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Town of Blackstone planning board adopts stormwater rules to meet EPA MS4 timeline
Summary
The Planning Board voted to adopt updated stormwater rules and regulations intended to bring the town into compliance with its 2016 MS4 permit and an EPA deadline of Dec. 13; the board closed the public hearing and directed staff to return with bylaw updates before town meeting.
The Town of Blackstone Planning Board voted to adopt updated stormwater rules and regulations intended to help the town comply with requirements of its 2016 MS4 permit, the board said.
Jerry Schwartz of Weston & Sampson, the engineering firm that drafted the regulations, told the board the rules were prepared after discussions with the EPA and other stakeholders and that the agency set a December 13 deadline for adoption of the regulations so the town could demonstrate supporting rules are in place. "These are being developed ... to help the town comply with the requirements of their 2016 MS4 permit," Schwartz said during his presentation.
The board opened a public hearing on the rules, heard no public comment, and moved to close the hearing. A motion to adopt the updated stormwater rules and regulations was made and approved. Board members praised the updated provisions and thanked Weston & Sampson and DPW staff for their work. The board noted it will continue work to update the stormwater management bylaw itself and expects to return those bylaw amendments before town meeting.
The action aims to align local regulation with the town's MS4 obligations, which govern stormwater discharges from municipal separate storm sewer systems and require construction and post-construction controls. The board recorded the vote to adopt the rules and requested the consultant provide final documents for transmission to the EPA once signed and recorded.
Next steps: staff and Weston & Sampson will finalize the supporting documents and continue work on bylaw language the board must approve at a future meeting and present at town meeting. The board's adoption of regulations does not itself change the stormwater bylaw; that bylaw update is planned for a future town-meeting vote.
