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NOTICE OF BOARD WORKSHOP

DRAFT ORDER R8-2024-0001
NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM (NPDES) PERMIT AND WASTE DISCHARGE REQUIREMENTS
FOR
DISCHARGES OF POLLUTANTS IN RUNOFF FROM THE MUNICIPAL SEPARATE STORM SEWER SYSTEMS (MS4) IN THE COUNTIES OF ORANGE, RIVERSIDE, AND SAN BERNARDINO WITHIN THE SANTA ANA REGION

REGIONAL MS4 PERMIT

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Santa Ana Region (Santa Ana Water Board) will hold a board workshop on September 13, 2024, at 9:00 am at the City of Cypress facility located at 5275 Orange Avenue, Cypress, CA 90630. The board workshop will consider Draft Order R8-2024-0001 (proposed Order), which is a proposed region-wide Phase I MS4 Permit.

The workshop will occur as part of the regularly scheduled board meeting; however, if a quorum of the board is not present, the workshop will proceed as a staff-level workshop with board members present. The board will take no action at the workshop, but board members may ask questions or provide direction to staff.

This meeting will occur at a physical meeting location with an option to participate from a remote location. Instructions for remote participation and other meeting details will be in the agenda, which will be available at least 10 days before the meeting. The agenda will be available at the following web address:

https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/santaana/board_info/agendas/2024_agendas.html

PROPOSED ORDER

Once adopted, the proposed Order would regulate discharges of pollutants in stormwater and urban runoff from cities in Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties that are within the Santa Ana River watershed. Key elements of the proposed Order include:

• Requirements to effectively prohibit certain non-stormwater discharges.
• Requirements for the control of trash.
• Requirements for minimum control measures found in 40 Code of Federal Regulations, section 122.26(d) (40 CFR § 122.26(d)). These include requirements for public education; inspections of industrial, commercial, and construction sites; inspections of municipal facilities; and requirements for pollution controls for new development and significant redevelopment.
• Requirements to attain waste load allocations for certain pollutants in the Big Bear Lake, Lake Elsinore/Canyon Lake, Newport Bay, and Middle Santa Ana River watersheds.
• Allowing the use of Watershed Management Plans as an alternative method to comply with waste load allocations whose deadlines have not yet passed or where a deadline was not established and to comply with receiving water limitations.

The Draft Order is available on the Santa Ana Water Board’s Tentative Orders webpage:

https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/santaana/water_issues/programs/stormwater/docs/2024/tentative_ms4_permit_2-29-24.pdf

MAILING LIST

To receive further notices on the proposed Order, parties and interested persons should enroll in the project mailing list. If you are already on this mailing list, no further action is needed. To enroll:

1. Go to the following website:

https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/CAWRCB/subscriber/new?qsp=santa_ana

2. Enter your email address.
3. Under the “Stormwater” tab, select the check box for “Region 8 – Stormwater – Regionwide MS4 Permit.”
4. Click “Submit.”
5. Enter your first name, last name, and county (optional but recommended).

PUBLIC HEARING

The Santa Ana Water Board intends to consider adopting the proposed Order during a public hearing at a regularly scheduled Santa Ana Water Board meeting at a date and time to be determined. A separate notice will be provided to parties and interested persons when a public hearing is scheduled.

PARTICIPANTS IN THIS PROCEEDING

Participants in this proceeding are either “parties” or “interested persons.” “Parties” are all entities named as Permittees in the draft order and any other person designated as a party by the Santa Ana Water Board. “Interested persons” include any person or organization that is interested in the outcome of the matter, but who has not been designated as a party. Designation as a party is not necessary to participate in the workshop. Both interested persons and parties will have the opportunity to present oral comments about the draft Regional MS4 Permit and may be asked to respond to clarifying questions from the Santa Ana Water Board members, counsel, or staff, or others at the discretion of the board.

Santa Ana Water Board staff is not a party. This is a proceeding to consider the requirements of a permit, which does not involve investigative, prosecutorial, or advocacy functions. Staff’s proposals, recommendations, and their participation in this proceeding exist for the purpose of advising and assisting the Santa Ana Water Board. Likewise, attorneys for the Santa Ana Water Board will advise and assist the Board, which includes the Board members and its entire staff.

EX PARTE COMMUNICATIONS

All communications to Santa Ana Water Board members are prohibited unless all parties have notice and an opportunity to participate in the communication. The only exception is for procedural matters that are not in controversy. (Ca. Gov. Code, §11430.10 et seq.) The exceptions in Water Code section 13287 do not apply to this proceeding. Parties and interested persons should direct all communications to Santa Ana Water Board staff.

LANGUAGE SERVICES

This hearing will be offered in English. To request translation of written documents, interpretation services in another language, or sign language services, please use one of the following options at least ten (10) business days before the meeting:

• Submit a Language Services Request online
• Call the Office of Public Participation at (916)-341-5254
• Email the Office of Public Participation at:

opp-languageservices@waterboards.ca.gov

ACCESSIBILITY

Users of a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) may contact the California Relay Service at (800) 735-2929 or the teletype (TTY) voice line at (800) 735-2922.

Any person who requires reasonable accommodation to participate in the Santa Ana Water Board hearing should contact Jessica Baenre at Jessica.Baenre@Waterboards.ca.gov or (951) 782-3285, no later than August 30, 2024.