Draft MS4 General Permit (PAG-13) TMDL Requirements Trigger Extensive Input; Public Comment Period Extended,
NEWS FLASH:
Word is that the public comment period for the Draft NPDES Phase II MS4 General Permit (PAG-13) has been extended 60 days, until around July 4. Visit the DEP MS4 web page for the latest.
More Changes at PADEP (Continuing…)
As mentioned 2 weeks ago, PADEP has rolled out Draft Revised Regulations for its General Permit (PAG-13) for Small Municipal Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s; about 940 of the State’s 2550+ municipalities classify as an MS4). for details, see MS4 PAG-13 Permit and Stormwater Management Model Ordinance revised, public comment period tba. The new requirements for MS4 municipalities which have additional TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Loads) stream designations are triggering lots of comments. For example, municipalities must apply at least 2 of the following TMDL control Measures to their municipal facilities:
- Establish and Protect Riparian Forest Buffers - restore vegetated buffer areas
- Disconnection Program - Disconnect impervious areas from your MS4 system
- Tree Planting - Plant trees within the impaired watershed
- Construct Recharge/Infiltration Facilities
- Stormwater Basin Retrofits - Naturalize or modify for extended detention, and/or modify for increased infiltration basin.
- Restore Stream banks - Restore degraded and eroding stream banks.
- Green Infrastructure.
The Draft requires that a Stormwater TMDL Plan be prepared that includes 10 increasingly complex steps designed to assess success in achieving TMDL-related pollutant reduction goals.
More to come…
