[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 137 (Thursday, July 17, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 41688]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-16809]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-9913-86-Region-1]
Notice of Availability of Draft NPDES General Permits MAG07000
and NHG07000 for Discharges From Dewatering Activities in the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of New Hampshire: The
Dewatering General Permit (DGP)
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of Availability of Draft NPDES General Permits MAG07000
and NHG07000.
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SUMMARY: The Director of the Office of Ecosystem Protection, EPA-New
England, is providing a notice of availability of draft National
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) general permits for
dewatering activity discharges to certain waters of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts and the State of New Hampshire. These General Permits
replace the Dewatering General Permits, which expired on September 30,
2013.
DATES: Comment on the draft general permits must be received on or
before August 18, 2014.
Public Hearing Information: EPA will hold a public hearing, if
necessary, 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 administrative record.
ADDRESSES: Comments on the draft general permits shall be submitted by
one of the following methods:
(1) Email: [email protected] or
(2) Mail: Victor Alvarez, U.S. EPA--Region 1, 5 Post Office
Square--Suite 100, Mail Code OEP06-4, Boston, MA 02109-3912. No
facsimiles (faxes) will be accepted.
The draft permit is based on an administrative record available for
public review at EPA--Region 1, Office of Ecosystem Protection, 5 Post
Office Square--Suite 100, Boston, Massachusetts 02109-3912. A
reasonable fee may be charged for copying requests. The facts sheet for
the draft general permit sets forth principal facts and the significant
factual, legal, methodological and policy questions considered in the
development of the draft permit and is available upon request. A brief
summary is provided as SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Additional information concerning the
draft General Permits may be obtained between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5
p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, from Victor Alvarez,
Office of Ecosystem Protection, 5 Post Office Square--Suite 100,
Boston, MA 02109-3912; telephone: 617-918-1572; email:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA is proposing to reissue two draft
general permits for the discharge of uncontaminated water from
construction dewatering intrusion and/or stormwater accumulation from
sites that disturb less than one acre of land and short and long term
dewatering of foundation sumps. While the draft general permits are two
distinct permits, for convenience, EPA has grouped them together in a
single document and has provided a single fact sheet for the two draft
general permits. This document refers to the draft general ``permit''
in the singular. The draft general permit, appendices and fact sheet
are available at: http://www.epa.gov/region1/npdes/dewatering.html.
The draft General Permit establishes Notice of Intent (NOI)
requirements, effluent limitations, standards, prohibitions, and
management practices for facilities with construction dewatering of
groundwater intrusion and/or storm water accumulation from sites less
than one acre and short-term and long-term dewatering of foundation
sumps. The draft permit includes effluent limitations based on best
professional judgment (BPJ) and water quality considerations. When EPA
has not promulgated effluent limitations for a category of discharges,
or if an operator discharges a pollutant not covered by an effluent
limitation guideline, effluent limitations may be based on the BPJ of
the agency or permit writer. The BPJ limits in the general permit are
in the form of non-numeric control measures, commonly referred to as
best management practices (BMPs). The effluent limits established in
the draft permit assures that the surface water quality standards of
the receiving water are protected, maintained and/or attained.
Discharges that contain pollutants in quantities which represent
reasonable potential to cause or contribute to violations of water
quality standards will not be granted coverage under this general
permit. Those dischargers must either apply for an individual permit or
seek coverage under EPA's Remediation General Permit.
Other Legal Requirements
Endangered Species Act (ESA)
The provisions related to the ESA have be updated from the 2008
general permit and new species of concern have been added. EPA has
requested concurrence from the appropriate federal services (U.S Fish
and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service) in
connection with this draft permit.
Authority: This action is being taken under the Clean Water Act,
33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.
Dated: June 19, 2014.
H. Curtis Spalding,
Regional Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2014-16809 Filed 7-16-14; 8:45 am]
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