pond sizing, Safety considerations, Outlet structures, Good design practices, Pond routing theory, Interconnected ponds, Steps for detention design

Stormwater Quality Best Management Practices
Bioretention and rain-leader disconnect raingardens, Cisterns, Permeable pavers/pervious concrete, Disconnecting impervious area/vegetated swales, Soil amendments, Rainwater harvesting, Green roofs

Bioretention Design and Maintenance
Costs and consequences of poor design, Site evaluation, Cell configuration and soils, Siting, ponding depth, vegetation, Installation specifications, Maintenance program, Overview of maintenance activities, Costs, Case Study: City of Plymouth, Minnesota, residential raingarden and maintenance program

Download Seminar brochure

Caltha LLP provides expert consulting services to public and private sector clients nationwide to address Stormwater Permitting & Regulatory Support, Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPP), Stormwater Monitoring and Stormwater Training.

For further information contact Caltha LLP at info@calthacompany.com or Caltha LLP Website

Trash Limits for MS4s in Anacostia Watershed - Trash TMDL

U.S. EPA, the District of Columbia, and the state of Maryland have announced a new Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for trash in the Anacostia River, making the Anacostia the first interstate river in the nation with such a Clean Water Act (CWA) trash limit. Each year, hundreds of tons of trash and debris are illegally dumped or washed into the Anacostia with stormwater runoff. As a result, the District and Maryland have both included the Anacostia River on their respective lists of impaired waters due to excessive quantities of trash and debris.

The TMDL requires capturing or removing more than 600 tons (1.2 million pounds) of trash from the watershed annually. To complement this TMDL, the EPA, as the permitting authority for the District, and the state of Maryland are developing MS4 storm sewer permits which will serve as key implementation tools requiring municipalities in the Anacostia watershed to achieve the trash reductions required in the TMDL. In addition, continued implementation of the Combined Sewer Overflow Long Term Control Plan for the District of Columbia supports achievement of the limits.

Caltha LLP provides expert consulting services to public and private sector clients nationwide to address Stormwater Permitting & Regulatory Support, Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPP), Stormwater Monitoring and Stormwater Training.

For further information contact Caltha LLP at

info@calthacompany.com or Caltha LLP Website

Revised Rule 6 Reporting Forms - IDEM Industrial Storm Water Permit

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) Office of Water Quality has created new state forms for all permitted facilities to complete and submit to meet the annual reporting and stormwater discharge monitoring reporting requirements of Rule 6.

Rule 6 requires each permittee to complete and submit an Annual Report. Annual Reporting is an effective way of ensuring the Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWP3) is current, potential pollution sources are identified, and Best Management Practices and corrective measures are implemented, properly designed and functioning, and are being maintained. An Annual Report is due no later than 365 days from submitting the Notice of Intent and must contain information obtained during the previous year of regulation. Subsequent annual reports must be submitted no later than 365 days from the previous report in years 2 through 5.

Rule 6 also requires each permittee to conduct annual storm water monitoring. A Storm Water Discharge Monitoring Report is due no later than 365 days from submitting the Notice of Intent. Subsequent annual storm water discharge monitoring reports must be submitted no later than 365 days from the previous report in years 2 through 5. Each year of the permit, permitted facilities are required to collect grab storm water samples from qualified rainfall. The samples must be sent to a lab and analyzed for any pollutant that has the potential to be present in a storm water discharge in addition to the following required 8 sampling parameters:
• pH;
• Oil and Grease;
• Nitrates plus nitrite nitrogen;
• Kjeldahl nitrogen, total (TKN);
• Phosphorous, total;
• Suspended solids, total (TSS);
• Chemical oxygen demand (COD);
• Carbonaceous bio-chemical oxygen demand (CBOD5)

Caltha LLP provides expert consulting services to public and private sector clients nationwide to address Stormwater Permitting & Regulatory Support, Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPP), Stormwater Monitoring and Stormwater Training.

For further information contact Caltha LLP at info@calthacompany.com or Caltha LLP Website

CT DEP Revised Industrial Stormwater General Permit

The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has revised the requirements for management of storm water runoff from industrial sites under its General Permit program.
The revised industrial storm water General Permit is scheduled to go into effect Oct. 1, 2011. DEP is in the process of reissuing the existing General Permit so that it will remain in effect until that date. Industrial facilities will automatically remain registered under the existing General Permit once it is reissued. All industrial facilities are required to register for the revised permit by June 1, 2011. To provide compliance assistance to permittees, DEP will conduct outreach on new permit requirements in the fall of 2010.

The most significant new requirements of the General Permit for management of storm water at industrial sites include:

Industrial Sectors
The provisions of the General Permit apply to all sites, however there are additional sector-specific requirements for monitoring and stormwater controls that apply to specific types of industries. The sectors are:

• asphalt plants;
• non-metallic mines and quarries;
• refuse systems;
• auto salvage yards;
• scrap recycling facilities;
• steam electric power facilities;
• transportation and public works facilities;
• marinas and yacht clubs and boat dealers;
• ship and boat building and repair;
• small scale composting facilities.
  

Monitoring
The revised permit requires all permittees to conduct visual monitoring of storm water discharges on a quarterly basis and sampling and testing of storm water for 10 parameters on a semi-annual basis. In addition to these standard requirements, some industry sectors have additional parameters that are specific to the industry type, which must be also sampled.

Note: Since the 1980s, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has collected industry-sector data on stormwater discharge. The linked presentation provides a comparison of these historic industrial stormwater results to the many of the ADEQ stormwater benchmark concentrations. The results are discussed in context of which stormwater benchmark parameters have a higher potential for exceedance of benchmark values. This presentation also discusses which of the industrial sectors have a higher potential for exceedance of their specific benchmark values.

Note: CT uses the same benchmark concentrations used by EPA and many other States; although the this linked presentation was specific to Minnesota, the analysis and conclusions apply to CT.

Link to presentation slides:

Industrial Stormwater Benchmarks – Comparison of New Minnesota Benchmark Concentrations To Historic Industry-specific Testing Results



Impaired waters
The revised permit includes specific requirements for discharges to impaired waters. For existing discharges, a permittee will monitor annually for the pollutant(s) associated with the water impairment. In certain cases, a permittee will have to install additional site controls to improve storm water quality so that the impaired water quality can be improved. New discharges to impaired water will be authorized if the storm water discharge does not contain the pollutant(s) of concern, or if the site prevents the exposure of the pollutant(s) of concern to storm water. However, if the pollutant(s) are present onsite and exposed to storm water, the registrant must demonstrate that the discharge meets requirements in place to meet water quality before the discharge can occur.

Public Notice
The General Permit expands opportunities for public comment and access to information about pending registrations. Pollution Prevention Plans can also be reviewed, with the exception of elements that are trade secrets or otherwise exempt from the disclosure requirements of the state Freedom of Information Act. Notice of pending registrations and the availability of Pollution Prevention Plans for a site will be posted on the DEP website for public review and comment.

Caltha LLP provides expert consulting services to public and private sector clients nationwide to address Stormwater Permitting & Regulatory Support, Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPP), Stormwater Monitoring and Stormwater Training.

For further information contact Caltha LLP at

info@calthacompany.com or Caltha LLP Website

Revision to Rhode Island Stormwater Requirements

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is proposing to adoption of the Rhode Island Stormwater Design and Installation Standards Manual (Stormwater Manual), amendments to the rules and regulations relating to the state Fresh Water Wetlands Act , and amendments to state water quality regulations.

The primary purpose of the proposed Stormwater Manual is to implement the "Smart Development for a Cleaner Bay Act of 2007". This Act requires that DEM and the Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) amend the 1993 version of the Stormwater Manual. The Act states, "The changes shall include, but not be limited to, incorporation into existing regulatory programs that already include the review of stormwater impacts the following requirements:
a. Maintain pre-development groundwater recharge and infiltration on site to the maximum extent practicable;
b. Demonstrate that post-construction stormwater runoff is controlled, and that post-development peak discharge rates do not exceed pre-development peak discharge rates; and
c. Use low impact-design techniques as the primary method of stormwater control to the maximum extent practicable."

To avoid, minimize and manage the impacts of stormwater on stream channels, water quality, groundwater, wetland habitat, and flooding, DEM and CRMC are proposing extensive updates to the 1993 Stormwater Manual. The changes reflect the state of the art in science and engineering practice concerning stormwater management. The proposed Stormwater Manual specifies standards and design requirements for stormwater management on new development, redevelopment, and infill projects and requires Low Impact Development (LID) as the "industry standard" for handling and treating stormwater.

The proposed amendments to the Fresh Water Wetlands Regulations and the Water Quality Regulations are necessary in order to reference and incorporate the new Stormwater Manual provisions into the regulatory requirements of these regulations, as well as to stipulate appropriate timetables to begin requiring use of the new Stormwater Manual.

DEM is proposing to begin requiring compliance with the new Stormwater Manual on most applications beginning on January 1, 2011. In addition, amendments are proposed to the Fresh Water Wetlands Regulations and the Water Quality Regulations to address the 2010 revisions to the RIGL §42-17.1-2.5 regarding tolling of expiration periods of development permits.

Caltha LLP provides expert consulting services to public and private sector clients nationwide to address Stormwater Permitting & Regulatory Support, Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPP), Stormwater Monitoring and Stormwater Training.

For further information contact Caltha LLP at info@calthacompany.com or Caltha LLP Website

SD DENR Revised Industrial Discharge Permit

The South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has drafted a revised general stormwater discharge permit for industrial dischargers in the State. The existing permit expired in 2008, but has remained in effect until the revised permit is finalized.

The revised permit that has been draft is similar in many aspects to the existing permit, including requirements for stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP), site inspections, and prohibition on non stormwater discharges, such as equipment and vehicle washing.

There are some important differences in the working draft that will change the compliance requirements for South Dakota industrial sites.

Multi Sector Industrial Requirements. The current draft permit does not include the industrial sectors associated with the EPA Multi Sector General Permit (MSGP), however it does segregate seven industrial sectors:

• Metals
• Transportation (other than airports)
• Air Transportation, Airports
• Food and Kindred Products
• Auto Salvage
• Landfills
• Waste Treatment

The draft permit is expected to have the same compliance requirements for all industrial facilities, including the seven sectors, with the exception of monitoring requirements.

Stormwater Monitoring Requirements. Under the draft permit requirements, all industrial sites will have to conduct storm water discharge monitoring. All sites would have to collect samples during the first year of the permit and report results to SDDENR. The chemical parameters to be tested by each site will depend on the industrial sector the site falls into.

Under the current plan, monitoring results reported to DENR will be used to determine if industrial benchmark concentrations will be established during the next permit revision and as a basis for future benchmarks.

The revised permit is expected to be released for public review and comment in the Fall 2010; South Dakota DENR anticipates that the new permit will be effective January 1, 2011.

Caltha LLP provides expert consulting services to public and private sector clients nationwide to address Stormwater Permitting & Regulatory Support, Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPP), Stormwater Monitoring and Stormwater Training.

For further information contact Caltha LLP at info@calthacompany.com or Caltha LLP Website