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The Basics
of Stormwater Management |
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Regulations:
Stormwater Management Regulations are a key component of EPA’s Clean
Water Act.
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Overriding Goal:
Protect the quality of U.S. waterways by reducing the discharge of
sediment, oil and chemicals into storm drains, surface water and
groundwater.
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Who is regulated? Three (3)
main categories are now required to comply with these regulations:
Industrial - a total of
450
Standard Industrial Classification Codes (SIC)
Municipalities
Construction Activities
- Did you
know?
Approximately 70% of all storm drains lead directly to open waterways,
without treatment.
46% of all impaired rivers and lakes in the U.S. are polluted due to
uncontrolled stormwater runoff.
A one quart oil spill causes a two acre oil slick.
In San Francisco, you can be fined $25,000 for dumping oil into a
storm drain.
In 2001, a major retail chain was fined $1 million by the EPA for
stormwater violations.
- Key
Stormwater Acronyms and phrases:
SWPPP - A “Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan” is an erosion,
sediment and waste chemical control plan. All regulated entities must
file a SWPPP with the EPA to be granted a stormwater permit.
BMP - “Best Management Practices” include operating procedures
and products to control site runoff, spills, leaks and drainage from
raw material storage. When filing a SWPPP, a detailed description of
BMPs planned for use at the site is required.
MEP - “Maximum Extent Practicable” - Stormwater permits require
that the discharge of pollutants into storm drains be reduced to the
“maximum extent practicable”.
NPDES - “National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System” -
This is the technical name for EPA’s stormwater management
regulations. Regulated entities must comply with NPDES, 40 CFR 122.26
(1999).
Non-Point Source Pollution - This term is synonymous with
“stormwater runoff”. Unlike stormwater pollution, “point source
pollution” can be easily attributed to a single source, such as a
catastrophic leak from a storage tank. “Non-point source pollution” (stormwater
runoff) has many contributors, e.g., oil leaks from vehicles in
parking lots, sediment from multiple sources, a chemical or oil sheen
from drums, tanks, equipment or raw materials stored outdoors.
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