BILL REQ. #:  Z-0940.1 

Read first time 01/20/12.   Referred to Committee on Environment.

     AN ACT Relating to changing the numeric limit for bacterial contamination for industrial storm water permittees with discharges to water bodies listed as impaired to a narrative limit; amending RCW 90.48.555; and providing an expiration date.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 90.48.555 and 2009 c 449 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     The provisions of this section apply to the construction and industrial storm water general permits issued by the department pursuant to the federal clean water act, 33 U.S.C. Sec. 1251 et seq., and this chapter.
     (1) Effluent limitations shall be included in construction and industrial storm water general permits as required under the federal clean water act, 33 U.S.C. Sec. 1251 et seq., and its implementing regulations. In accordance with federal clean water act requirements, pollutant specific, water quality-based effluent limitations shall be included in construction and industrial storm water general permits if there is a reasonable potential to cause or contribute to an excursion of a state water quality standard.
     (2) Subject to the provisions of this section, both technology and water quality-based effluent limitations may be expressed as:
     (a) Numeric effluent limitations;
     (b) Narrative effluent limitations; or
     (c) A combination of numeric and narrative effluent discharge limitations.
     (3) The department must condition storm water general permits for industrial and construction activities issued under the national pollutant discharge elimination system of the federal clean water act to require compliance with numeric effluent discharge limits when such discharges are subject to:
     (a) Numeric effluent limitations established in federally adopted, industry-specific effluent guidelines;
     (b) State developed, industry-specific performance-based numeric effluent limitations;
     (c) Numeric effluent limitations based on a completed total maximum daily load analysis or other pollution control measures; or
     (d) A determination by the department that:
     (i) The discharges covered under either the construction or industrial storm water general permits have a reasonable potential to cause or contribute to violation of state water quality standards; and
     (ii) Effluent limitations based on nonnumeric best management practices are not effective in achieving compliance with state water quality standards.
     (4) In making a determination under subsection (3)(d) of this section, the department shall use procedures that account for:
     (a) Existing controls on point and nonpoint sources of pollution;
     (b) The variability of the pollutant or pollutant parameter in the storm water discharge; and
     (c) As appropriate, the dilution of the storm water in the receiving waters.
     (5) Narrative effluent limitations requiring both the implementation of best management practices, when designed to satisfy the technology and water quality-based requirements of the federal clean water act, 33 U.S.C. Sec. 1251 et seq., and compliance with water quality standards, shall be used for construction and industrial storm water general permits, unless the provisions of subsection (3) of this section apply.
     (6) Compliance with water quality standards shall be presumed, unless discharge monitoring data or other site specific information demonstrates that a discharge causes or contributes to violation of water quality standards, when the permittee is:
     (a) In full compliance with all permit conditions, including planning, sampling, monitoring, reporting, and recordkeeping conditions; and
     (b)(i) Fully implementing storm water best management practices contained in storm water technical manuals approved by the department, or practices that are demonstrably equivalent to practices contained in storm water technical manuals approved by the department, including the proper selection, implementation, and maintenance of all applicable and appropriate best management practices for on-site pollution control.
     (ii) For the purposes of this section, "demonstrably equivalent" means that the technical basis for the selection of all storm water best management practices are documented within a storm water pollution prevention plan. The storm water pollution prevention plan must document:
     (A) The method and reasons for choosing the storm water best management practices selected;
     (B) The pollutant removal performance expected from the practices selected;
     (C) The technical basis supporting the performance claims for the practices selected, including any available existing data concerning field performance of the practices selected;
     (D) An assessment of how the selected practices will comply with state water quality standards; and
     (E) An assessment of how the selected practices will satisfy both applicable federal technology-based treatment requirements and state requirements to use all known, available, and reasonable methods of prevention, control, and treatment.
     (7)(a) By November 1, 2009, except for discharges identified in (b) of this subsection, the department shall modify or reissue the industrial storm water general permit to require compliance with appropriately derived numeric water quality-based effluent limitations for existing discharges to water bodies listed as impaired according to 33 U.S.C. Sec. 1313(d) (Sec. 303(d) of the federal clean water act, 33 U.S.C. Sec. 1251 et seq.).
     (b) For pollutants other than bacteria, the industrial storm water general permit must require permittees to comply with appropriately derived numeric water quality-based effluent limitations in the permit, as described in (a) of this subsection, by no later than six months after the effective date of the modified or reissued industrial storm water general permit. By July 1, 2012, the industrial storm water general permit must require permittees with discharges to water bodies listed as impaired for bacteria to comply with nonnumeric, narrative effluent limitations.
     (c) For permittees that the department determines are unable to comply with the numeric water quality-based effluent limitations required by (a) of this subsection, within the timeline established in (b) of this subsection, the department shall establish a compliance schedule as follows:
     (i) Any compliance schedule provided by the department must require compliance as soon as possible, and must require compliance by no later than twenty-four months, or two complete wet seasons, after the effective date of the industrial storm water general permit. For purposes of this subsection (7)(c)(i), "wet seasons" means October 1st through June 30th.
     (ii) The department shall post on its web site the name, location, industrial storm water permit number, and the reason for requesting a compliance schedule for each permittee who requests a compliance schedule according to this subsection (7)(c). The department shall post this information no later than thirty days after receiving a permittee's request for a compliance schedule under this subsection (7)(c). The department shall also prepare a list of organizations and individuals seeking to be notified when such requests for compliance schedules are made, and notify them within thirty days after receiving a permittee's request for a compliance schedule. Notification under this subsection may be accomplished electronically.
     (d) The department shall report to the appropriate committees of the legislature specifying how the numeric effluent limitation in (a) of this subsection would be implemented. The report shall identify the number of dischargers to impaired water bodies and provide an assessment of anticipated compliance with the numeric effluent limitation established by (a) of this subsection.
     (8)(a) Construction and industrial storm water general permits issued by the department shall include an enforceable adaptive management mechanism that includes appropriate monitoring, evaluation, and reporting. The adaptive management mechanism shall include elements designed to result in permit compliance and shall include, at a minimum, the following elements:
     (i) An adaptive management indicator, such as monitoring benchmarks;
     (ii) Monitoring;
     (iii) Review and revisions to the storm water pollution prevention plan;
     (iv) Documentation of remedial actions taken; and
     (v) Reporting to the department.
     (b) Construction and industrial storm water general permits issued by the department also shall include the timing and mechanisms for implementation of treatment best management practices.
     (9) Construction and industrial storm water discharges authorized under general permits must not cause or have the reasonable potential to cause or contribute to a violation of an applicable water quality standard. Where a discharge has already been authorized under a national pollutant discharge elimination system storm water permit and it is later determined to cause or have the reasonable potential to cause or contribute to the violation of an applicable water quality standard, the department may notify the permittee of such a violation.
     (10) Once notified by the department of a determination of reasonable potential to cause or contribute to the violation of an applicable water quality standard, the permittee must take all necessary actions to ensure future discharges do not cause or contribute to the violation of a water quality standard and document those actions in the storm water pollution prevention plan and a report timely submitted to the department. If violations remain or recur, coverage under the construction or industrial storm water general permits may be terminated by the department, and an alternative general permit or individual permit may be issued. Compliance with the requirements of this subsection does not preclude any enforcement activity provided by the federal clean water act, 33 U.S.C. Sec. 1251 et seq., for the underlying violation.
     (11) Receiving water sampling shall not be a requirement of an industrial or construction storm water general permit except to the extent that it can be conducted without endangering the health and safety of persons conducting the sampling.
     (12) The department may authorize mixing zones only in compliance with and after making determinations mandated by the procedural and substantive requirements of applicable laws and regulations.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   Section 1 of this act expires January 1, 2015.