[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 214 (Monday, November 6, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64952-64954]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-18643]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8235-3]


Notice of Availability of Final NPDES General Permit for Small 
Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems in the Commonwealth of Puerto 
Rico and Federal Facilities in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of Final NPDES General Permits--PRR040000 and PRR04000F.

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SUMMARY: The Director of the Caribbean Environmental Protection 
Division (CEPD), Environmental Protection Agency-Region 2, is issuing 
notice for a final National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System 
(NPDES) general permit and accompanying response to comments for 
discharges from small municipal separate storm sewer systems (Small 
MS4) within urbanized areas to waters of the Commonwealth of Puerto 
Rico. This 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 
within urbanized areas owned by the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or 
political subdivisions of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (including 
``municipios''), as well as the United States, and other systems 
located within an urbanized area that fall within the definition of an 
MS4. These include, for example, State departments of transportation 
(DOTs), public universities, penitentiaries, military installations and 
similar institutions with separate storm sewers drainage area. Owners 
and/or operators of small MS4s that discharge storm water will be 
required to submit a NOI to EPA-CEPD to be covered by the general 
permit and will receive a written notification from EPA-CEPD of permit 
coverage and authorization to discharge under the general permit. The 
eligibility requirements are discussed in the permit. The municipality 
must meet the eligibility requirements of the permit prior to 
submission of the NOI. This general permit does not cover new sources 
as defined under 40 CFR 122.2. Publication of this final general permit 
and response to comments complies with the requirements of 40 Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR) 124.10.

DATES: The effective date of this permit is November 6, 2006. The 
permit will expire on November 7, 2011.
    Public Meeting Information: EPA--Region 2 has participated in 
several

[[Page 64953]]

conference meetings to provide information about the Storm Water Phase 
II program and its requirements. On September 28, 2006, CEPD offered a 
full day workshop on Small MS4 requirements and conditions from today's 
general permit. The workshop included a overview presentation on the 
storm water program, the conditions of the general permit under Phase 
2, the six minimum requirement that the Small MS4 must meet, tools/
resources and a question and answer session.
    Notification Requirements: General permits for storm water 
discharges associated with Small MS4s within an urbanized area require 
the submittal of a Notices of Intent (NOI) prior to the authorization 
of such discharges. Today's general permit establishes NOI requirements 
to be covered under this permit and must be sent to EPA-Region 2, 
Caribbean Environmental Protection Division, Centro Europa Building, 
Suite 417, 1492 Ponce de Leon Avenue, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00907-4127; 
Attn: Sergio Bosques. Municipios, including State departments of 
transportation (DOTs), public universities, penitentiaries, military 
installations and similar institutions, must submit an NOI and other 
required information by February 5, 2007. A discharger is not precluded 
from submitting an NOI at a later date. However, EPA may bring 
appropriate enforcement actions. The NOI is found in Appendix C of 
today's general permit and contains the following information:
    (1) Activities by the applicant that require obtaining an NPDES 
permit.
    (Suggestion: This item can be addressed by a statement such as: 
``The Applicant Name operates a municipal separate storm sewer system 
located in (city name)''.)
    (2) Name, mailing address, and location of the facility for which 
the application is submitted.
    (Suggestion: In the context of the MS4 permitting program, this 
item should list the name(s), title(s), affiliation(s), mailing 
address(es), and telephone number(s) of the operator(s) of the MS4(s).)
    (3) Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Code that reflects the 
service provided by the facility.
    (Suggestion: Generally speaking, the SIC code established by the 
Federal Office of Management and Budget for public administration/
general Federal, State or local government activities is 9199. For 
additional information on SIC codes, check the Occupational Safety and 
Health Administration's Web site at: http://www.osha.gov/cgi-bin/sic/sicser5.)
    (4) The operator name(s), address(es), telephone number(s), 
ownership status, and status as a Federal, State, local, tribal or 
other public entity.
    (Suggestion: This item should identify the names and titles of the 
primary administrative and/or technical staff contacts for the 
municipal operator(s), if different from item 2.)
    (5) A listing of any permits or construction approvals received or 
applied for under any of the following programs: Resource Conservation 
or Recovery Act; Underground Injection Control under the Safe Drinking 
Water Act; NPDES program under the Clean Water Act; Prevention of 
Significant Deterioration program under the Clean Air Act; 
Nonattainment program under the Clean Air Act; the National Emission 
Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants preconstruction approval under 
the Clean Air Act, Ocean Dumping Permits under the Marine Protection 
Research and Sanctuaries Act; Dredge or fill permits under section 404 
of the Clean Water Act; or other relevant environmental permits, 
including State permits.
    (6) A topographic map (or other map if a topographic map is 
unavailable) extending one mile beyond the property boundaries of the 
source, depicting the facility and each of its intake and discharge 
structures; each of its hazardous waste treatment, storage, or disposal 
facilities; each well where fluids from the facility are injected 
underground; and those wells, springs, other surface water bodies, and 
drinking water wells listed in public records or otherwise known to the 
applicant in the map area.
    (Suggestion: A map of the storm sewer system(s), showing the 
location of all outfalls and names and location of all waters of the 
United States that receive discharges from those outfalls, is most 
appropriate for fulfilling this requirement. If a map of such detail is 
not available, please include any reasonably available version of such 
a map and a schedule of when such a map will be available. (See 40 CFR 
122.34(b)(3)(ii)(A) for a description of the mapping requirement.))
    (7) A brief description of the nature of the business.
    (Suggestion: In the context of the MS4 permitting program, briefly 
describe the MS4 in terms of its general characteristics, such as: 
capacity, general operation, or other relevant information.)
    The following additional information is required as part of an 
NPDES application from regulated small MS4(s) according to 40 CFR 
122.33(b)(2)(i) and 40 CFR 122.34(d)(1):
    (8) An estimate of the square mileage served by the MS4(s);
    (9) Descriptions of the best management practices (BMPs) to be 
implemented by the applicant or another entity for each of the six 
storm water minimum control measures described in 40 CFR 122.34(b)(1) 
through (b)(6);
    (10) Descriptions of the measurable goals for each BMPs, including 
(as appropriate) the months and years in which the action will be 
taken, including interim milestones and the frequency of the action; 
and
    (11) The person(s) responsible for implementing or coordinating the 
applicant's storm water management program (SWMP).
    (Suggestion: Your description of the SWMP should identify those 
measures that are already in place or are underway, as well as measures 
that remain to be developed or implemented. As the operator of the MS4, 
you have the flexibility to determine the BMPs and measurable goals, 
for each minimum control measure, that are most appropriate for the 
system. It is not required that all BMPs be fully implemented and in 
place at the time of application. As stated in 40 CFR 122.34(a), EPA 
will require full implementation of the applicant's SWMP no later than 
the end of the first permit term (NPDES permits are typically issued 
for a 5 year period). The application package should fully summarize 
the SWMP that is anticipated for the area, and should acknowledge those 
BMPs that remain to be developed, including time lines and milestones 
for implementation.)
    Today's final general permit requires all regulated small MS4s to 
develop and implement a SWMP. Program components include, at a minimum, 
6 minimum measures to address: public education and outreach; public 
involvement; illicit discharge detection and elimination; construction 
site runoff control; post-construction storm water management in new 
development and redevelopment; and pollution prevention and good 
housekeeping of municipal operations. A regulated small MS4 is required 
to submit to CEPD the SWMP, and an electronic copy, including the BMPs 
to be implemented and the measurable goals for each of the minimum 
control measures listed above. After submitting the required NOI within 
February 5, 2007, the SWMP, including the electronic version must be 
submitted within August 3, 2007 to CEPD to the above address.
    After February 5, 2007, all notified Small MS4s will have 180 days 
of their notification to submit an NOI and

[[Page 64954]]

SWMP, including an electronic version of the information. This shall be 
also submitted to the address specified above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Additional information concerning the 
permit may be obtained between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, from: Sergio Bosques, 
Caribbean Environmental Protection Division, Environmental Protection 
Agency, Region 2, Centro Europa Building, Suite 417, 1492 Ponce de Leon 
Avenue, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00907-4127; telephone: 787-977-5838; e-
mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Statutory and Regulatory History

    Section 405 of the Water Quality Act of 1987 (WQA) added section 
402(p) of the Clean Water Act (CWA), which directed EPA to develop a 
phased approach to regulate storm water discharges under the NPDES 
program. EPA published a final regulation on the second phase of this 
program on December 9, 1999, in the Federal Register, establishing 
permit application requirements for ``storm water discharges associated 
with municipal separate storm sewer systems in urbanized areas''.
    EPA believes that this Phase 2 rule provides consistency in terms 
of program coverage and requirements for existing and newly designated 
sources. For example, the rule includes most of the municipal donut 
holes, those MS4s located in incorporated places, townships or towns 
with a population under 100,000 that are within Phase I counties. These 
MS4s were not addressed by the NPDES storm water program until the 
Phase 2 rule while MS4s in the surrounding county are addressed. In 
addition, the minimum control measures required in the Phase 2 rule for 
regulated small MS4s are very similar to a number of the permit 
requirements for medium and large MS4s under the storm water program. 
Following the Phase 2 rule, permit requirements for all regulated MS4s 
will require implementation of BMPs.

Organization of Today's Permit

    Today's permit covers storm water discharges from a wide variety of 
conveyances and/or systems within urbanized areas in Puerto Rico. 
Because the conditions which affect the presence of pollutants in storm 
water discharges vary among urbanized areas and watersheds, today's 
general permit provides broad discretion to the permittee to develop 
and implement a storm water management program and meet permit 
conditions. EPA believes that the flexibility provided in today's 
general permit facilitates watershed planning and compliance. Today's 
permit requires storm sewer system map, regulatory mechanism to prevent 
illicit discharges, plan to detect and address non-storm water 
discharges, education and measurable goals.

B. Executive Order 12866

    EPA has determined that this general permit is not a ``significant 
regulatory action'' under the terms of Executive Order 12866 and is 
therefore not subject to OMB review.

C. Paperwork Reduction Act

    EPA has reviewed the requirements imposed on regulated facilities 
resulting from the final construction general permit under the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq. The information 
collection requirements of this proposed permit are similar to other 
Regional general permits which were previously approved by the Office 
of Management and Budget under the provisions of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq., and assigned OMB control 
numbers. However, information collection requirements of this proposed 
small municipal separate storm sewer system general permit will be 
submitted to OMB for review and approval and will be published in a 
Federal Register notice.

D. Regulatory Flexibility Act

    The Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), 5 U.S.C. 601 et seq., 
requires that EPA prepare a regulatory flexibility analysis for rules 
subject to the requirements of 5 U.S.C. 553(b) that have a significant 
impact on a substantial number of small entities. The permit issued 
today, however, is not a ``rule'' subject to the requirements of 5 
U.S.C. 553(b) and is therefore not subject to the Regulatory 
Flexibility Act.

E. 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'' (defined to be the same as ``rules'' 
subject to the RFA) on State and local governments and the private 
sector. The permit issued today, however, is not a ``rule'' subject to 
the RFA and is therefore not subject to the requirements of UMRA.

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

    Dated: September 21, 2006.
Carl-Axel P. Soderberg,
Director, Caribbean Environmental Protection Division, Region 2.
 [FR Doc. E6-18643 Filed 11-3-06; 8:45 am]
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