[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 181 (Wednesday, September 18, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58802-58804]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-23743]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7378-9]


Notice of Availability of National Pollutant Discharge 
Elimination System (NPDES) Storm Water General Permit for Small MS4s

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of Availability of Proposed NPDES General Permit.

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SUMMARY: The Regional Administrator, EPA, Region 9 is proposing to 
issue an NPDES general permit for storm water discharges from small 
municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s) located in the geographic 
areas of Region 9 where the NPDES permit program has not been 
delegated. These areas include the State of Arizona (including Indian 
lands), Indian lands in the States of California and Nevada, and the 
U.S. Pacific Island territories. For the State of Arizona (excluding 
Indian Country lands), the general permit is being proposed jointly by 
Region 9 and the Director of the Arizona Department of Environmental 
Quality (ADEQ). NPDES permit coverage for these discharges is required 
in accordance with the 1987 Amendments to the Clean Water Act (CWA), 
and final EPA regulations for Phase II storm water discharges (64 FR 
68722, December 8, 1999). This Notice announces the availability of the 
proposed general permit and fact sheet for public comment.

DATES: Comments: Comments on the proposed general permit must be 
received or postmarked no later than October 30, 2002. Within the 
comment period, interested persons may also request a public hearing 
pursuant to 40 CFR 124.12 concerning the proposed permit.
    Public Meeting: The public meeting will be held on October 16, 2002 
at 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

ADDRESSES: Comments: All public comments or requests for a public 
hearing must be submitted to Lisa Honor, U.S. EPA, Region 9 (WTR-5), 75 
Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA 94105. Comments or requests for a 
public hearing pertaining to MS4s within non-Indian Country lands in 
Arizona must also be sent to Karyn Moldenhauer, ADEQ, Water Permits 
Unit, 1110 West Washington, Phoenix, AZ 85007.
    Public Meeting: The public meeting will be held at the Arizona 
Industrial Commission Auditorium, 800 West Washington, Phoenix, AZ. A 
public meeting will be held to provide an opportunity for Region 9 and 
ADEQ to discuss the proposed permit with potential permittees and other 
interested persons. Written, but not oral, comments for the official 
public record will be accepted at the public meeting.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information on the 
proposed general permit, contact either Eugene Bromley, EPA, Region 9 
(WTR-5), 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA 94105 (415) 972-3510, 
or Karyn Moldenhauer, ADEQ, Water Permits Unit, 1110 West Washington, 
Phoenix, AZ 85007 (602) 771-4449.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Copies of the proposed general permit and 
fact sheet will be provided upon request and are also available at EPA, 
Region 9's website at http://www.epa.gov/region09/water. Additional 
information on Phase II of the storm water program is available at 
EPA's national storm water website at http://www.epa.gov/NPDES/stormwater.
    Administrative Record: The proposed general permit and other 
related documents in the administrative record are on file and may be 
inspected any time between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
excluding legal holidays, at the following addresses:

U.S. EPA, Region 9,
CWA Standards and Permits Office (WTR-5), 75 Hawthorne Street, San 
Francisco, CA 94105-3901.
Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, Water Permits Unit, 1110 
West Washington, Phoenix, AZ 85007.

Summary of Terms and Conditions of Proposed General Permit

A. Discharges Covered

    The proposed general permit would authorize discharges of storm 
water

[[Page 58803]]

runoff from small MS4s located in the geographic areas of Region 9 
where the NPDES permit program has not been delegated. Small MS4s are 
those serving a population less than 100,000 people, which is the 
minimum population cutoff for medium and large MS4s (Phase I MS4s). The 
following four categories of small MS4s are subject to Phase II storm 
water permitting:
    1. MS4s operated by municipalities in urbanized areas as defined by 
the Census Bureau based on the 1990 or 2000 census.
    2. MS4s operated by municipalities which are outside urbanized 
areas which have a population of 10,000 or more and population density 
of 1,000/mi 2, and which are designated based on 
environmental concerns.
    3. MS4s which contribute substantial pollutant loads to regulated 
MS4s through interconnections.
    4. MS4s designated by petition.
    The definition of a small MS4 in the Phase II regulations includes 
storm sewers at facilities operated by the Federal or State government 
(or other public entities such as a sewer or port district) such as 
military bases, universities, hospitals and prisons. These facilities 
are also subject to permitting under Phase II of the storm water 
program. However, the definition does not include facilities which 
consist of very discrete areas, such as an individual post office.
    The geographic areas of coverage of the proposed permit include the 
State of Arizona (including Indian lands), Indian lands in the States 
of California and Nevada, and the U.S. Pacific Island territories of 
Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 
Johnston Atoll, and Midway and Wake Islands. These are the areas within 
Region 9 where the NPDES permit program has not been delegated to a 
State, Tribe, or territory.

B. Limitations on Coverage

    The proposed general permit includes a number of eligibility 
restrictions including discharges which may adversely affect endangered 
or threatened species, historic properties, or essential fish habitat, 
and discharges which may cause or contribute to exceedances of water 
quality standards. MS4s which do not meet the eligibility requirements 
of the proposed general permits are required to submit an individual 
permit application, or seek coverage under an alternate general permit 
or as a co-permittee with a Phase I MS4.

C. Deadlines and Permit Application Process

    To obtain discharge authorization under the proposed general 
permit, dischargers must submit a notice of intent (NOI) to Region 9 
requesting discharge authorization. The NOI must include basic 
information about the MS4 (e.g., name and address), and a storm water 
management program describing the best management practices which the 
discharger will implement to control pollutants in the discharges in 
accordance with the requirements of the CWA. NOIs are due by March 10, 
2003 for small MS4s in urbanized areas (category 1 as described above 
in section A). For MS4s in the category 2 as described above in section 
A, NOIs are due within 180 days of designation. The permitting 
authority is required to make designation decisions for these MS4s by 
December 9, 2002. For small MS4s in categories 3 and 4 as described 
above in section A, NOIs would be due within 180 days of designation; 
however, no designation deadlines have been established for these MS4s.

D. NPDES Program Delegation to State of Arizona

    Region 9 is currently processing an NPDES permit program delegation 
request from ADEQ. The delegation would cover all discharges within the 
State of Arizona except for discharges in Indian lands. Region 9 
anticipates that program delegation will occur in the fourth quarter of 
calendar year 2002, possibly prior to final issuance of the proposed 
general permit. If this occurs, the final permit will be issued by ADEQ 
for the geographic areas covered by the delegation, and Region 9 will 
issue the permit for the remaining geographic areas.
    If the final general permit is issued by ADEQ, the proposed permit 
will be modified to include references to ADEQ regulations rather than 
EPA regulations. Further, for an ADEQ-issued permit, the eligibility 
restrictions related to endangered species, historic properties and 
essential fish habitat will be removed since they are based on 
requirements for Federally-issued permits but not State-issued permits.

E. Storm Water Management Program (SWMP)

    The proposed general permit requires that all dischargers covered 
by the permit develop and implement a SWMP. The SWMP is the means 
through which dischargers comply with the CWA's requirement to control 
pollutants in the discharges to the maximum extent practicable (MEP), 
and comply with the water quality related provisions of the CWA. The 
Phase II regulations require that the following six minimum pollution 
control measures be included in SWMPs.
    1. Public Education and Outreach on Storm Water Impacts.
    2. Public Involvement/Participation.
    3. Illicit discharge detection and elimination.
    4. Construction Site Storm Water Runoff Control.
    5. Post-Construction Storm Water Management in New Development and
    Redevelopment.
    6. Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping for Municipal Operations.
    The proposed general permit also requires that measurable goals be 
included with the SWMP. Measurable goals are quantifiable measures of 
progress in implementing the various BMPs which comprise a SWMP. The 
measurable goals become permit requirements once the MS4 has requested 
and has been granted coverage under the general permit. Annual 
reporting is also required to provide information on the status of the 
implementation of the SWMP.

F. Permit Appeal Procedures

    Within 120 days following notice of EPA's final decision for the 
general permit under 40 CFR 124.15, any interested person may appeal 
the permit in the Federal Court of Appeals in accordance with Section 
509(b)(1) of the CWA. Persons affected by a general permit may not 
challenge the conditions of a general permit as a right in further 
Agency proceedings. They may instead either challenge the general 
permit in court, or apply for an individual permit as specified at 40 
CFR 122.21 (and authorized at 40 CFR 122.28), and then petition the 
Environmental Appeals Board to review any condition of the individual 
permit (40 CFR 124.19 as modified on May 15, 2000, 65 FR 30886).

G. Economic Impact (Executive Order 12866)

    Under Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735 (October 4, 1993)) the 
Agency must determine whether the regulatory action is ``significant'' 
and therefore subject to OMB review and the requirements of the 
Executive Order. The Order defines ``significant regulatory action'' as 
one that is likely to result in a rule that may have an annual effect 
on the economy of $100 million or more or adversely affect in a 
material way the economy, a sector of the economy, productivity, 
competition,

[[Page 58804]]

jobs, the environment, public health or safety, or State, local, or 
Tribal governments or communities; create a serious inconsistency or 
otherwise interfere with an action taken or planned by another agency; 
materially alter the budgetary impact of entitlements, grants, user 
fees, or loan programs or the rights and obligations of recipients 
thereof; or raise novel legal or policy issues arising out of legal 
mandates, the President's priorities, or the principles set forth in 
the Executive Order.
    Region 9 has determined that the proposed general permit is not a 
``significant regulatory action'' under the terms of Executive Order 
12866 and is therefore not subject to formal OMB review prior to 
proposal.

H. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act

    Section 201 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA), Public Law 
104-4, generally requires Federal agencies to assess the effects of 
their ``regulatory actions'' on State, local, and tribal governments 
and the private sector. UMRA uses the term ``regulatory actions'' to 
refer to regulations. (See, e.g., UMRA section 201, ``Each agency shall 
* * * assess the effects of Federal regulatory actions * * * (other 
than to the extent that such regulations incorporate requirements 
specifically set forth in law)'' (emphasis added)). UMRA section 102 
defines ``regulation'' by reference to 2 U.S.C. 658 which in turn 
defines ``regulation'' and ``rule'' by reference to section 601(2) of 
the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA). That section of the RFA defines 
``rule'' as ``any rule for which the agency publishes a notice of 
proposed rulemaking pursuant to section 553(b) of [the Administrative 
Procedure Act (APA)], or any other law. * * *''
    As discussed in the RFA section of this notice, NPDES general 
permits are not ``rules'' under the APA and thus not subject to the APA 
requirement to publish a notice of proposed rulemaking. NPDES general 
permits are also not subject to such a requirement under the CWA. While 
EPA publishes a notice to solicit public comment on draft general 
permits, it does so pursuant to the CWA section 402(a) requirement to 
provide ``an opportunity for a hearing.'' Thus, NPDES general permits 
are not ``rules'' for RFA or UMRA purposes.
    Region 9 has determined that today's proposal would not result in 
expenditures of $100 million or more for State, local and Tribal 
governments, in the aggregate, or the private sector in any one year.
    The Agency also believes that the proposed general permit will not 
significantly nor uniquely affect small governments. For UMRA purposes, 
``small governments'' is defined by reference to the definition of 
``small governmental jurisdiction'' under the RFA. (See UMRA section 
102(1), referencing 2 U.S.C. 658, which references section 601(5) of 
the RFA.) ``Small governmental jurisdiction'' means governments of 
cities, counties, towns, etc., with a population of less than 50,000, 
unless the agency establishes an alternative definition.
    The proposed general permit also will not uniquely affect small 
governments because compliance with the proposed permit conditions 
affects small governments in the same manner as any other entities 
seeking coverage under the proposed permit.

I. Paperwork Reduction Act

    Region 9 has reviewed the requirements imposed on regulated 
facilities resulting from the proposed general permit under the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq. The information 
collection requirements of the proposed permit have already been 
approved in previous submissions made for the NPDES permit program 
under the provisions of the CWA.

J. Regulatory Flexibility Act

    The Agency has determined that the proposed general permit is not 
subject to the Regulatory Flexibility Act (``RFA''), which generally 
requires an agency to conduct a regulatory flexibility analysis of any 
significant impact the rule will have on a substantial number of small 
entities. By its terms, the RFA only applies to rules subject to 
notice-and-comment rulemaking requirements under the Administrative 
Procedure Act (``APA'') or any other statute. The proposed general 
permit is not subject to notice and comment requirements under the APA 
or any other statute because the APA defines ``rules'' in a manner that 
excludes permits. See APA section 551 (4), (6), and (8).

K. Official Signature

    Authority: Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.

    Dated: September 9, 2002.
Catherine Kuhlman,
Acting Director, Water Division, EPA, Region 9.
[FR Doc. 02-23743 Filed 9-17-02; 8:45 am]
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