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Geneva hears update on new Illinois EPA stormwater (MS4) permit and local steps
Summary
Consultant Dan Bounds told the council the Illinois EPA's revised MS4 permit requires new education targets, written spill-response procedures and quarterly facility inspections; he said most requirements are already part of the city's program and the city participates in the Fox River Study Group for monitoring.
Dan Bounds of Baxter & Woodman told the council the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency issued a new MS4 permit that became effective Aug. 1 and added several requirements the city must document and implement.
"IEPA has released a new permit with a new set of requirements," Bounds said, and he summarized key program elements: targeted public education for residents and businesses, written procedures to track and respond to spills or illicit discharges, more detailed documentation for street sweeping and catchbasin cleaning, and a new quarterly inspection requirement at city-owned facilities.
Bounds said the city already meets many elements of the program and participates in regional monitoring through the Fox River Study Group to satisfy water-quality monitoring requirements. He described the quarterly checks required by the new permit as self-inspections: "The new permit is requiring at least quarterly getting to each facility that owner operates and do a storm water pollution prevention inspection at it," Bounds said, adding that documentation is needed so the city can produce evidence if audited by IEPA.
Councilmembers asked how the new documentation requirements affect private property. "It really is both," Bounds said, explaining the city must document public programs for landscape-waste handling and prioritize public-works efforts while also providing outreach to residents and businesses about proper disposal to keep pollutants out of the separate storm-drain system.
The consultant also noted the city maintains an online stormwater section with the management plan, the notice of intent, and annual reports filed with IEPA. For questions and further information, Bounds directed residents to contact the public works department and the city's stormwater web resources.
The presentation closed with council questions about the nature of the inspections and the level of documentation required for sweeping and catchbasin maintenance, and Bounds said staff will integrate the new requirements into the city's stormwater management plan and reporting.
