Announcing a Draft Modification of the Washington State Department of Transportation Municipal Stormwater Permit for Review and Comment
Draft Permit Modification: The department of ecology
(ecology) issued a permit to the Washington state department
of transportation (WSDOT) on January 21, 2009. The permit
covers discharges from its municipal separate storm sewer
system (MS4). MS4s are conveyances or a system of conveyances
including roads with drainage systems, streets, catch basins,
ditches, man-made channels, and storm drains. A minor
modification was made to this permit on May 1, 2009, to
correct minor, nonsubstantive errors found after permit
issuance.
A second modification added substantive language to the permit as a result of a settlement agreement between the departments of ecology and transportation and Puget Soundkeeper Alliance. Permit sections modified include: S6.C, S7. E.2.d., S8.E., Appendix 7, Stormwater Management Program Plan, Sections 3 and 3.1, 5.4, 6.2, and Appendix 3, Applicable TMDL Requirements.
The second permit modification required ecology to modify or issue an administrative order establishing new TMDL-related permit requirements for WSDOT at least every eighteen months. The proposed draft modifications make substantive changes to the permit including adding new TMDL-related permit requirements in Appendix 3, making references to the 2012 updated highway runoff manual (HRM) instead of 2008 HRM, and updating the stormwater management program plan (SMPP) in Appendix 7.
Copies of the Draft Permit: You may download a copy of the permit and fact sheet at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/stormwater/municipal/wsdot.html, or you may request a copy of the permit or fact sheet from Julie Robertson at (360) 407-6575 or by e-mail at julie.robertson@ecy.wa.gov.
Ecology Contact: Foroozan Labib, Washington State Department of Ecology, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504-7600, phone (360) 407-6439, fax (360) 407-6426, e-mail foroozan.labib@ecy.wa.gov.
Submitting Written and Oral Comments: Ecology will accept written and oral comments on the draft permit and fact sheet until 5 p.m., December 23, 2011. Ecology prefers comments be submitted by e-mail. Comments should reference specific text when possible. If you submit written comments, they must be postmarked no later than 5 p.m., December 23, 2011. You must send e-mail comments before 5 p.m., December 23, 2011.
Submit written comments to Foroozan Labib, Washington State Department of Ecology, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504-7600, fax (360) 407-6426, e-mail foroozan.labib@ecy.wa.gov.
Hearing and Workshop: A public workshop and hearing will be held on December 19, 2011, at 9 a.m., at the department of ecology, 300 Desmond Drive S.E., Lacey, WA. The purpose of the hearing is to provide an opportunity for people to give formal oral testimony and comments on the proposed permit.
Issuing the Permit: After ecology receives and considers all public comments it will make necessary changes and issue the permit. Ecology expects to issue the permit in January 2012.