STATE OF WASI-IINGTON 

### DEPARTMENT OF ECOLOGY
PO Box 47600 • Olympia, WA 98504-7600 • 360·407·6000 711 for Washington Rcl<lY Service • Persons with aspeech disability Ctln call 877-833-6341
January 3, 2014

Mr. Michael Lidgard NPDES Petmits Unit USEPA

- Region 1 0 1200 SixthAvenue Seattle, WA 98101


### RE: Water Quality Certification Under Section 401 ofthe Federal Clean Water Act for EPA's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Multi-Sector General Permit for Stormwater Discharges from Industrial Activity

DearMr. Lidgard:
This letter is inresponse to EPA's October 30, 2013 request that the Washington State Department ofEcology (Ecology) either grant or deny certification under 40 CFR 124.55 or waive its right to cetiify EPA'sNational Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Multi-Sector General Permitfor St01mwater Discharges from Industrial Activity (MSGP). Ecology objects to EPA's request to cetiif)r a 

### draftpetmit while concurrently seeking public comments. OnDecember 3, 2013, EPA extended the draft MSGP public commentperiod until December 26, 2013, increasing the possibility ofsubstantive revisions before the final permit is issued. Notwithstanding this objection, Ecology does not waive its right to cetiify. Based on our review ofEPA's proposed MSGP, we believe that the proposedpermit would comply with Chapter 173-201A ofthe Washington Administrative Code (Water Quality Standards for Surface Waters ofthe State ofWashington) ifthe final permitincludes the conditions listed in Attachment

### A.
This detetmination is based onthe draft MSGP. Pursuant to 40 Code ofFederal Regulations (C.P.R.)§ 124.55(d), any change to this draft permitmay onlybe made in a manner consistent with this cetiification. Ecology also objects to EPA's request to grant or deny certification ofthe MSGP within this short 60 day timeframe. Under Section 401(a)(l) ofthe Clean Water Act, States are provided a reasonable period oftime up to one year for acting on a request for Section 401 certification.

### Mr. Michael Lidgard January 3, 2014 Page2

Ifyou have any questions or would like to discuss these matters fmiher, please contact Bill Moore atbill.moore@ecy.wa.gov, or (360) 407-6460. Sincerely,

# D~_/~/ Donald 

### A. Seeberger Water Quality Acting Program Manager
Enclosure Byemail and U.S. mail

cc: Bill Moore, Ecology JeffKillelea, EcologyATTACHMENT A. WATER QUALITY CERTIFICATION CONDITIONS: The EPA MSGP would comply with Chapter 173-201A ofthe Washington Administrative Code (Water Quality Standards for Surface Waters ofthe State ofWashington) ifthe final permit includes the following conditions: A. Discharges shall not cause or contribute to a violation ofsurface water quality standards (Chapter 173-201A WAC), ground water quality standards (Chapter 173-200 WAC), sediment management standards (Chapter 173-204 WAC), and human health-based criteria in the National Toxics Rule (40 CPR Pati 131.36). Discharges that are not in compliance with these standards
are not authorized. This condition maynot be made less stringent without violating the requirements ofstate law, Chapter 90.48 RCW. B. Prior to the discharge ofstotmwater andnon-stormwater to waters ofthe state, the Petmittee shall apply all known, available, and reasonable methods ofprevention, control, and treatment (AKART). This includes thepreparation and implementation ofan adequate StotmwaterPollutionPreventionPlan (SWPPP), with all appropriate best management practices (BMPs) installed andmaintained in accordance with the SWPPP and the tetms and conditions ofthis permit. This condition may not be made less stringentwithoutviolating the requirements ofstate law, Chapter 90.48 RCW. C. Additional Monitoring and Limits for Applicable Dischm·ges to Impaired Waters

a. Petmittees discharging to a 

### 303(d)-listedwater bodythat dot;s nothave anEPA-approved 

### total maximum daily load (!'MDL) shall comply with the applicable sampling requirements and effluent limits inTable 1. This condition may not be made less stringent without violating the requirements ofstate law, Chapter 90.48 RCW. b. Forpurposes ofthis condition, "applicable sampling requirements and effluentlimits"
means the sampling and effluent limits inTable I that correspond to the specific parameter(s) the receiving wateris 

### 303(d)-listedfor at the time ofpetmit coverage, or Total Suspended Solids (TSS) ifthe waterbody is 

### 303(d)-listedfor any 

### sediment quality parameter at the time ofpetmit coverage. Table 1: Sampling and EffluentLimits Applicable to Discharges to 303(d)-listed Waters EffluentLimit Laboratory Quantitation Sampling Parameter Units FreshWater Marine Analytical Method a Level b Frequency Turbidity NTUs 25 25 EPA 180.1 Meter 0.5 1/qumter' pH 

# su ' Between 7.0 Meter" ±0.5 1/quarter' and 8.5 Fecal Coliform #colonies/ h h SM9222D 20CFU/ 1/qumter' Bacteria 100mL 100mL TSS' mg/L 30 30 SM2540-D 5 1/qumter' Phosphorus, Total mg/L t I EPA 365.1 0.01 1/qumter' Ammonia, total as mg!L 

### • t SM 4500 NH,-GH 0.3 !/quarter' N

. Copper, Total flg/L 

### • t EPA200.8 2.0 1/qumter' Lead, Total flg/L • 

### • EPA200.8 0.5 1/qumter' Mercury, Total ftg/L 2.1 1.8 EPA1631E 0.0005 1/qumter' Zinc, Total flg/L 

### • 

## • EPA200.8 2.5 1/qumter' Pentachlorophenol flg/L 9g t EPA625 1.0 1/qumter'a Or other equivalent method with the same reporting level. b The Permittee shall ensure laboratory results comply with the quantifation level specified in the table.
c I/ quarter means I sample taken each quarter, e.g., Ql**~Jan** 1- March 31", Q2**~** Aprill-June 30'', etc. d Permittees shall use either acalibrated pH meter consistent with EPA 9040 or an approved state method. e APermittee who discharges to awater body 303(d)-listedfor anysediment quality parameter shall sample the discharge for TSS. f Site-specific effiuent limitation will be assigned at the time ofpermit coverage. g Based on a pH of7.0. h Anumeric effiuent limit does not apply, but permittees must sample according to Table 5. In addition, the following mandatory BN!Ps shall be incorporated into the SWPPP and implemented: 1) Use all known, available and reasonable methods to prevent rodents, birds, and other animals from feeding/nesting/roosting at the facility. Nothing in this section shall be construed as allowing violations ofany applicable federal, state or local statutes, ordinances, or regulations including the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. 2) perform at least one annual dry weather inspection ofthe stormwater system to identify and eliminate sanitary sewer**cross~** connections; 3) Install structural source control B.MPs to address on-site activities and sources that could cause bacterial contamination (e.g., dumpsters, compost piles, food waste, animal products, etc.): 4) Implement operational source control BMPs to prevent bacterial contamination from any known sources offecal coliform bacteria (e.g.• animal waste, etc.); 5) Additional bacteria-related sampling and/or BMPs, ifordered by Ecology on acase-by-case basis. The effluent limit for a Permittee who discharges to a fresh water body303(d)-/istedfor pHis: Between 6.0 and 8.5, ifthe 303(d)-listingis for high pHonly; Between 6.5 and 9.0, ifthe 303(d)-listing is for low pH only; and Between 6.5 and 8.5 ifthe 303(d)-listing is for both low and high pH. All pH effluent limits are applied end-of-pipe.

c. Permittees discharging to waterbodies with an applicable TMDL, shall complywith 

### applicable TMDL dete1minations. 

### Applicable TMDLs or 

### TMDL determinations are 

### TMDLs which have been completed by the issuance date ofthis petmit, orwhich have been completedprior to the date that the Permittee's 

### application is received by 

### EPA, whichever is later. 

### EPA will list the Permittee's requirements to comply withthis condition whenMSGP coverage is granted. d. 

### TMDL requirements associated with 

### TMDLs completed after the issuance date ofthis permit only become effective ifthey are imposed through an administrative order issued by

### EPA.

e. Where 

### Ecologyhasestablished a 

### TMDL wasteloadallocation and samplingrequirements for the Permittee's discharge, the Permittee shall comply with allrequirements ofthe 

### TMDL. f. Where

### Ecology has established a 

### TMDL general 

### wasteloadallocation for industrial 

### stormwater discharges for a parameterpresentinthe Permittee's discharge, but has not identified specific requirements, 

### EPA will assume the Permittee's compliance with the terms and conditions ofthe petmit complies withthe approved 

### TMDL. g. Where 

### Ecology has not established a 

### TMDL wasteloadallocation for industrial 

### stormwater discharges for a parameterpresentin the Permittee's discharge, buthas not excluded these discharges, 

### Ecology will assume the Permittee's compliance with the te1ms and conditions ofthis permit complies with the approved 

### TMDL. h. Where a 

### TMDL for a parameterpresent inthe Permittee's 

### discharge specifically precludes or prohibits discharges of

### stormwater associated with 

### industrial activity, the Permittee is not eligible for coverage under this permit.**·~**1. Completed TMDLs are available on the Department ofEcology's website at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/tmdl/TMDLsbyWria/TMDLbyWria.html or by phone at: (360) 407-6460.
Pursuant to 40 CFR 

### § 124.55(d), any change to the draftNational Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Multi Sector General Permit (MSGP) for StormWater Discharges Associated with Industrial Activity: Pe1mit No. WAROSFOOO may only be made in a manner consistent with this certification.