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Municipal Stormwater Permitting. Nancy Stoner Clean Water Project Director Natural Resources Defense Council 1200 New York Ave., NW Washington, DC 20005 (202) 289-2394 nstoner@nrdc.org. Stormwater Program Goals.
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Municipal Stormwater Permitting Nancy Stoner Clean Water Project Director Natural Resources Defense Council 1200 New York Ave., NW Washington, DC 20005 (202) 289-2394 nstoner@nrdc.org
Stormwater Program Goals • A strong stormwater program achieves water quality goals, including protection of all designated uses, for receiving waters.
Legal Standards • Reducing discharges to the “maximum extent practicable” (MEP) • Not causing or contributing to violations of water quality standards.
Implementation: MEP Standard • MS4 system must choose the technology that provides the greatest pollutant reduction unless it is determined to be infeasible. • Should be applied directly to new and redevelopment proposals, including transportation projects.
Implementation: Water Quality Standards • Focus attention on areas of greatest/most significant loadings first-TMDL should be designed to facilitate that. • Continually upgrade BMPs until WQS are achieved.
Procedural Requirements • Where general permits are used, Notice of Intent (NOI) outlining MS4 plan for implementing the permit must be approved by permitting authority after opportunity for public comment and a public hearing, if requested.
Implementation of the Chesapeake Bay Agreement on Stormwater • MS4 permits should track these commitments
Other DC MS4 Issues • WASA as a Co-Permittee in the DC MS4 permit. • DC Stormwater Management Program
Funding • Stormwater fees must be sufficient to fund the program and include incentives for stormwater minimization.
Conclusion • We have to address stormwater pollution if we are going to make progress in urban areas in meeting water quality standards. • Stormwater programs must be robust, targeted and continually approved.