| 
PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS NOT THE FIELD MANUAL! |
|
|
FISH WITH KIDS!
| |
| |
International Erosion Control Association JOIN TODAY
Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning Distr 
|
|
|
"US EPA should ditch the new US WATERS RULE"
says Small Business Administration
On October 1, 2014, the U.S. Small Business Administration Office
of Advocacy sent a letter to US EPA and the Army Corps urging withdrawal of the proposed "Waters of the U.S." (WOTUS) rule. Both EPA and the Army Corps claim that WOTUS rule "will not have a significant economic impact" and no small business analysis is needed. However, in comments submitted to both agencies, the Office of Advocacy disagrees. The office of Advocacy believes that EPA and the Corps have improperly certified the proposed rule under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) because it would have direct, significant effects on small businesses. Advocacy recommends that the agencies withdraw the rule and that the EPA conduct a Small Business Advocacy Review panel before proceeding any further with this rulemaking.
READ MORE
CLICK HERE for Southeast Stormwater Association (SESWAs) analysis of EPAs proposed rule change.
A few days ago following SBAs letter, the US EPA extended the rule making comment period to November 14, 2014.
|
 WILL YOUR BOAT NEED TO APPLY FOR AN NPDES PERMIT?!
NEW NDPES PERMIT FOR SMALL VESSELS
The EPA published the small vessel general permit (sVGP) on September 10, 2014 to provide NPDES permit coverage for discharges from non-military, non-recreational vessels less than 79 feet (i.e., small vessels") operating in a capacity as a means of transportation.
Unless specifically excluded in Part 1.5 of the sVGP, discharges incidental to the normal operation of a vessel less than 79 feet, when that vessel is operating in a capacity as a means of transportation, are eligible for coverage under this permit EPA estimates that the final sVGP will affect approximately 115,000 to 138,000 vessels. All discharges incidental to the normal operation of these vessels are eligible for coverage under this permit beginning December 19, 2014 when the NPDES permit requirement for these discharges goes into effect.
The Clean Water Act defines a recreational vessel as any vessel that is either: (1) manufactured or used primarily for pleasure, or (2) leased, rented, or chartered to a person for the pleasure of that person. The term recreational vessel does not include a vessel that is both subject to Coast Guard inspection and either (1) engaged in commercial use or (2) carries paying passengers.
The following kinds of vessels ARE NOT SUBJECT
to the NPDES Small Vessel General Permit:
- Boston whaler-type recreational vessel manufactured for activities like water skiing, but also used for law enforcement purposes, for example, operated by a state police department or fish and wildlife agency.
- UTILITY VESSEL used by the Army Corps of Engineers or a state or federal wildlife agency for public resource management purposes such as hydrographic surveys, wildlife management, buoy marker setting, water patrol, inspections, etc., for which the same model is also manufactured and utilized for recreational uses (e.g., a
 26 foot aluminum hulled jon-boat, flatbottom, or skiff). - A VESSEL ORIGINALLY MANUFACTURED FOR PLEASURE and not subject to Coast Guard inspection requirements.
- A SMALL VESSEL CHARTERED TO ANOTHER FOR PLEASURE of that person, including for fishing, but of a size that is not subject to Coast Guard inspection.
Examples of VESSELS THAT ARE SUBJECT to the NPDES Small Vessel General Permit:
- A charter fishing vessel subject to Coast Guard
inspection carrying 12 paying passengers or more. - A purpose built vessel manufactured for non-recreational purposes
 such as a steel hull towboat or aluminum hull crew boat.- A small utility vessel manufactured for barge transport.
- A commercial fishing vessel manufactured for that purpose.
|
OCTOBER 22, 2014
We are near capacity with OVER 220 REGISTERED for this GREAT EVENT!
This is Georgia's most popular construction stormwater training event. It's practical and offers the latest information and tools to help keep our state waters free of sediment and other pollutants! Come join us and network with old and new friends alike. Learn from others and share your experiences with stormwater pollution AND erosion and sediment control. We have the BEST classroom session speakers and BMP field demonstrators in the business!
|
WONDERING ABOUT ONLINE RENEWAL INSTEAD OF CLASSROOM?
LEVEL 1A, LEVEL 1B and LEVEL II
|
|
|
MS4 CECI
Compliance & Enforcement Certified Inspector
Officials from US EPA & GA EPD speak
Hosted by the NPDES Training Institute, you won't find an NPDES certification course with more useful information than the MS4 CECI seminar ANYWHERE, or your money back!
Municipalities and private consultants alike love the MS4 CECI training!
"The videos with equipment demonstrations really helped make it practical"
The EPA and EPD discussions made the course practical and helped me understand how to properly regulate water quality problems in my MS4"
Great training! I feel like I know what to do now with my inspections, both for illicit discharges and construction sites."
"I liked the interaction with the instructor, updated information and all the new resources given out."
"The instructor was patient and really did a good job of answering questions"
"Excellent Course! Video's and Interaction with Instructor!"
In addition to the material you receive, after passing your exam, you will receive a Certificate of Completion worth 8 CEUs and a MS4 CECI photo ID card.
Call us at 678-469-5120 and speak with our helpful staff and/or email us at Needinfo@MS4training.com
|
|
Water Quality
AND
Economic Growth
(A NECESSARY BALANCE)
 Where people are, pollution is! Whether it's one of the estimated 250 Billion cigarette butts flicked on American soil each year, a 200-acre farm with stormwater runoff full of fertilizer that creates algae blooms, or a 3.5 acre construction site in a downtown area; when it rains it drains to the nearest creek. I have to say I don't envy the USEPA's position in trying to promote and keep the goals of the Clean Water Act nowadays! Today, as our massive population explosion sprawls into areas of our country that never imagined having more than 1 to 2 people per square mile or few boats per lake; we are seeing a rise in downstream pollutant loads from stormwater runoff into our creeks and lakes. Along with water quality complaints from people living downstream, comes more effort to pass federal and state laws intended to increase water quality protection.
While remembering how horrible our surface water quality was  prior the amendments of the Clean Water Act in 1972, we have been spoiled with clean water and expect it to be clean. Water quality problems related to population growth from poorly managed concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO's) and agrictultural runoff of nutrients (fertilizers, etc.) from non-point source corporate owned farms, are causing a lot of water quality challenges that were unforseen in 1972. A good example of our population growth impacts to water quality recently occured when the cyanobacteria bloom from agricultural runoff to Lake Erie killed fish and damaged drinking water for nearly 500,000 Americans. SEE VIDEO
|
|
CLEAN WATER ENFORCEMENT
COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOW (CSO) FINES
STILL HAUNT MANY AMERICAN CITIES
With a federal lawsuit looming for Clean Water Act violations, Fort Smith, Arkansas policy-makers adopted a resolution Tuesday that reaffirms the city's willingness to work with federal agencies that abruptly ended talks in late September after eight years of negotiations toward a solution.
Fort Smith has been under a long-standing federal mandate to comply with the Clean Water Act by eliminating sewer overflows and discharges into the Arkansas River during heavy rains. Since 2006, the city worked with the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Justice toward a consent decree that would set a schedule for construction projects and require a program for ongoing care of the aging sewer system at the city's cost.
---------------------------------
GEORGIA EPD
Under authority of the Water Quality Control Act (including Surface Water Allocation) :
|
Facility:
|
City of Cartersville sewer system; order issued to Mr. J. Sidney Forsyth
| |
Location:
|
Bartow County
| |
Order Number:
|
EPD-WQ-MDO-14-034
| |
Date of Issue:
|
September 23,2014
| |
Cause of Order:
|
Unpermitted discharge to waters of the state
| |
Requirement(s) of Order:
|
Correct immediately
| |
Settlement Amount:
|
$750.00
|
|
Facility:
|
Reinhardt College /Waleska; order issued to Mr. John W. Young
| |
Location:
|
Cherokee County
| |
Order Number:
|
EPD-WQ-MDO-14-031
| |
Date of Issue:
|
September 23,2014
| |
Cause of Order:
|
Violations of NPDES Permit; exceeded Permit limitations
| |
Requirement(s) of Order:
|
Correct immediately
| |
Settlement Amount:
|
$500.00
|
|
Facility:
|
City of Port Wentworth sewer system
| |
Location:
|
Chatham County
| |
Order Number:
|
EPD-WQ-6059
| |
Date of Issue:
|
September 22,2014
| |
Cause of Order:
|
Flooding to City and inflow/infililtration problems causing spill to waters of the state
| |
Requirement(s) of Order:
|
Provide complete evaluation of facilityto make needed improvements, including revisions to influent automatic valves, capacity of effluent pumps; also include any interim corrective actions that have or will take place; submit approvable corrective action plan/schedule; implement plan, providing progress reports; requirements in EPD-WQ-5453 are still in effect
| |
Settlement Amount:
|
$5,000.00
|
|
Facility:
|
Professional Products Unlimited Inc/Fayettvile; order issued to Cyrus Jackson
| |
Location:
|
Fayette County
| |
Order Number:
|
EOD-WQ-6061
| |
Date of Issue:
|
September 22,2014
| |
Cause of Order:
|
Unpermitted discharge of untreated wastewater into waters of the state
| |
Requirement(s) of Order:
|
Immediately stop any unpermitted discharge to waters of the state; prepare/implement appropriate corrective action plan to clean-up affected areas; report to EPD
implementation schedule; within 90 days submit a notice of intent (NOI)
| |
Settlement Amount:
|
$10,000.00
|
|
|
HERE's TO
TIGHT LINES & GOOD TIMES
in
Clean Abundant Water!!!
It's important that we sacrifice a little today to give our kids an equally great place to live, swim, fish, and hunt tomorrow! There is a lot happening 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.
T. Luke Owen,PG
President/Principal Trainer and Consultant
|
|
|
.A.M 
