2020 MS4 General Permit Section 21 MCM 6: Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping For Municipal Operations

Section 21 MCM 6: Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping For Municipal Operations

21.1

MCM 6: Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping For Municipal Operations. [Minn. R. 7090]

21.2

New permittees must develop and implement, and existing permittees must revise their current program, as necessary, and continue to implement, an operations and maintenance program that prevents or reduces the discharge of pollutants to the MS4 from permittee owned/operated facilities and operations. The permittee must incorporate Section 21 requirements into their program. [Minn. R. 7090]

21.3

The permittee must maintain a written or mapped inventory of permittee owned/operated facilities that contribute pollutants to stormwater discharges. The permittee must implement BMPs that prevent or reduce pollutants in stormwater discharges from all inventoried facilities. Facilities to be inventoried may include, but is not limited to:

a. composting;

b. equipment storage and maintenance;

c. hazardous waste disposal;

d. hazardous waste handling and transfer;

e. landfills;

f. solid waste handling and transfer;

g. parks;

h. pesticide storage;

i. public parking lots;

j. public golf courses;

k. public swimming pools;

l. public works yards;

m. recycling;

n. salt storage;

o. snow storage;

p. vehicle storage and maintenance (e.g., fueling and washing) yards; and

q. materials storage yards. [Minn. R. 7090]

21.4

The permittee must implement BMPs that prevent or reduce pollutants in stormwater discharges from the following municipal operations that may contribute pollutants to stormwater discharges, where applicable:

a. waste disposal and storage, including dumpsters;

b. management of temporary and permanent stockpiles of materials such as street sweepings, snow, sand and sediment removal piles (e.g., effective sediment controls at the base of stockpiles on the downgradient perimeter);

c. vehicle fueling, washing, and maintenance;

d. routine street and parking lot sweeping;

e. emergency response;

f. cleaning of maintenance equipment, building exteriors, dumpsters, and the disposal of associated waste and wastewater;

g. use, storage, and disposal of significant materials;

h. landscaping, park, and lawn maintenance;

i. road maintenance, including pothole repair, road shoulder maintenance, pavement marking, sealing, and repaving;

j. right-of-way maintenance, including mowing; and

k. application of herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers. [Minn. R. 7090]

21.5

The permittee must implement the following BMPs at permittee owned/operated salt storage areas:

a. cover or store salt indoors;

b. store salt on an impervious surface; and

c. implement practices to reduce exposure when transferring material from salt storage areas (e.g., sweeping, diversions, and/or containment). [Minn. R. 7090]

21.6

The permittee must implement a written snow and ice management policy for individuals that perform winter maintenance activities for the permittee. The policy must establish practices and procedures for snow and ice control operations (e.g., plowing or other snow removal practices, sand use, and application of deicing compounds). [Minn. R. 7090]

21.7

Each calendar year, the permittee must ensure all individuals that perform winter maintenance activities for the permittee receive training that includes:

a. the importance of protecting water quality;

b. BMPs to minimize the use of deicers (e.g., proper calibration of equipment and benefits of pretreatment, pre-wetting, and anti-icing); and

c. tools and resources to assist in winter maintenance (e.g., deicing application rate guidelines, calibration charts, Smart Salting Assessment Tool).

The permittee may use training materials from the Agency's Smart Salting training or other organizations to meet this requirement. [Minn. R. 7090]

21.8

The permittee must maintain written procedures for the purpose of determining the TSS and TP treatment effectiveness of all permittee owned/operated ponds constructed and used for the collection and treatment of stormwater. [Minn. R. 7090]

21.9

The permittee must inspect structural stormwater BMPs (excluding stormwater ponds, which are under a separate schedule below) each calendar year to determine structural integrity, proper function, and maintenance needs unless the permittee determines either of the following conditions apply:

a. complaints received or patterns of maintenance indicate a greater frequency is necessary; or

b. maintenance or sediment removal is not required after completion of the first two calendar year inspections; in which case the permittee may reduce the frequency of inspections to once every two (2) calendar years. [Minn. R. 7090]

21.10

Prior to the expiration date of the General Permit, the permittee must conduct at least one inspection of all ponds and outfalls (excluding underground outfalls) in order to determine structural integrity, proper function, and maintenance needs. [Minn. R. 7090]

21.11

Based on inspection findings, the permittee must determine if repair, replacement, or maintenance measures are necessary in order to ensure the structural integrity and proper function of structural stormwater BMPs and outfalls. The permittee must complete necessary maintenance as soon as possible. If the permittee determines necessary maintenance cannot be completed within one year of discovery, the permittee must document a schedule(s) for completing the maintenance. [Minn. R. 7090]

21.12

The permittee must implement a stormwater management training program commensurate with individual's responsibilities as they relate to the permittee's SWPPP, including reporting and assessment activities. The permittee may use training materials from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), state and regional agencies, or other organizations as appropriate to meet this requirement. The training program must:

a. address the importance of protecting water quality;

b. cover the requirements of the permit relevant to the responsibilities of the individual not already addressed in items 18.8, 18.9, 19.11, 20.18, and 21.7; and

c. include a schedule that establishes initial training for individuals, including new and/or seasonal employees, and recurring training intervals to address changes in procedures, practices, techniques, or requirements. [Minn. R. 7090]

21.13

The permittee must document the following information associated with the operations and maintenance program:

a. date(s) and description of findings, including whether or not an illicit discharge is detected, for all inspections conducted in accordance with items 21.9 and 21.10;

b. any adjustments to inspection frequency as authorized in item 21.9;

c. date(s) and a description of maintenance conducted as a result of inspection findings, including whether or not an illicit discharge is detected;

d. schedule(s) for maintenance of structural stormwater BMPs and outfalls as required in item 21.11; and

e. stormwater management training events, including general subject matter covered, names and departments of individuals in attendance, and date of each event. [Minn. R. 7090]

21.14

The permittee must document pond sediment excavation and removal activities, including:

a. a unique ID number and geographic coordinates of each stormwater pond from which sediment is removed;

b. the volume (e.g., cubic yards) of sediment removed from each stormwater pond;

c. results from any testing of sediment from each removal activity; and

d. location(s) of final disposal of sediment from each stormwater pond. [Minn. R. 7090]

21.15

The permittee must conduct an annual assessment of the operations and maintenance program to evaluate program compliance, the status of achieving the measurable requirements in Section 21, and determine how the program might be improved. Measurable requirements are activities that must be documented or tracked as applicable to the MCM (e.g., inventory, trainings, inspections, maintenance activities, etc.). The permittee must perform the annual assessment prior to completion of each annual report and document any modifications made to the program as a result of the annual assessment. [Minn. R. 7090]