Announcing the Modification of the Phase I Municipal Stormwater General Permit for Public Review and Comment
The Proposed Permit Modification: The department of
ecology (ecology) is proposing to issue a modified general
permit for public review and comment on April 21, 2010, for
the Phase I municipal stormwater general permit, issued on
January 17, 2007, and modified June 17, 2009. The proposed
modification incorporates ecology's equivalency determination
of Clark County's alternative flow control program by updating
Appendix 10 of the Phase I permit. The proposed modification
also incorporates minor updates to King County and the City of
Seattle equivalency documents.
Purpose of the Municipal Stormwater General Permit: Federal and state water quality laws require a permit for the discharge of stormwater (see Federal Water Pollution Control Act, Title 22 United States Code, Section 1251 et seq., state Water Pollution Control Act, chapter 90.48 RCW and Washington waste discharge general permit regulation WAC 173-226-130). The permit addresses these legal requirements and controls the discharge of pollutants to protect surface water and ground water quality in Washington state. The permit requires municipalities and secondary permittees covered by the permit to develop and implement a stormwater management program to control stormwater runoff into and from their storm sewer system.
Applying for a Permit and Coverage Areas: The permit remains in effect during this modification process. Geographic areas of permit coverage are on the web site at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/stormwater/municipal.
Requesting Copies of the Proposed Permit Modification: Beginning April 21, 2010, you may request copies of the permit modification and fact sheet or download copies from the web site at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/stormwater/municipal/permitMOD.html.
Ecology Contact: Julie Lowe, Washington State Department of Ecology, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504-7600, phone (360) 407-6470, fax (360) 407-6426, e-mail jlow461@ecy.wa.gov.
Submitting Written Comments: Ecology will accept written comments on the draft permit and fact sheet until 5 p.m., June 7, 2010. Ecology prefers comments to be submitted by e-mail. Comments should reference the specific permit and specific text when possible.
Submit Written Comments to: Municipal Permit Comments, Washington State Department of Ecology, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504-7600.
Submit Comments by E-mail to: SWPermitComments@ecy.wa.gov.
Written comments must be postmarked no later than 5 p.m., June 7, 2010. You must send e-mail comments before 5 p.m., June 7, 2010. You may provide oral testimony at the public hearing.
Public Hearing and Workshop: The public hearing and workshop on the permit modification is scheduled to be held in Vancouver, Washington. At the workshop, ecology will explain the permit modification and answer questions. A hearing will immediately follow the workshop. The hearing will provide the opportunity for formal oral testimony and comments on the proposed permit.
May 27, 2010, at 1 p.m., Water Resource Education Center, 4600 S.E. Columbia Way, Vancouver, WA, (360) 487-7111.
Issuing the Final Modified Permit: After ecology receives and considers all public comments, it will issue the modified permit. If public comments cause a substantial change in the permit conditions from the original permit modification, another public notice of draft and comment period will occur. If there is no substantial change to the draft, ecology expects to issue the modified permit in the fall of 2010. The permit will be effective thirty days later. When issued, ecology will post the new permit and response to comments at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/stormwater/municipal/permitMOD.html.