Water: Ten Water Compliance Issues

Mid-America Environmental Compliance Conference April 2, 2014

EPA National Enforcement Initiatives FY2014-2016

• “Keep Raw Sewage and Contaminated Stormwater Out of Our Nations Waters”

• “Preventing Animal Waste from Contaminating Surface and Groundwater”

Water: Ten Water Compliance Issues#1 – Stormwater

• Sample Collection/Analytical Parameters/Flow–Preparation• Containers, Hold Times, CoC, Method

• Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP)– Install Best Management Practices (BMPs)– Inspect BMPs–Assess effectiveness/benchmarks

• Inspection Logs, Updates, and Training

Water: Ten Water Compliance Issues#2 – “The Draft Permit”

• Understand the Draft Permit– Read All of the Draft Permit including the Standard

Conditions, Fact Sheet, etc.– Evaluate the impact• Effluent limits• Schedules of compliance• Sampling parameters, and monitoring frequency

• Does the Permit “Make Sense” for my Facility• Comment/Feedback to the Agency on the Draft

Water: Ten Water Compliance Issues#3 – “The Final Permit”

• Conditions (“Read ‘em again)• Schedule of Compliance– Interim Reporting on Progress

• Effluent Limits–Outfall• Stormwater

– Sampling Frequency, Type (grab, composite)

Water: Ten Water Compliance Issues#3 – “The Final Permit”

• Sampling Parameters–Metals, Conventional Pollutants–Whole Effluent Toxicity (acute/chronic)

• Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP)– Inspections, Best Management Practices

(BMP), Modification• Reporting

Water: Ten Water Compliance Issues#4 – Resources

• Adequate Infrastructure–Asset Assessment (lifecycle, replacement

cost, inflation)– Replacement – Regular/Systematic/Planned

• Operation & Maintenance–Regular/Systematic/Planned

• Training

Water: Ten Water Compliance Issues#5 – Recordkeeping

• What’s required?–Permit, Regulations, Guidance–How Long? Where?

• Operating Record–Bypass/Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO)– Facility Inspections • SWPPP

–Organized, Accessible, Up-to-Date

Water: Ten Water Compliance Issues#6 – Facility Inspections (…no not the

regulators)

• Scheduled/Routine– SWPPP (e.g. Quarterly, Annually)– Equipment– Sampling

• Document Deficiencies/Return to Compliance–Checks and Balance (use different staff)– Tracking–Records Accessible

Water: Ten Water Compliance Issues#7 – Reporting

• Bypasses (unplanned)/SSOs– Timeframes/Information

• Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMRs)– Sampling/Measurement Frequency–Reporting Frequency

(e.g.monthly/quarterly)–Concentration vs. Mass

• Sampling at the Outfall (Report All Results)

Water: Ten Water Compliance Issues#8 – Sampling

• Analytical Methods– Detection Limits vs. Effluent Limits– Hold Times, Sample Volumes

• Sampling Equipment– Sample bottles, kits, chain of custody– Coordinate with Lab

• Quality Assurance/Quality Control• Stormwater – Challenging Conditions, Sample

Techniques, Flow Determinations

Water: Ten Water Compliance Issues#9 – Communication

• Avoid “The Cover-Up” Mindset• Don’t Just Communicate “The Bad Stuff”• Routine/Regular–Conferences are a good platform for

establishing dialogue• Effective/Accurate – “NOT ALARMING”• Neighbors

Water: Ten Water Compliance Issues#10 – Failure to Plan

• New Regulations• New Sources/New Processes/New Industries

(e.g. products, technologies)• Flow Increases• Permitting Additional Loading -

Antidegradation

Questions, Thanks & Contact Info

Rob Morrison, P.E.Barr Engineering Co.

1001 Diamond Ridge, Suite 1100Jefferson City, MO

573-638-5025rmorrison@barr.com