MakingWaves - Draft MS4 General Permit; Funding for Dams; FEMA Technical Assistance; Monitoring for COVID-19; Protecting Drinking Water in Capital District

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
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MakingWaves - News From the Division of Water

In This Issue:

  • Comment Period Open For Draft SPDES General Permit for Stormwater Discharges from Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems
  • DEC Awards Funding to Support Rehabilitation of Dams
  • FEMA Offering Technical Assistance Through BRIC Program
  • Reminder: Webinar on NYS Wastewater Surveillance Network Monitoring for COVID-19
  • Land Acquisition to Protect Drinking Water in Capital Region

Comment Period Open For Draft SPDES General Permit for Stormwater Discharges from Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems

DEC has announced the availability of the draft renewal of the State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) General Permit for Stormwater Discharges from Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4), draft GP-0-22-002, and Fact Sheet for public comment. Find these documents, information about upcoming presentations, and other supporting materials on DEC's Stormwater MS4 Permit and Forms webpage

Urban stormwater is a significant source of pollution. Since 2003, DEC has issued the MS4 general permit requiring MS4 operators to develop and implement a stormwater management program to help reduce polluted runoff from entering New York's waters.

View the January 12 Environmental Notice Bulletin for how and where to submit comments. The comment deadline is Friday, February 18, 2022


DEC Awards Funding to Support Rehabilitation of Dams

DEC has awarded more than $766,000 in funding to nine projects to improve dam safety in communities in the Capital Region, Southern Tier, and Mid-Hudson Valley regions. The funding is provided through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) 'High Hazard Potential Dam Grant Program.' Of the dozens of states that applied to the federal program, New York was one of only two states that received the maximum amount of available funding.

The funds awarded will support planning, design, and other pre-construction activities to rehabilitate 'high hazard' dams. New York State classifies dams as high hazard to recognize the potential for damage to infrastructure and communities if a dam were to fail. The classification does not connote a dam's potential to fail.

Visit DEC's website for more information on New York State's Dam Safety program


FEMA Offering Technical Assistance Through BRIC Program

Through their Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, FEMA is offering free technical assistance to support states, local communities, tribes and territories as they undertake hazard mitigation projects, reducing the risks they face from disasters and natural hazards.

The assistance is for communities with a desire to increase their capacity and capability to conduct mitigation activities, increase resilience to natural hazards, or need help identifying projects that will reduce risk.

Letters of Interest (1-2 pages) are due January 28, 2022 by 3:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Visit FEMA's BRIC webpage for more information. 


Reminder: Webinar on NYS Wastewater Surveillance Network Monitoring for COVID-19

Registration is open for the free webinar, "Introduction to the New York State Wastewater Surveillance Network", which will be held January 19, 2022, 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. The webinar will introduce the NYS wastewater-based epidemiology network that is providing real-time monitoring of wastewater for cornonavirus RNA. In collaboration with the NYS Department of Health and DEC, Dr. David Larsen’s team at Syracuse University is working to scale a wastewater surveillance network across New York State to aid the response to public health threats. 

Wastewater treatment plant operators, county and municipal governments, elected officials and staff, and public health officials are encouraged to attend. View the Wastewater Surveillance Network website for more information about the monitoring network. The webinar is organized by Syracuse University Falk College Department of Public Health and the Syracuse University Environmental Finance Center and is co-sponsored by the New York Water Environment Association and NYS Water Resources Institute.


Land Acquisition to Protect Drinking Water in Capital Region

DEC and the Rensselaer Land Trust (RLT) have announced the acquisition of two parcels totaling 120 acres for source water protection. These acquisitions are the first of several purchased by RLT with funding from a $1.5 million Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) grant.

To acquire the parcels, RLT worked with the Rensselaer Plateau Alliance and Agricultural Stewardship Association, a partnership known as the Tomhannock Rural Land Campaign. The two land acquisitions, located in the town of Pittstown, will help protect the Tomhannock Reservoir, which serves as a public drinking water supply for more than 135,000 people in the Capital Region. The land will be owned and managed by RLT.

To date, DEC has announced more than $60 million for 47 land acquisition projects funded through the Water Quality Improvement Project grant.