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COLORADO STORMWATER PROGRAM z/02 <br />FACI'SHF.ET <br />Ott November 16, 1990, EPA issued a final regulation on the control of stonnwater from municipal and industrial <br />stormwater discharges. The stormwater program is under the NPDES (National Pollutant Dischazge Elimination <br />System) part of the Clean Water Act. The regulation is meant to reduce the amount of pollutants entering streams, <br />lakes and rivers as a result of runoff from residential, commercial and industrial areas. The regulation (40 CFR 122.26) <br />covers specific types of industries, and storm sewer systems for municipalities with more than 100,000 population. <br />)n Colorado, the program is under the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, Water Quality Control <br />Division. (The Colorado program is refereed to as the Colotado Discharge Permit System, or CDPS, instead of <br />NPDES.) <br />THE STORMWATER PROGRAM -PHASE I <br />The program is currently operating under Phase I of the regulations. The regulation for Phase II was finalized in <br />March 2001. A summary of the Phase II regulation begins on page 3. <br />1. MUMCIPALITIES -PHASE I <br />Under Colorado's progtstn, Denver, Aurora, Lakewood, Colorado Springs, and CDOT are currently covered by the <br />municipal permitting process. All other municipalities less than 100,000 population have been under a temporary <br />exemption, but as explained below, may be brought in during Phase II of the program, <br />Municipalities in Phase [ had a two-step application process. Part I required an inventory of all their outfalls. It also <br />included a substantial amount of monitoring, and gathering information about existing programs that control <br />stormwater quality. <br />In Part II of the municipal application, the cities developed a Stotmwater Management Program. in general, this <br />included controls on cross-connections and illicit discharges to the storm sewer system, developing policy on such <br />things as street sweeping, roadway deicing, erosion control during construction, etc., and establishing along-term <br />monitoring program. It also involved developing educational programs, such as one to raise the awareness level of <br />residents about where their used oil or antifreeze goes if they dump it in the storm drain. <br />2. INDUSTRIES -PHASE I <br />Industrial facilities which discharge industrial stormwater either directly to surface waters or indirectly, through <br />municipal separate storm sewers, must be covered by a permit. The industries covered by the program include most <br />manufacturers, mining, transportation facilities, power plants, landfills, auto recyclers, and construction projects that <br />disturb five or more acres of land. (See Appendix A for a complete list of covered industries.) <br />A. Exemptiou for Small Mumicipalities <br />During Phase [ of the program, under the industrial portion, there is now a temporary exemption for industrial <br />facilities owned or opetated by municipalities with less than 100,000 population (small municipalities). This <br />designation also includes counties with below 100,000 population. (These facilities are not permanently <br />exempted from the regulation. See Phase 1[, Section 2.B, below.) <br />Stormwater discharges associated with industrial activity (except for airports, powerplants, or uncontrolled <br />sanitary landfills), that are owned or operated by a small municipality are mot required to apply for or obtain a <br />stotmwater permit at this time. So, for example, a small municipality would not <br />