Today’s
regulations (Phase II) expand the existing National
Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System (NPDES) storm water program (Phase I) to
address storm water discharges from small municipal separate
storm sewer systems (MS4s) (those serving less than 100,000
persons) and construction sites that disturb one to five
acres. Although these sources are automatically designated
by today’s rule, the rule allows for the exclusion of
certain sources from the national program based on a
demonstration of the lack of impact on
water quality, as well as the inclusion of others based on a
higher likelihood
of localized adverse impact on water quality.
Today’s
regulations also exclude from the NPDES program storm water
discharges from industrial facilities that have ‘‘no
exposure’’ of industrial activities or materials to
storm water.
Finally, today’s rule extends from August 7,
2001 until March 10, 2003 the deadline by which certain
industrial facilities owned by small MS4s must obtain
coverage under an NPDES permit. This rule establishes a cost-effective, flexible approach for reducing environmental
harm by storm water discharges from many point sources of
storm water that are currently unregulated.
EPA believes
that the implementation of the six minimum measures
identified for small MS4s should significantly reduce
pollutants in urban storm water compared to existing levels
in a cost-effective manner. Similarly, EPA believes that
implementation of Best Management Practices (BMP) controls
at small construction sites will also result in a
significant reduction in pollutant discharges and an
improvement in surface water quality.
EPA believes this rule
will result in monetized financial, recreational and health
benefits, as well as benefits that EPA has been unable to
monetize. Expected benefits include reduced scouring and
erosion of streambeds, improved aesthetic quality of waters,
reduced eutrophication of aquatic systems, benefit to
wildlife and endangered and threatened species, tourism
benefits, biodiversity benefits and reduced costs for siting
reservoirs. In addition, the costs of industrial stormwater
controls will decrease due to the exclusion of storm water
discharges from facilities where there is ‘‘no
exposure’’ of storm water to industrial activities
and materials.
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