SPDES Permits Now Available to Interested Stakeholders

DEC has posted a number of State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) permits on the internet.  Now you can view and print individual permits and Multi-Sector General Permits (MSGP). More permits will be posted in the future.  Access the SPDES permits through DEC’s SPDES webpage.  

Updated Guidance Available for Regulating Mercury

DEC has issued updated guidance for developing SPDES permits that regulate wastewater and stormwater discharges containing mercury, as well as guidance for performing mercury monitoring.  The guidance - Technical and Operational Guidance Series (TOGS) 1.3.10 Mercury:  SPDES Permitting, Multiple Discharge Variance, and Water Quality Monitoring- is an extension of the 2010 issuance of this TOGS.  

Mercury can accumulate in fish and can sometimes reach high enough levels to threaten the health of people who eat the fish they catch in certain waters.  More information on mercury’s impacts on New York’s waters and DEC’s approach to managing mercury is available on the DEC website.

Blue-Green Algal Bloom Notices

New information about lakes with blue-green algae bloom notices has been posted today, October 23, on the DEC Blue-Green Algal Bloom Notices webpage.

This week, three waterbodies were added to the notification list, and blooms were reported in several locations in the state. This information is provided from about 28 waterbodies sampled in the last two to three weeks by DEC monitoring programs, volunteers and public reports.
Because waterbodies may have blue-green algae blooms that have not been reported to DEC, we recommend avoiding contact with floating rafts, scums and discolored water – If you see it, avoid it and report it!

Report a suspected bloom

If you suspect you have seen a blue-green algae bloom, or you, your family, or pet has been in contact with a blue-green algae bloom, please follow the instructions for reporting a bloom to DEC.