United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water 4303T EPA 833-F-09-004 December 2009 vvEPA Fact Sheet Listening sessions and Stakeholder input: Stormwater Management Including Discharges from New Development and Redevelopment Summary The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to open a public input period and hold listening sessions to inform a rulemaking to strengthen national stormwater regulations and to establish a comprehensive program to reduce stormwater discharges from new development and redevelopment. Background on Stormwater Developed sites, such as subdivisions and commercial shopping centers, can significantly alter the hydrology of a site and can have a negative impact on receiving waterbodies. Generally, as sites are developed, there is an increase in impervious areas where water cannot infiltrate into the ground, leading to increases in stormwater runoff volume. This additional stormwater volume, as well as the introduction of pollutants such as fertilizers, sediments and deposition of vehicle emissions contributes to increased stormwater impacts. Many of these developed areas are outside of currently regulated areas and are contributing to waterbody impairment. EPA requests input on ways to strengthen the stormwater program, including the promotion of practices that retain stormwater on-site through infiltration, evapotranspiration, or stormwater reuse to reduce these impacts nationwide. EPA is considering how to strengthen the municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) permit regulations, including expanding the MS4 regulated area to include rapidly developing areas and establishing specific post construction requirements for stormwater discharges from new development and redevelopment, both inside and outside the MS4 boundary, that may be contributing to waterbody impairments. Proposed Regulatory Considerations 1. Expand the area subject to federal stormwater regulations. 2. Establish specific requirements to control stormwater discharges from new development and redevelopment. 3. Develop a single set of consistent stormwater requirements for all MS4s. 4. Require MS4s to address stormwater discharges in areas of existing development through retrofitting the sewer system or drainage area with improved stormwater control measures. 5. Explore specific stormwater provisions to protect sensitive areas. ------- The Locations and Dates for the Five Listening Sessions are: • January 19, 2010, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at EPA Region 5 Office, 77 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604 • January 20, 2010, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at EPA Region 9 Office, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA94105 • January 25, 2010, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at EPA Region 8 Office, 1595 Wynkoop Street, Denver, CO 80202-1129 • January 26, 2010, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at EPA Region 6 Office, 1445 Ross Avenue, Suite 1200 Dallas, Texas 75202 • January 28, 2010, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at EPA HQ Office, Ariel Rios Building, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20004 For further information about this Notice, please write to: Ms. Holly Galavotti U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water (4203M) 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W. Washington, D.C. 20460 e-mail: galavotti.holly(S)epa.gov You can view or download the complete text of the Federal Register notice on the Internet at: http://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/rulemaking. ------- |