Public Notice
By: Jane Doe
Proposed Municipal Separate Storm
Sewer System Phase II General
Permit
Public Comment extends to Friday, Sept.
2, 2016.
Summary
DEQ invites the public to provide comment on
the proposed Municipal Separate Storm Sewer
System Phase II Stormwater general permit. This
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
permit regulates the discharge of stormwater
runoff from small municipal separate storm
sewer systems, to reduce the discharge of
pollutants to surface waters to the maximum
extent practicable. A municipal separate storm
sewer system is a conveyance or system of
conveyances ( roads with drainage systems,
municipal streets, catch basins, curbs, gutters,
manmade channels or storm drains) owned or
operated by a governmental entity that
discharges to waters of the state.
During this comment period, the public can
provide written comments. The public was
conducted on Aug. 3, 2016.
Upon issuance, this general permit would replace
the 15 administratively Municipal Separate
Storm Sewer System Phase II individual permits,
which expired in 2012. This permit is expected
to be effective for a period not to exceed five
years.
Who is affected by this permit?
This general permits covers the operators of
small storm sewer systems. Existing regulated
jurisdictions include the following:
 Ashland
 Bend
 Benton County
 Corvallis
 Keizer
 Lane County
 Marion County
 Medford
 Philomath
 Polk County
 Rogue Valley Sewer Services - CoPermittees (Jackson County, Central
Point, Phoenix, Talent)
 Springfield
 Troutdale


Turner
Wood Village
This general permit also covers any new small
storm sewer systems required to obtain permit
coverage. Newly jurisdictions include:
 Albany
 Eagle Point
 Grants Pass
 Josephine County
 Linn County
 Millersburg
 Rogue River
Water Quality
Permitting
811 SW Sixth Ave.
Portland, OR 97204-1390
Phone:
503-229-8185
541-687-7343
800-452-4011
Fax:
503-229-6037
Contact: Mark Riedel-Bash
www.oregon.gov/DEQ
Search for “(MS4)”
Where can I get more information?
View information about this proposed permit,
including the permit and evaluation report either
online at,
http://www.deq.state.or.us/wq/stormwater/munic
ipalph2.htm or by contacting Mark Riedel-Bash
to make an appointment to review the documents
in person:
Phone: Eugene: 541-687-7343
Portland: 503-229-5185
How do I participate?
To provide comments, which will be part of the
public record, send written comments to the
address below. Written and oral comments are
also accepted during a public hearing.
All comments are due by 5 p.m., Friday, Sept. 2,
2016.
DEQ is a leader in
restoring, maintaining and
enhancing the quality of
Oregon’s air, land and
water.
DEQ provides documents
electronically whenever
possible in order to
conserve resources and
reduce costs.
If you received a hard copy
of this notice, please
consider receiving updates
via email instead. Send your
request to:
[email protected].
us
Please include your full
name and mailing address
so that we can remove you
from our print mailing list.
Where can I send written comments?
Send written comments by mail, fax or email to:
Mark Riedel-Bash
DEQ Water Quality Permitting
811 SW Sixth Ave.,
Portland, OR 97204-1390
Fax:
503-229-6037
Email: [email protected]
Notice Issued: Aug 4, 2016
By Mark Riedel
Where are the facilities located?
The permit requirements apply to the entire
municipal separate storm sewer system that
exists within the boundaries of the permitted
municipalities that discharge to surface waters in
Oregon.
How do municipal separate storm sewer
systems that serve urbanized areas
affect water quality?
Stormwater runoff is generated when
precipitation from rain and snowmelt flows over
land or impervious surfaces and does not
percolate into the ground. As runoff flows over
land and impervious surfaces in urbanized areas
(such as paved streets, parking lots and building
rooftops), it can accumulate chemicals, nutrients,
sediment or other pollutants in quantities that
could adversely affect water quality. If
stormwater runoff discharges from MS4s that
serve these urbanized areas, and the runoff is
untreated or allowed to accumulate pollutants, it
may adversely affect local aquatic life and
beneficial uses of water such as swimming,
fishing and drinking water.
What legal requirements apply?
The requirement to obtain a permit for
discharges to state waters and DEQ’s authority
to issue such permits is found in Oregon Revised
Statute 468B.050 and Oregon Administrative
Rule 340-045-0015. The description of
stormwater permitting requirements is found in
Section 402(p) of the federal Clean Water Act
and in 40 Code of Federal Regulations 122.26,
and 122.32 to 122.36.
How does DEQ determine what
requirements go in the permit?
The requirement to apply for this permit is based
on federal regulations. DEQ has the authority to
use discretion in developing specific permit
conditions (such as Total Maximum Daily Load
implementation, and annual reporting) as long as
conditions are consistent with federal
regulations. This permit includes appropriate
recordkeeping, and reporting requirements to
ensure compliance with applicable rules and
permit conditions.
How are water quality limited streams
addressed in these permits?
Although discharges of stormwater pollutants
into water quality-limited streams are authorized
by the proposed permit, applicant must
implement the conditions of the permit which are
designed to reduce the overall pollutant loads
from their storm sewer systems. Moreover, the
permits require a more directed set of actions to
reduce pollutants on the 303(d) list of impaired
water bodies and pollutants for which waste load
allocations and load allocations have been
established under approved Total Maximum
Daily Loads (see special conditions below).
Therefore, these expected reductions in 303(d)
pollutants allow DEQ to authorize discharges
from systems without causing additional adverse
impacts to water quality limited water bodies.
What are the special conditions of these
permits?
This permit requires each applicant implement
the conditions of the permit to reduce the
discharge of pollutants from the storm sewer
system. The applicant must implement Water
Quality Standard Attainment Performance
Measures, document the location of these
measures, and estimate pollutant load reductions
to address the waste load allocations and load
allocations.
What happens after the public comment
period closes?
DEQ will consider and respond to all comments
received and may modify the proposed permit
based on comments. DEQ gives equal weight to
written and oral comments.
Accessibility information
DEQ is committed to accommodating people
with disabilities. Please notify DEQ of any
special physical or language accommodations or
if you need information in large print, Braille or
another format.
To make these arrangements, contact DEQ
Communications in Portland, at 503-229-5696 or
call toll-free in Oregon at 800-452-4011, ext.
5696; fax to 503-229-6762; or email
[email protected].
People with hearing impairments may call 711.
DEQ