Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Stormwater topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning board directs staff to draft stormwater rules after MS4 compliance briefing
Summary
After a presentation from Weston & Sampson on MS4 permit obligations and recent EPA outreach, the Town of Blackstone planning board voted to have staff and consultants draft stormwater rules and regulations to accelerate compliance and report a schedule to EPA.
Doree Schwartz of Weston & Sampson told the Town of Blackstone Planning Board that the town is not fully compliant with the later iterations of the EPA’s MS4 stormwater permit and outlined steps the town can take to close gaps.
"We're currently in permit year 6," Schwartz said, explaining the permit’s history and obligations. She told the board the town has made progress — it adopted chapter 110 (stormwater management and land disturbance bylaw) in 2011 — but additional regulatory updates and supporting rules are needed, in part because the Blackstone River is listed as impaired for phosphorus and total suspended solids.
The consultant recommended the town draft a short set of rules and regulations that can be updated administratively rather than relying only on bylaw changes (which require town meeting), and to align the work with the town's annual MS4 reporting cycle. Schwartz said EPA had contacted town staff and asked for a schedule showing when the town can adopt the rules and regulations needed for compliance.
Board members reviewed funding options and the expected workload. The planning board discussed town funding already appropriated for compliance work and potential grant or SRF loan opportunities. Board members asked that the draft rules be circulated to Gino Carlucci (board consultant) and Steve (town consultant) for review. The board also discussed timing: Schwartz had floated a September target tied to the town's annual MS4 report but the group settled on a later, conservative schedule and asked the consultants to recommend a date they can meet; the consultant agreed to propose a target in follow‑up communications.
After discussion, the board made a motion to move forward with developing rules and regulations and to coordinate a schedule with EPA; the motion passed by voice vote. The planning board directed staff and Weston & Sampson to prepare a draft rules and regulations document, circulate it to Gino and Steve for comment, and return to the board for review and a public hearing schedule.
Next steps: consultants will provide the draft rules and regulations to the planning board and the board will advertise public meetings for review, with the intention of adopting the new rules ahead of a future bylaw revision at town meeting.
Sources: Remarks and Q&A with Doree Schwartz, Weston & Sampson (presentation to planning board).
