NOTICES
Public Notice of Extension of Comment Period to Draft Comprehensive Stormwater Management Policy
[31 Pa.B. 7073] The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is seeking public comment on a proposal to update its current stormwater management program, using existing authority, to improve water quality, sustain water quantity (including ground water recharge and stream base flow) and integrate upcoming stormwater management obligations. The DEP is announcing an additional 30 days to comment on this program.
The draft proposal is available on DEP's website at www.dep.state.pa.us (directLINK ''Comprehensive Stormwater Policy'') or can be obtained by contacting Stuart Gansell at (717) 783-7420, e-mail to sgansell@state.pa.us or DEP Office of Water Management, Bureau of Watershed Management, 10th Floor, Rachel Carson State Office Building, P. O. Box 8555, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8555.
At the 15 water forums held throughout this Commonwealth in the Spring of 2001, stormwater management was a consistent and recurring concern of citizens and municipal officials. The DEP is facing challenges to its existing approach in litigation before the Environmental Hearing Board. The Commonwealth must also implement Phase II stormwater controls under the Federal Clean Water Act within the next several years.
The DEP proposes a best management practices (BMP) approach to stormwater management that generally encourages, and sometimes requires, minimization and infiltration of stormwater flows. This approach will reduce pollutant loadings to streams, recharge groundwater tables, enhance stream base flow during times of drought and reduce the threat of flooding and stream bank erosion resulting from storm events. Permit conditions will require BMPs as the means of managing stormwater from both Phase I and Phase II construction, as well as postconstruction stormwater flows.
Administratively, the DEP proposes to integrate its permitting programs with stormwater management plans developed on a watershed basis under the Stormwater Management Act (Act 167). Act 167 county plans will include water quality and quantity protections implemented by municipalities within the watershed. In addition, the DEP will, in appropriate circumstances, rely on these Act 167 plans to meet the NPDES permitting requirements for municipalities under the Federal Clean Water Act Phase II municipal stormwater permitting program.
Written comments should include the name, address and telephone number of the person commenting. Written comments will be accepted by postal or e-mail at the addresses previously listed. Comments submitted by facsimile or voice mail will not be accepted.
The comment period now extends through January 28, 2002, and comments received by that date will be considered in the formulation of the final guidance for Comprehensive Stormwater Management Policy (document identification number, 392-0300-002).
Persons in need of accommodations as provided for in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 should contact Stuart Gansell at (717) 783-7420 or through the Pennsylvania AT&T Relay Service at (800) 654-5984 (TDD) or (800) 654-5988 (voice) to discuss how the DEP can accommodate their needs.
DAVID E. HESS,
Secretary
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 01-2328. Filed for public inspection December 28, 2001, 9:00 a.m.]
No part of the information on this site may be reproduced for profit or sold for profit.This material has been drawn directly from the official Pennsylvania Bulletin full text database. Due to the limitations of HTML or differences in display capabilities of different browsers, this version may differ slightly from the official printed version.
