What is NPDES Phase II?
After the Cuyahoga River caught on fire in 1969, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized that the degraded quality of U.S. waterways due to pollution was in need of some serious attention. In 1972 the Clean Water Act was passed, which regulated the emission of pollutants from specific locations, or point sources (i.e., industrial pipes), into Waters of the U.S.
While the quality of our Nation’s waters began to improve drastically with the regulation of point source pollutants, polluted waterbodies still existed. As was discovered, preventing pollution from point sources was not enough to ensure clean water. This is because many pollutants enter our waterways indirectly as runoff from impervious surfaces. When these nonpoint pollutants flow through our stormwater systems and out into our rivers and lakes, they degrade the quality of our waterways. According to the 2000 National Water Quality Inventory, a biennial summary of State surveys of water quality, approximately 40% percent of surveyed U.S. waterbodies were still impaired by pollution and did not meet water quality standards. The EPA proclaimed, “18% of impaired rivers, 21% of impaired lake acres, and 32% of impaired estuaries are affected by urban/suburban stormwater runoff.”
The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase I was formulated in 1990 under the Clean Water Act to address this issue of polluted runoff, or nonpoint source pollution. Nonpoint source pollution is defined as pollution that comes from many different sources over a large area, and it is generated when rain or snowmelt collects impurities as it travels to a body of water. Nonpoint source pollution is tranpsorted by stormwater runoff commonly through a Muncipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) consisting of storm drains, pipes, and ditches. An MS4 is a conveyance system for stormwater (often untreated) that discharges into local waterbodies. To prevent harmful pollutants from being washed or dumped into MS4s, NPDES Phase I requires medium and large cities or certain counties with populations of 100,000 or more to obtain NPDES permit coverage for their stormwater discharges. The NPDES Phase I program was also designed to regulate stormwater runoff discharges on construction sites that disturb 5 or more acres of property.
In 1999 the United State Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) expanded the NPDES stormwater program by designating additional sources of stormwater for regulation to protect water quality. This new, expanded program is the Stormwater Phase II Final Rule, which extends coverage of the NPDES stormwater program to include small MS4s and small construction activities.
A small MS4 is any MS4 not already covered by Phase I and is located in, as defind by the Census Bureau, an urbanized area (UA). Small MS4s not located in a UA may also be covered on a case-by-case basis by a NPDES permitting authority. Phase II automatically covers small construction activities disturbing between 1 and 5 acres of land. Site activites disturbing less than one (1) acre are also regulated as small construction activities if they are part of a larger common plan of development or are designated by the NPDES permitting authority.
Whether the nonpoint source pollution is sediment runoff from a construction site or pesticide runoff from a cornfield, it impairs the quality of our waterways and thus the habitat and the resources within that habitat that many animals rely on for survival.
For more information on NPDES Phase II and the permit process check out the Ohio EPA website:
https://epa.ohio.gov/divisions-and-offices/surface-water/permitting/npdes-general-permits
What does this mean for Geauga County?
With this extended focus on urban sources of water pollution comes the added provisions of NPDES Phase II. Small municipalities (any MS4 not already covered in the Phase I program) or designated UAs will be required to develop a stormwater program that implements six minimum control measures based on a Best Management Practices (BMP) approach. These measures include: 1) Public Education and Outreach, 2) Public Participation and Involvement, 3) Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, 4) Construction Site Runoff Control, 5) Post-Construction Runoff Control, and 6) Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping.
All construction occurring in townships in Geauga County will be affected by the construction activity segment of the NPDES Phase II Regulations. Upon implementation sites greater than one acre will be regulated for erosion and sediment control. Zoning in Geauga County allows for very few sites of less than one acre due to septic system requirements. This will increase the amount of sites currently regulated significantly, and hopefully reduce the amount of sediment as a form of nonpoint source pollution that enters our streams and rivers.
All construction occurring in townships in Geauga County will be affected by the construction activity segment of the NPDES Phase II Regulations. Upon implementation sites greater than one acre will be regulated for erosion and sediment control. Zoning in Geauga County allows for very few sites of less than one acre due to septic system requirements. This will increase the amount of sites currently regulated significantly, and hopefully reduce the amount of sediment as a form of nonpoint source pollution that enters our streams and rivers.
What is Geauga SWCDs role?
The District has worked closely with the County and each of the affected communities in writing the Storm Water Management Plan, the implementation process and annual reporting. Initially each Phase 2 community which included Bainbridge, Chester and Russell Townships, South Russell Village and Geauga County submitted separate permits and had separate plans. As of 2009, the townships have joined as co-permittees with Geauga County.
Geauga SWCD provides services that assist the County in meeting all six minimum control measures. Minimum Control Measures 1, 2, 4 and 5 are almost exclusively provided by Geauga SWCD while Minimum Control Measure 6 we provide assistance to the Phase 2 communities.
Geauga SWCD prepares the Operational Plans and Annual Reports as can be viewed below. Geauga County Plans Stormwater Management Program for Geauga County Geauga County and Townships Facilities/Operations Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping Program Plan
Annual Reports 2021 Geauga County Ohio EPA NPDES Annual Report 2020 Geauga County Ohio EPA NPDES Annual Report
Geauga SWCD provides services that assist the County in meeting all six minimum control measures. Minimum Control Measures 1, 2, 4 and 5 are almost exclusively provided by Geauga SWCD while Minimum Control Measure 6 we provide assistance to the Phase 2 communities.
Geauga SWCD prepares the Operational Plans and Annual Reports as can be viewed below. Geauga County Plans Stormwater Management Program for Geauga County Geauga County and Townships Facilities/Operations Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping Program Plan
Annual Reports 2021 Geauga County Ohio EPA NPDES Annual Report 2020 Geauga County Ohio EPA NPDES Annual Report