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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2021 - 2022
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | November 29, 2021 11:10 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Barbara Gleim |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Helping local communities and businesses better comply with federal municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4) standards. |
| In the near future, I plan on introducing legislation to help local communities and businesses better comply with federal municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4) standards. The Storm Water Management Act (Act 167 of 1978) requires municipalities to prepare and adopt a watershed storm water management plan for each watershed located in the municipality. Pennsylvania has implemented MS4 stormwater requirements since 2004 by requiring certain municipalities to have five-year MS4 permits. The latest round of MS4 permits requires a pollutant reduction plan (PRP) in order to reduce discharges from the storm sewer systems into streams. This has added more costs to municipalities which ultimately becomes an additional financial burden to the individual taxpayer through fees levied supporting the MS4 program requirements. Under current federal and state law the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regulates and manages MS4 compliancy. The DEP has established total maximum daily loads for all pollutants identified as preventing attainment of water quality standards. Pollutant loads are calculated on the land used in the planning area by utilizing modeling and monitoring tools. Unfortunately, modeling cannot always reflect the reality and degree pollutant levels are within impaired waters, nor does it consider current best practices already in place. My legislation would allow for active water test results to be submitted to DEP to show local communities and businesses are compliant with federal EPA water standards. Please join me in co-sponsoring this much needed legislation. |
Introduced as HB2331