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[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 137 (Thursday, July 17, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 41688]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-16809]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9913-86-Region-1]

Notice of Availability of Draft NPDES General Permits MAG07000 
and NHG07000 for Discharges From Dewatering Activities in the 
Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of New Hampshire: The 
Dewatering General Permit (DGP)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of Availability of Draft NPDES General Permits MAG07000 
and NHG07000.

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SUMMARY: The Director of the Office of Ecosystem Protection, EPA-New 
England, is providing a notice of availability of draft National 
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) general permits for 
dewatering activity discharges to certain waters of the Commonwealth of 
Massachusetts and the State of New Hampshire. These General Permits 
replace the Dewatering General Permits, which expired on September 30, 
2013.

DATES: Comment on the draft general permits must be received on or 
before August 18, 2014.
    Public Hearing Information: EPA will hold a public hearing, if 
necessary, in accordance with 40 CFR 124.12 and will provide interested 
parties with the opportunity to provide written and/or oral comments 
for the official administrative record.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the draft general permits shall be submitted by 
one of the following methods:
    (1) Email: alvarez.victor@epa.gov or
    (2) Mail: Victor Alvarez, U.S. EPA--Region 1, 5 Post Office 
Square--Suite 100, Mail Code OEP06-4, Boston, MA 02109-3912. No 
facsimiles (faxes) will be accepted.
    The draft permit is based on an administrative record available for 
public review at EPA--Region 1, Office of Ecosystem Protection, 5 Post 
Office Square--Suite 100, Boston, Massachusetts 02109-3912. A 
reasonable fee may be charged for copying requests. The facts sheet for 
the draft general permit sets forth principal facts and the significant 
factual, legal, methodological and policy questions considered in the 
development of the draft permit and is available upon request. A brief 
summary is provided as SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Additional information concerning the 
draft General Permits may be obtained between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 
p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, from Victor Alvarez, 
Office of Ecosystem Protection, 5 Post Office Square--Suite 100, 
Boston, MA 02109-3912; telephone: 617-918-1572; email: 
alvarez.victor@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA is proposing to reissue two draft 
general permits for the discharge of uncontaminated water from 
construction dewatering intrusion and/or stormwater accumulation from 
sites that disturb less than one acre of land and short and long term 
dewatering of foundation sumps. While the draft general permits are two 
distinct permits, for convenience, EPA has grouped them together in a 
single document and has provided a single fact sheet for the two draft 
general permits. This document refers to the draft general ``permit'' 
in the singular. The draft general permit, appendices and fact sheet 
are available at: http://www.epa.gov/region1/npdes/dewatering.html.
    The draft General Permit establishes Notice of Intent (NOI) 
requirements, effluent limitations, standards, prohibitions, and 
management practices for facilities with construction dewatering of 
groundwater intrusion and/or storm water accumulation from sites less 
than one acre and short-term and long-term dewatering of foundation 
sumps. The draft permit includes effluent limitations based on best 
professional judgment (BPJ) and water quality considerations. When EPA 
has not promulgated effluent limitations for a category of discharges, 
or if an operator discharges a pollutant not covered by an effluent 
limitation guideline, effluent limitations may be based on the BPJ of 
the agency or permit writer. The BPJ limits in the general permit are 
in the form of non-numeric control measures, commonly referred to as 
best management practices (BMPs). The effluent limits established in 
the draft permit assures that the surface water quality standards of 
the receiving water are protected, maintained and/or attained. 
Discharges that contain pollutants in quantities which represent 
reasonable potential to cause or contribute to violations of water 
quality standards will not be granted coverage under this general 
permit. Those dischargers must either apply for an individual permit or 
seek coverage under EPA's Remediation General Permit.

Other Legal Requirements

Endangered Species Act (ESA)

    The provisions related to the ESA have be updated from the 2008 
general permit and new species of concern have been added. EPA has 
requested concurrence from the appropriate federal services (U.S Fish 
and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service) in 
connection with this draft permit.

    Authority: This action is being taken under the Clean Water Act, 
33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.

    Dated: June 19, 2014.
H. Curtis Spalding,
Regional Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2014-16809 Filed 7-16-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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