June 2018 Industrial Stormwater News

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a webpage.
Industrial Stormwater News

Welcome to the Industrial Stormwater Program, June 2018 Newsletter! 

In this issue:


Featured article: Industrial stormwater training workshop just announced!

train

Brought back by high popular demand, the U of M has agreed to host another "permit overview" workshop. This training opportunity will be held on September 13, 2018 at the Arden Hills MnDOT facility officially in Shoreview, MN.

IS2202 - Industrial Stormwater Regulations, SWPPPs, Sampling and Monitoring

Registration Fee:  $170.00, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

This is our most popular workshop! It is a full-day event that will cover topics from permit basics, SWPPP development and implementation, and stormwater monitoring to selection of Best Management Practices for SWPPP modification.

Topics include:

  • Industrial Stormwater Regulatory history
  • SWPPP requirements
  • SWPPP implementation
  • Stormwater monitoring, sampling and reporting requirements
  • Annual reporting and fees
  • ISW case studies
  • ISW enforcement

This workshop routinely fills up quickly, so register today! Visit the U of M Erosion and Stormwater Management Certification Program’s website for more information or to register.  Register online or view and fill out the paper registration form.

Sector/facility-specific training offered:

Did you know that the University of Minnesota Erosion and Stormwater Management Certification Program has been providing industrial stormwater training opportunities for nearly ten years? During that time, the program has enrolled more than 2,000 attendees in various classes throughout the state.  

Next spring, they will offer a new half-day Annual Training refresher designed for facility employees and consultants who are knowledgeable about the Industrial Stormwater program, but want a refresher and/or to meet annual training requirements. Watch the program’s website for class listings.  If you’re not on their mailing list and would like to receive the Industrial Stormwater Class Schedule and Registration by mail, email or call 800-646-2282 and ask to be added to the mailing list.

Program staff can customize trainings about specific topics or for groups and train at your facility. If you are interested in learning more about these opportunities, contact the program by email or 800-646-2282.


Grant assistance for installing stormwater Best Management Practices

You may be eligible for grant funding to enhance your property and clean our lakes and rivers by installing stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) at your facility! Some examples of funding-eligible BMPs include: rain gardens, permeable hardscapes, native plantings and restoration, erosion control, water reuse, and underground infiltration systems.

Many grant programs provide financial and/or technical assistance for BMP installation. At the local level, watershed and county organizations have cost-share grant programs. Statewide, the MPCA and Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) offer grants.

BMPs have many important purposes: they prevent polluted stormwater runoff including trash, sediment, bacteria, and nutrients from entering nearby waterbodies. They improve facility conditions by treating drainage issues (such as flooding, ponding, and ice hazards), reducing erosion, and providing new or enhancing existing green space. Lastly, if designed well and cared for early, BMPs provide your property with aesthetic landscaping that require less time and money to maintain.          

Grant programs from local watershed organizations usually provide funding and technical assistance. Funding criteria varies per watershed organization and grantee. However, there are grantees of all scales, from residential to commercial to industrial properties. Typically, grant programs have an application process and capped funding amounts. The funds are reimbursed by the organization once construction and a final review are approved. Technical assistance ranges from site visits to identify appropriate locations and BMP types to designing BMP construction plans for contractors or to do-it-yourself. After construction, BMP maintenance, conducted by the grantee or a contractor, is typically conducted for five to 10 years.   

One successful grant project was the Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority’s reconstruction of St. Paul’s Union Depot. Their local watershed organization, Capitol Region Watershed District, awarded a grant to construct BMPs as part of the parking lot construction. The revitalized and expanded parking lot now includes pervious areas and green infrastructure islands of filtration trenches and basins to reduce flooding and treat stormwater runoff. In addition, the BMPs also beautified the new lot (see photos below). Visit the Capitol Region Watershed District’s website to see more examples of grant projects.

BWSR and the MPCA may have current statewide grants for stormwater BMPs. Local watershed organizations with cost-share grant programs include counties/soil and water conservation districts, watershed districts, and watershed management organizations. To identify your local organization and see if they have grants available, please refer to the links below:

 

crwd
Saint Paul Union Depot's parking lot expansion: green infrastructure and pervious areas reduce flooding and treat stormwater runoff.