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FISH WITH KIDS!
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International Erosion Control Association JOIN TODAY
Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District
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Greetings!
Why care about NPDES permit compliance? It stares us right in the face every time we fish, hunt, swim and drink the water in the United States. Our fondest memories are very often in and around clean water. As 2013 comes to a close, let's not forget why we do what we do with stormwater management in this awesome country of ours! Installing and maintaining Best Management Practices (Bmps)
 is what makes our surface water abundantly clean.
Clean enough for ducks and fish and the food they eat, and healthy enough for an outdoorsman to eat his bountiful harvest.
It's only been a couple of decades since rivers in the United States were lighting on fire and millions of fish were belly up in rivers like the Chattahoochee. Let's not forget that in one year, 1969, we lost 49 million fish due to pollution pouring into our nations watersheds. The problem was so bad that Americans insisted that Congress pass the Clean Water Act, a law that brought clean water and recovery to our watersheds through NPDES permitting!
 Year after year as our population continues to grow and expand in areas once forested, we must be mindful of our water resources and understand that it's going to take effort from companies and citizens that thrive in a free enterprise system to pay for our country's clean water! To all the land development and industrial company's investing money into our nations future through NPDES permit compliance, I want to say THANK YOU for helping to make my children's future bright and hopeful! Tami, Rita, Whitney, Kim, Wayne, Richard, Larry and I sincerely wish you all a very Merry Christmas season and a wonderful, prosperous New Year!! |
New Seats available for 12/18 WEDNESDAY!
MS4 SWTSI
Certificate of Training
We now have 2 OPENINGS FOR OUR DECEMBER 18th COURSE! Our MS4 Inspector classes have been filling up quick, but we had a few people re-schedule, which left some space for you this week!
Click Here or on the photo below, or call Rita at 678-469-5120 to reserve your spot for the MS4 Stormwater Treatment System INSPECTOR course!
After taking the MS4 Stormwater Treatment System Inspector course, you will receive a
1- SWTSI Certification Card (with your photo), and a
2- Certificate of Completion.
CONTACT US anytime if you questions or need more information!
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"CONSERVATION EDUCATION
FOR THE OUTDOORSMAN IN ALL OF US!"
We are ON TOP of the New
US NPDES and GEORGIA EROSION LAWS.
OUR NEW 2014 EROSION AND MS4 TRAINING COURSES ARE UPDATED TO GEORGIA NPDES PERMITS AND STATE WATER REGULATIONS!
Click Here for
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QUESTION 1:
 Where will the stormwater go? We sometimes get so focused on the project's stormwater requirements of installing best management practices (BMPs), that we forget to look around and ask ourselves, "Where will the runoff go?". ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- QUESTION 2: What is an outfall? As simple as this question seems to be, it's surprising the number of people who aren't really sure. Just like James Moore with the City of Griffin recently mentioned, identifying an outfall for a new inspector in the field is often confusing when they are mapping, inspecting and/or sampling outfall locations, when it's critically important that they get it right!
First of all, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), an outfall is a location where stormwater exits a facility via pipes, ditches, swales, and other structures that transport stormwater but, as far as the relations are concerned, this hasn't always been the case.
From 1972 to 1987, Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTPs), Industrial facilities and concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) were the primary operations to get regulated with NPDES Permits as "point source" dischargers. In 1987, when congress expanded the definition of "point source" to also include certain types of stormwater discharges, understanding the definition of an outfall became a lot more important because stormwater outfalls were heaped onto the growing pile of NPDES regulated "point sources" of pollution.
Today, according to the Clean Water Act, the term "point source" includes a lot of other sources including some stormwater outfalls and vessels.
 | | WASTEWATER OUTFALLs |
When we see an outfall from a sewage treatment plant, otherwise known as WWTP, we should know that these are outfalls regulated under a different type of permit that requires they treat their process water (not stormwater) before discharging it through an outfall to a stream, river or ocean (watershed). WWTP outfalls can can be as wide as 20 feet, releasing as much as 240,000 gallons of treated (we hope) human wastewater every minute into the ocean, sometimes miles from the shore (see top photo above). On the other hand, WWTP outfalls can be relatively small in diameter and release much smaller quantities of treated sewage into a local stream or river (see above ,bottom photo, example of the Logan, Utah WWTP outfall).
 | | STORMWATER OUTFALLs |
Today, stormwater runoff from WWTPs and industrial facilities is NPDES regulated because of the potential for contaminants being captured by the runoff water as it flows into a storm drain, through the pipe, and out the outfall where all the critters live.
As we look for outfalls in the field, keep in mind that a culvert outlet is not an outfall and therefore unregulated as a "point source" of pollution, most of the time. Culverts are typically embedded in soil and/or rock matrix, and are made of corrugated metal, reinforced concrete or other non-erodible material. A culvert where the outlet is not
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OUTFALL vs OUTLET
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considered an outfall, is a structure that conveys a stream, creek or river under a trail, street, railroad, or the like; and doesn't include stormwater
runoff. A culvert outlet can be placed directly next to a stormwater outfall (see photo to the right). As you can see, the nature of the water traveling through each device is a lot different because one conveys stormwater runoff through an outfall, while the other conveys watershed runoff in a stream or river, through an outlet.
If you want to learn more about how to manage the stormwater in your area, sign up for one of our MS4 Stormwater Treatment System Inspector courses.
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 Georgia EPD
DON'T FORGET TO SUBMIT YOUR NOI's BY DECEMBER 24th!
For sites where construction activities, subject to the NPDES  General Permits, occurred on or before the effective date, September 24, 2013, of the new NPDES General Permits and the permittees did not submit a valid Notice of Termination prior to September 24, 2013 - the permittees must submit a Re-Issuance Notice of Intent for an existing construction site no later than 90 days after the effective date of the new NPDES General Permits.
IF A PERMITTEE FAILS to comply with this requirement, the permittee must:
1) Submit an Initial NOI (new form) for a new construction site,
2) Prepare and submit a NEW ES&PC Plan, and
3) Pay ALL applicable fees for a new project.
Re-Issuance Notices of Intent must be postmarked before December 24, 2013 - CLICK ON THE PIC or the LINKS below for the appropriate NOI form (either for a Primary, Secondary or Tertiary Permitee).
Copies of the new NOI forms are also available at www.erosiontraining.com, or
www.npdestraining.com
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We serve LUNCH for ALL initial courses! This is included in your registration fee, and we did not raise our prices.
- Attendees receive a FREE FIELD MANUAL & NPDES updated information at all initial classroom trainings.
- SATURDAY Level 1A Fundamentals & Level 1A/1B and Level II Re-cert courses will resume in February 2014 in Norcross!
If you have special requests, We Listen!
678-469-5120
rita@erosiontraining.com
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THE WORLDs MOST POLLUTED CITIES ARE NOT IN THE UNITED STATES
The next time you speak with someone complaining about the NPDES regulations, point them to the horrible surface water
conditions in most of the countries around the world. Thanks to the Clean Water Act and NPDES permitting requirements, there's no comparison!
The Citarum River has been identified as one of the most heavily polluted rivers in the world. In 2007, it was number 1 on the list. The Citarum River, which provides 80 percent of surface water to Jakarta and irrigates farms that supply 5 percent of Indonesia's rice, was among the most polluted due to human and industrial waste.
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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA SEWAGE DISCHARGES
CLEAN WATER ACT SETTLEMENT
 Earlier this fall, the Department of Justice, U.S. EPA, and South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) announced a proposed settlement with the City of Columbia to resolve violations of the Clean Water Act (CWA), including unauthorized overflows of untreated raw sewage. Columbia has agreed to undertake a thorough assessment of, and implement extensive improvements to, its sanitary sewer system at an estimated cost of $750 million.
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EXECUTED ORDERS: Under authority of the Water Quality Control Act (including Surface Water Allocation) :
 OGEECHEE RIVER FISH KILL SETTLEMENT Approximately 33,000 fish killed in 2011
Savannahnow.com
All the dead fish were discovered below the discharge pipe for textile processor King America Finishing. A follow-up investigation
by the state's Environmental Protection Division revealed the company's fire retardant processing line had been operating without a pollution permit since its installation in 2006.
Fishing is good, but fishermen are still wary! On the Ogeechee River, this year's sopping wet spring and summer helped fish populations rebound after the devastating fish kill of 2011, but not everyone is planning their fish fry yet.
Rain had the Ogeechee spilling out of its banks, giving small fish the chance to grow in swampy areas. As the river contracted, the expanded fish population has become trapped in the smaller area. It's exactly what fisheries supervisor Tim Barrett expected with a break in a long dry spell.
| Facility: | King America Finishing, Inc./Dover; order issued to Mr. Michael Beasley | | Location: | Screven County | | Order Number: | EPD-WQ-5419 | | Date of Issue: | November 20,2013 | | Cause of Order: | Violation of the Georgia Water Quality Act and Rules for Water Quality Control/unpermitted wastewater discharge to Ogeechee River | | Requirement(s) of Order: | Satisfactory completion of the following Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs) totaling $1 million: * third party monitoring of facility's discharge for duration of 18 months at a cost of $75,000. *improvements to City of Millen wastewater treatment plant to be completed in 12 months at a cost of $158,609. (The facility discharges to Ogeechee River.) *Ogeechee River Research Proposal - involves Georgia Southern University in establishing a nature center to study the ecology of Ogeechee River. This must be completed in 36 months at a cost of $766,391. | |
Settlement Amount:
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$1,000,000.00
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--------------- | Facility: | Lake Kathy Substation site; order issued to North Georgia EMC/Reed Road | | Location: | Whitfield County | | Order Number: | EPD-WQ-5984 | | Date of Issue: | November 21,2013 | | Cause of Order: | Violations of General NPDES Permit for Storm Water Discharges; including failure to install & maintain erosion & sediment controls; failure to conduct & retain daily rainfall monitoring & reporting | | Requirement(s) of Order: | Have Design Professional, who drew up ESPCP, inspect and certify completed E&S controls implementation from recently revised ESPCP, providing copy to EPD; obtain Permit compliance for site and until EMC is granted Notice of Termination by EPD | |
Settlement Amount:
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$10,000.00
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--------------- | Facility: | Georgia Department of Transportation I-75 Interchange @ Hwy 136 and Hwy 41 | | Location: | Gordon County | | Order Number: | EPD-WQ-MDO-13-039 | | Date of Issue: | November 21,2013 | | Cause of Order: | Violations of Erosion, Sedimentation and Pollution Control Plan/failure to install/maintain erosion and sediment controls according to stream buffer variance | | Requirement(s) of Order: | Bring site into full compliance; submit Level II Design Professional's Permit certification letter, showing compliance | |
Settlement Amount:
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$5,000.00
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 - Want some feedback from our past students? Read reviews from our "Raving Fans"
- DON'T FORGET ABOUT OUR ONLINE COURSES FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY to name a few:
- Hazard Communication
- Heat Stress
- Lockout-Tagout Awareness
- Hearing Protection
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
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We are here to Help  YOU!
We can set you up so you can perform your own inspections and water sampling, or we can do them for you. We can give you a killer deal on an EPA Compliant Hanna Turbidimeter. We can also help even if it's just answering a question or two.
Contact us anytime at 678-469-5120 or info@npdestraining.com
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DAMS ON THE CHATTAHOOCHEE
North Highlands Dam
(1-mile south of Oliver Dam)
 Highlands Dam Built in 1899, North Highlands Dam was the first large dam in the South and powered the Bibb Cotton Mill in Columbus. Today, owned by Georgia Power, it produces hydroelectric power and impounds Bibb Pond and is one of the largest dams in the south.
The dam crosses the river in the Bibb City area of Columbus, one mile south of Oliver Dam.
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MERRY CHRISTMAS
& HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
When we're grateful, we're happier! AND in our country with the economic and environmental resources American's have at our finger tips, WE HAVE A LOT TO BE GRATEFUL FOR!
Before the Clean Water Act was passed, sediment, sewage, and chemicals caused America's rivers, like the Chattahoochee River, to be void of fish. As Americans, we cannot take our eyes off of the importance of water quality. Respecting our neighbors downstream is what we try to remind people! It's important that we sacrifice a little to give our future generations an equally great place to work, live, fish, hunt, and play.
There is a lot happening today with water regulations that affect a diverse community of public and private entities. If you have areas of interest that you would like included in this newsletter, please contact us at 678-469-5120.
Sincerely,
T. Luke Owen,PG
President/Principal Trainer and Consultant
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