[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 188 (Friday, September 27, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61103-61104]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-24644]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7384-8]


Notice of Availability of Draft National Pollution Discharge 
Elimination Systems (NPDES) General Permit for Storm Water Discharges 
From Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems in the States of 
Massachusetts and New Hampshire and Indian Lands in the States of 
Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island and Federal Facilities in 
Vermont

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability of the draft NPDES general permits 
MAR040000; NHR040000; MAR04000I; CTR04000I; RIR04000I and VTR04000F.

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SUMMARY: The Director of the Office of Ecosystem Protection, 
Environmental Protection Agency-Region 1, is today providing notice of 
the availability of the Draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination 
System (NPDES) general permit for storm water discharges from small 
municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s) to certain waters of the 
States of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont, and to certain 
waters on Indian Country lands in the States of Connecticut, 
Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. This draft NPDES general permit 
establishes Notice of Intent (NOI) requirements, standards, 
prohibitions, and management practices for discharges of storm water 
from municipal separate storm sewer systems.
    Owners and/or operators of small MS4s that discharge storm water 
will be required to submit an NOI to EPA-Region 1 to be covered by the 
general permit and will receive a written notification from EPA-Region 
1 of permit coverage and authorization to discharge under the general 
permit. This general permit does not cover new sources as defined at 40 
CFR 122.2.

[[Page 61104]]


DATES: The public comment period is from September 27, 2002, to 
November 1, 2002. Interested parties may submit comments on the draft 
general permit as part of the administrative record to EPA-Region 1 at 
the address above, no later than November 8, 2002. The general permit 
shall be effective on the date specified in the final general permit 
published in the Federal Register and will expire five years from the 
publication date of final permit.
    Comment must be received or postmarked by midnight November 8, 
2002. No facsimiles (faxes) will be accepted.

ADDRESSES: The draft permit is based on an administrative record 
available for public review at EPA-Region 1, Office of Ecosystem 
Protection (CMU), 1 Congress Street, Suite 1100, Boston, Massachusetts 
02114-2023. Copies of information in the record are available upon 
request. A reasonable fee may be charged for copying.
    Public Meeting Information: EPA--Region 1 will hold four public 
meetings to provide information about the general permit and its 
requirements. The public meetings will include a presentation on the 
draft permit and a question and answer session. Written, but not oral, 
comments for the official permit record will be accepted at the public 
meetings. The meetings will be at the following locations:

Wednesday--October 16, 2002: Worcester Public Library--Main Branch, 
Saxe Room, Library Lane/Salem Square, Worcester, MA 01608. 9:30 a.m.-
12:30 p.m.
Tuesday--October 22, 2002: Town of Middleborough, Town Hall, 10 
Nickerson Avenue, Middleborough, MA. 1 p.m.-4 p.m.
Thursday--October 24, 2002: Town of Springfield/Municipal Office Bldg., 
2nd Floor Conference Room, 26 Central Street, West Springfield, MA 
01089. 1 p.m.-4 p.m.
Thursday--October 31, 2002: Portsmouth City Council Chambers, 
Portsmouth City Hall, One Junkins Avenue, Portsmouth, NH 03801. 9 a.m.-
12:00 p.m.

    Public Hearing Information: A public hearing will be conducted in 
accordance with 40 CFR 124.12 and will provide interested parties with 
the opportunity to provide written and/or oral comments for the 
official record. Only questions regarding procedures will be addressed 
at the hearing. The hearing may close prior to 12:00 if all parties 
wishing to present comments have done so.

Wednesday--October 30, 2002: United States Environmental Protection 
Agency, Regional Laboratory, 11 Technology Drive, North Chelmsford, MA 
01863. Kennebec Conference Rooms A & B, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

    The hearing is being held in a government facility. Visitors will 
be asked to sign in and present photo identification. People planning 
on attending the public hearing may register prior to the hearing date. 
To register, contact Olga Vergara at 617/918-1519 or via e-mail at 
[email protected], include ``Public Hearing Registration'' in the 
subject line.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Additional information concerning the 
draft permit may be obtained between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. 
Monday through Friday excluding holidays from: Thelma Murphy, Office of 
Ecosystem Protection, Environmental Protection Agency, 1 Congress 
Street, Suite 1100, Boston, MA 02114-2023; telephone: 617-918-1615; e-
mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The draft general permit may be viewed over 
the Internet via the EPA-Region 1 Web site www.epa.gov/region01/topics/water/permits.html. To obtain a hard copy of the document, please 
contact Thelma Murphy. Contact information is provided above. The draft 
general permit includes a fact sheet which set forth principal facts 
and the significant factual, legal, and policy questions considered in 
the development of the draft permit. A reasonable fee may be charged 
for copying requests.
    When the general permit is issued, it will be published in its 
entirety in the Federal Register. The general permit will be effective 
on the date specified in the Federal Register and it will expire five 
years from the date that the final permit is published in the Federal 
Register.

    Dated: September 19, 2002.
Robert W. Varney,
Regional Administrator, , Region 1.
[FR Doc. 02-24644 Filed 9-26-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P