2020 MS4 General Permit Section 17 MCM 2: Public Participation/Involvement 2020 MS4 General Permit Section 17 MCM 2: Public Participation/Involvement

Section 17 MCM 2: Public Participation/Involvement

17.1

MCM 2: Public Participation/Involvement. [Minn. R. 7090]

17.2

New permittees must develop and implement, and existing permittees must revise their current program, as necessary, and continue to implement, a Public Participation/Involvement program to solicit public input on the SWPPP and involve the public in activities that improve or protect water quality. The permittee must incorporate Section 17 requirements into their program. [Minn. R. 7090]

17.3

Each calendar year, the permittee must provide a minimum of one (1) opportunity for the public to provide input on the adequacy of the SWPPP. The permittee may conduct a public meeting(s) to satisfy this requirement, provided appropriate local public notice requirements are followed and the public is given the opportunity to review and comment on the SWPPP. [Minn. R. 7090]

17.4

The permittee must provide access to the SWPPP Document, annual reports, and other documentation that supports or describes the SWPPP (e.g., regulatory mechanism(s), etc.) for public review, upon request. All public data requests are subject to the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, Minn. Stat. 13. [Minn. Stat. 13]

17.5

The permittee must consider oral and written input regarding the SWPPP submitted by the public to the permittee. [Minn. R. 7090]

17.6

Each calendar year, the permittee must provide a minimum of one (1) public involvement activity that includes a pollution prevention or water quality theme (e.g., rain barrel distribution event, rain garden workshop, cleanup event, storm drain stenciling, volunteer water quality monitoring, adopt a storm drain program, household hazardous waste collection day, etc.). [Minn. R. 7090]

17.7

The permittee must document the following information:

a. all relevant written input submitted by persons regarding the SWPPP;

b. all responses from the permittee to written input received regarding the SWPPP, including any modifications made to the SWPPP as a result of the written input received;

c. date(s), location(s), and estimated number of participants at events held for purposes of compliance with item 17.3;

d. notices provided to the public of any events scheduled to meet item 17.3, including any electronic correspondence (e.g., website, e-mail distribution lists, notices, etc.); and

e. date(s), location(s), description of activities, and estimated number of participants at events held for the purpose of compliance with item 17.6 [Minn. R. 7090]

17.8

The permittee must conduct an annual assessment of the Public Participation/Involvement program to evaluate program compliance, the status of achieving the measurable requirements in Section 17, 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., public input and involvement opportunities, 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]