United States Office of Water EPA 821-F-09-003 Environmental Protection 4303T May 2010

A gency


# Fact Sheet

Proposed Information Collection Request: Stormwater Management Including Discharges from Developed Sites

Summary

The U.S. Environmental Protection A gency (EPA) has submitted a proposed Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. EPA is seeking appr oval to distribute multiple mandatory questionnaires under the authorit y of the Clean Water Act to inform a rulemaking to strengthen national stormwater regulations and to estab lish a comprehensive program

to reduce stormwater dischar ges from developed sites. This is the second opportunity for public comment on the proposed questionnaires, which EPA revised to address comments received during the first Federal Register comment period that ended on December 30, 2009.

Background on Stormwater

Developed sites, such as subdivisions and commercial shopping centers, can significantly alter the hydrology of the site and can have a negative impact on receiving waterbodies.

Generally, as sites ar e developed, there is

an increase in area s where water cannot soak into the ground (i .e. impervious areas) leading to increases in stormwater volume.

This additional stormw ater volume, as well as the introduction of pollutants such as fertilizers and deposi tion of vehicle emissions, contributes to increased stormwater impacts. Development and redevelopment can also significantly reduce groundwater recharge , leading to lower

water tables and a redu ction in local stream

levels between storms.

In December 2009, EPA announced a proposed rulemaking to strengthen its stormwater program and to further reduce the impact of long term stormwater discharges from developed sites. Proposed Questionnaires

EPA will use the inform ation collected in the proposed questionnaires to inform its stormwater rulemaking.

The mandatory questionnaires will be sent to owners and developers of newly and redeveloped sites; owners and operators of municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s); State, county, and local Departments of Transportation (DOTs) and NPDES Permitting Authorities.

EPA developed a short and long version of the Owner/Developer questionnaires. Both are designed to gather information on building and real estate improvement projects, long term stormwater management and controls associated with these projects, and financial conditions.

The MS4 and NPDES Permitting Authority questionnaires will gather information to characterize the current scope, components, and implementation of existing local, county, and statestormwater programs; ordinances and laws that may constrain long term stormwater best management practices; retrofit requirements for existing property; and the current burden and expenditures to comply with and enforce existing requirements.

Additional Information

For further information about th is ICR, please write to:

Ms. Jan Matuszko U.S. Environmental Protection Ag ency, Office of Water (4303T) Engineering and Analysis Division 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W. Washington, D.C. 20460 e-mail: matuszko.jan@epa.gov

or

Ms. Holly Galavotti U.S. Environmental Protection Ag ency, Office of Water (4203M)

Water Permits Division 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W. Washington, D.C. 20460 e-mail: galavotti.holly @epa.gov

You can view or download the complete text of this Federal Register notice, the questionnaires, and the ICR Support Stat ement, or EPA’s announcement of this rulemaking on the Internet at: http://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/rulemaking

.

EPA will accept comments for 30 days a fter publication of this notice.