Industrial Stormwater News: September 2012

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency sent this bulletin at 09/04/2012 04:47 PM CDT

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Welcome to the Industrial Stormwater Program, September 2012 Newsletter!

In this issue:

Featured Article: Year 2 monitoring requirements are over. What's next?
New University of Minnesota Industrial Stormwater Workshop
2015 Permit Issuance
Industrial Stormwater Permit Information Access Updates
Better Maintenance of Paved Surfaces
Goodbye to Kristin Kirchoff

Featured article:

Year 2 benchmark monitoring requirements are over: What's next?

Many permittees have completed their “year 2” sampling requirements. The MPCA will calculate the average of the results submitted during the Permittee’s “year 2” monitoring intervals and will update the “Monitoring Calendar / SWMR forms” section of the Permit Information Access “Facility Information Menu” screen within 70 days after your “year 2” is over. For example, April 2010 applicants finished their “year 2” monitoring requirements April 2012 and their final SWMR was due no later than May 21, 2012. Their monitoring calendar was updated on July 1, 2012 to reflect whether or not they are required to sample in “year 4.”

Please note the following two things: there are no required “year 3” benchmark sampling requirements, and, all permittees must fall within one of five outcomes:

1. Didn’t exceed: do nothing (with possible exception for newly-listed impaired waters)

2. No sample: Stormwater Monitoring Report (SWMR) with No Flow, sample in year 4

3. No sample/no SWMRs mailed in: sample in year 4, possible enforcement action

4. Exceed: Make BMP changes

5. High Exceedances: Consider sector/specific BMPs.

1: Don’t exceed: If you do not have any exceedances for pollutant parameters at any monitoring locations, you will not have to conduct any more sampling for the life of the five-year permit cycle unless the surface water you discharge becomes impaired. If you have a monitoring location from which the discharge flows to, and is within one mile of, the impaired water, you will be required to complete additional monitoring for the benchmark parameter(s) for which the recently listed water is impaired. This only applies if the pollutant(s) of impairment or its appropriate surrogate(s) as listed in the Permit or is among the list of benchmark parameters specified for the Permittee’s industrial sector(s). See section 2a on pages 26/27 of the Permit for more information.

2 & 3: No Samples: No samples collected in “year 2?” No matter what the reason (natural infiltration, pond system with no discharge, no SWMRs submitted, etc), you will be required to go through “year 4” sampling requirements. If you have no off-site discharge, continue to fill out the “no flow” portion of the SWMRs and mail them to the MPCA. If SWMR forms have been submitted for all “year 2” and “year 4” monitoring intervals with “no flow” explanations on them, the Industrial Stormwater Program may consider it not necessary to attempt to sample in “year 5.”

4 & 5: Exceed/high exceedances: If you have an exceedance of one or more pollutant parameters at one or more monitoring locations, you will have to sample only those exceedance parameters and only at the location(s) you exceeded at. If you would like to consider new pollutant or sector-specific BMPs or would like other suggestions for how to make “year 4” sampling requirements successful, visit the “Step 12: Modify/add new BMPs” part of the Steps to Compliance section of the Industrial Stormwater Program web site.

Facilities that discharge to an Outstanding Resource Value Water or to an impaired water and have an exceedance, you are required to upon discovery of the exceedance:

Update your SWPPP within 30 days
Implement necessary non-structural BMPs within 60 days
Implement necessary structural BMPs within 180 days (or request from the agency more time to make structural BMP changes)

Remember:

Monthly inspections
Yearly review of facility/BMP changes and update your SWPPP
Annual Report
Annual Impaired Waters check

New University of Minnesota Industrial Stormwater Workshop

Due to an increase in permittee staff new to industrial stormwater permit requirements, the U of M has scheduled a full day workshop to cover all of the MPCA’s Industrial Stormwater permit requirements. Great information for new staff or a perfect refresher for permittees or consultants.

Industrial Stormwater Permit Refresher Workshop:

General Permit Requirements: Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan Development/Choosing BMPs
Sampling Requirements: How to sample, what to do if you exceed

The workshop is scheduled for October 1 at the Mn/DOT Facility in Arden Hills (1900 West County Road I, Arden Hills, MN 55126). The class is from 8am-4:30pm and costs $120 which includes training materials and a box lunch. For more information or to register, download and fill out the registration brochure.

Stormwater Sampling Exceedances Workshop:

Another U of M workshop is scheduled about stormwater exceedances. The “Industrial Stormwater Response to Benchmark Exceedance” workshop will be held on Monday, September 17, 2012, at the Chanhassen Rec Center, Chanhassen. The class is from 10am-2:30pm. The registration fee is $75 and includes training materials and a box lunch. For more information or to register, download and fill out the registration brochure.

2015 Permit Issuance:

The Industrial Stormwater Multi-Sector General Permit turned two years old this April. Permittees are working hard to understand the permit requirements, especially portions that relate to sampling requirements.

The current five-year general permit will expire April 5, 2015 and the Industrial Stormwater Program staff are already working on improvements and suggested changes for the next permit issuance.

In addition to the formal comment period expected to occur in 2014, you have a chance to provide comments about the current permit. All permittees and those who certified for the No Exposure exclusion with a valid email address on file will receive a survey and asked to share comments about ease of compliance with permit requirements and helpfulness on tools created. If you are a permittee or No Exposure certifier and do not receive the survey email (to be sent mid-September), be sure to update your email address using the Administrative Change Form.

There will be more opportunities to provide feedback about the 2015 permit as it gets developed. Watch for updates on our web site and in future e-newsletter articles.

Industrial Stormwater Permit Information Access updates

Use the Industrial Stormwater Permit Information Access tool to view and download the Stormwater Monitoring Report forms, view your data results and more. The web link is consistently one of the most frequently accessed link in the entire agency’s web pages. Thank you for making it a huge success!

The Industrial Stormwater Program staff have added helpful links to “Facility Information Menu” screen, such as:

The Multi-Sector General Permit - all permittees are required to read the permit
The Administrative Change Form - required to be filled out if any changes have occurred to your facility or contacts since the time of your original application
The Site Inspection Form - helps you document your required monthly inspections
The Industrial Stormwater FAQ - answers to the most commonly-asked questions about sampling
The Industrial Stormwater Sampling Manual - provides detailed information about how to collect a sample

Check out the new changes today!

Better Maintenance of Paved Surfaces

Though not regulated by the Industrial Stormwater program, what you or a contractor put on paved parking lots, driveways and sidewalks around your facility can have a big impact. Whether it’s during the summer when seal coat is applied to asphalt, or in the winter when salt is spread to prevent ice formation, storm and melt water carry the resulting contaminants to surrounding soil and water.

Coal tar-based pavement seal coats contain very high levels of cancer-causing chemicals called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. These PAHs evaporate, run off and then build up in ponds or lakes. Using salt to melt ice during the winter can contaminate ponds, lakes and streams with chlorides and affect aquatic life. Cleaning up these pollutants after they’ve contaminated the state’s waterways imposes high costs on your community and its taxpaying businesses and residents.

To help avoid these problems, the MPCA is promoting voluntary use of better salt-spreading and seal coating practices. Properly-trained and certified contractors can reduce excessive salt application around your facility in the winter. For more information please refer to the MPCA road salt web page, and scroll down to see the “List of Individuals Certified.”

The MPCA is also encouraging phase-out of the use of coal tar-based seal coats. Asphalt-based coatings are now available with equivalent performance and at similar cost. Best practices are important during seal coat application as well.

For more information, visit the MPCA coal tar sealants web page. While you’re there, check out the list of Minnesota cities which have enacted a local ban on coal tar-based seal coat use and learn whether your facility is affected.

Goodbye to Kristin Kirchoff

Kristin was one of the first voices you were likely to hear when calling the industrial stormwater program. She’s moved on to a new job within the agency and wanted to share her thoughts about working with the industrial stormwater program: “I liked the daily interaction with the diverse group of permittees and it was fun learning about all of the different types of industries we permit.” Her five years with the industrial stormwater program helped her answer permit-related questions and aid permittees in finding and completing program applications, annual reports, change request forms and SWMRs. She says the most important thing she learned about industrial stormwater is that “paying attention to what is discharged in stormwater does matter and it does affect the quality of our waters.” Thanks for your service, Kristin!

Program Contact Information:

Website: www.pca.state.mn.us/industrialstormwater

Monitoring Forms/Permit Information Access: http://www.pca.state.mn.us/mvric9b

Email the Program: iswprogram.pca@state.mn.us

Call the Stormwater Hotline: Call 651-757-2119 or 800-657-3804 (non-metro only)

Permit Compliance/No Exposure: Melissa Wenzel, 651-757-2816 or Mary West, 651-757-2818

Engineering Questions: Todd Smith, 651-757-2732

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