[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 75 (Monday, April 20, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21716-21717]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-09015]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9926-45-Region-1]


Notice of Availability of Final NPDES General Permits MAG070000 
And NHG070000 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).

[[Page 21717]]


ACTION: Notice of Availability of Final NPDES General Permits MAG070000 
And NHG070000.

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SUMMARY: The Director of the Office of Ecosystem Protection, EPA-New 
England, is providing a notice of availability of final 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 (DGP), which expired on 
September 30, 2013.

DATES: The DGP will be effective May 20, 2015 and will expire five 
years from the effective date. In accordance with 40 CFR part 23, this 
permit shall be considered issued for the purpose of judicial review on 
May 4, 2015. Under section 509(b) of the Clean Water Act, judicial 
review can be had by filing a petition for review in the United States 
Court of Appeals within 120 days after the permit is considered issued 
for purposes of judicial review. Under section 509(b)(2) of the Clean 
Water Act, the requirements in this permit may not be challenged later 
in civil or criminal proceedings to enforce these requirements. In 
addition, this permit may not be challenged in other agency 
proceedings.

ADDRESSES:  The required notice of intent (NOI) information to obtain 
permit coverage is provided in the DGP. This information shall be 
submitted to EPA. NOIs may be submitted electronically or via mail at 
the addresses provided below:
    (1) Email: [email protected].
    (2) Mail: Victor Alvarez, U.S. EPA--Region 1, 5 Post Office 
Square--Suite 100, Mail Code OEP06-4, Boston, MA 02109-3912.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Additional information concerning the 
final 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 reissuing two 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 final 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 final general ``permit'' in the singular. The 
final general permit, appendices and fact sheet are available at: 
http://www.epa.gov/region1/npdes/dewatering.html.
    The 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 ESA provisions have been updated from the 2008 general permit 
and new species of concern have been added. EPA has received 
concurrence from U.S Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine 
Fisheries Service in connection with this final permit.

    Authority:  This action is being taken under the Clean Water 
Act, 33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.

    Dated: March 31, 2015.
H. Curtis Spalding,
Regional Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2015-09015 Filed 4-17-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P