FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - March 28, 2002 02-044

Industrial stormwater permits to be revised, reissued

OLYMPIA -- As the result of a legal settlement, the Department of Ecology is preparing to revise and reissue stormwater permits for about 1,200 industrial facilities in Washington.

The "industrial stormwater general permit" describes measures that industrial facilities must take to keep their stormwater runoff from polluting streams and aquifers. The permit usually is updated every five years, but environmentalists felt the 2000 update was not stringent enough and sued to force changes.

Some of the revisions called for in the draft permit include:

• * Stormwater sampling, analysis and reporting is required.
• * Mixing zones (the area where discharges and streams merge) are defined.
• * Compliance with water-quality standards is required.
• * Light industry must either apply for a stormwater permit or prove they don't need it.
• * Facilities owned or operated by municipalities are not exempt from obtaining the permit.

The department will accept public comments on the draft permit from March 29 through May 17. People may submit comments in writing via fax or mail (see below), or verbally at one of six public hearings. All of the hearings will begin at 1:30 p.m.

• * Tacoma on Monday, May 6, at Bates Technical College auditorium, 1101 S. Yakima Ave.
• * Mt. Vernon on Tuesday, May 7, at Dept. of Social & Health Services, Skagit & Snohomish rooms, 900 E. College Way.
• * Spokane on Thursday, May 9, at Spokane Co. Cooperative Extension, Rm. B, N. 222 Havana.
• * Yakima on Friday, May 10, at Dept. of Ecology, 15 W. Yakima Ave.
• * Bellevue on Monday, May 13, at Dept. of Ecology, 3190 160th Ave. S.E.
• * Vancouver on Tuesday, May 14, at Dept. of Social & Health Services, DCS Conference Rm., 5411 E. Mill Plain Blvd. (Town Plaza Mall)

Information about the permit is available on Ecology's Web site at www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/stormwater/ or by contacting Keith Johnson (360-407-6442 or kjoh461@ecy.wa.gov).

Written comments may be mailed to Keith Johnson, Department of Ecology, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, Wash., 98504-7600, or faxed to him at 360-407-6426.

Comments must be received by Ecology no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, May 17.

This page created and maintained by Chehalis River Council
Send comments or questions to the: Chehalis River Council