Opinion ID: 3184650
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Representative Monitoring

Text: MDE argues, somewhat correctly, that the Policy Memo grants it “the flexibility to establish requirements [it] deem[s] appropriate.” The Water Groups only repeat the language of the Policy Memo, arguing that MDE can change programs to make them “more appropriate and useful.” They argue that MDE’s decision was not supported by substantial evidence. Although the Policy Memo does grant NPDES permit writers, like MDE, the flexibility to modify program components, including monitoring, 61 Fed. Reg. at 41,699, the EPA does not allow permit writers to reissue permits and abdicate their responsibility in “restor[ing] and maintain[ing] the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the 57 Nation’s waters.” 33 U.S.C. § 1251(a). 40 C.F.R. 122.26(d) required, among other things, a “proposed monitoring program for representative data collection for the term of the permit that describes the location of outfalls or field screening points to be sampled (or the location of instream stations),” and, among other things, “why the location is representative.” And as we also discussed earlier, the Permits must include monitoring “sufficient to yield data which are representative of the monitored activity.” 40 C.F.R. § 122.48(b). We conclude that MDE’s monitoring program in the Permits will produce representative data because MDE has (1) ensured that the Counties monitor stormwater discharges at monitoring locations that represent an adequate range of land uses statewide, and (2) increased the frequency of monitoring to yield more representative information at the County level. MDE revised the MS4 monitoring program in the late 1990s to implement a monitoring approach called the “three legged stool,” so named because it incorporated not only “[c]hemical testing” but also “biological criteria” and “physical assessments.” MDE, Maryland’s NPDES Municipal Stormwater Monitoring at § 4.2 (1997); see also MDE, Basis for Final Determination to Issue Anne Arundel County’s NPDES MS4 Permit. The agency articulated this approach as being “more aligned with the CWA’s goal to ‘restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waters.’” MDE, Maryland’s NPDES Municipal Stormwater Monitoring at § 4.2 (emphasis added); see also MDE, Basis for Final Determination to Issue Anne Arundel County’s NPDES MS4 Permit. MDE also increased the frequency of monitoring so that the Counties needed 58 to monitor twelve storm events instead of three. MDE, Maryland’s NPDES Municipal Stormwater Monitoring at § 4.0. Finally, in light of the increase in monitoring type, MDE decreased the number of monitoring sites to one outfall and one associated in-stream station in a watershed. Id. at § 4.3. The agency explained that it adopted the “three legged stool” approach after an analysis of the MS4s’ concerns in implementing the first permits: “local governments argued that in many instances, biological and physical monitoring results are better indicators of small stream health.” Maryland’s NPDES Municipal Stormwater Monitoring § 4.1; MDE, Basis for Final Determination to Issue Anne Arundel County’s NPDES MS4 Permit (2013) (emphasis added). MDE acknowledged the local jurisdictions’ concern that “water chemistry data are of little value” in discerning the effects of stormwater in local streams when there is no assessment of stormwater as to “physical stream habitat and biological health.” MDE, Maryland’s NPDES Municipal Stormwater Monitoring at § 4.1. Nevertheless, MDE explained in its analysis that “[t]here is still a need to continue water chemistry work for the far field objectives of nutrient reduction in the Bay and accurate loading estimates for NPDES.” Id. at § 4.2. In explaining its decision to increase the number of monitored storm events, MDE stated that “more frequent sampling” would “improve pollutant load estimates.” MDE, Maryland’s NPDES Municipal Stormwater Monitoring at § 4.0. Moreover, in explaining why it pared the number of chemical monitoring sites, MDE stated that the addition of biological and physical monitoring required the agency to reapportion resources. Id. at § 4.3. To compensate for the reduced number of sites, MDE 59 explained that: (1) “[a] major goal for future monitoring will be to integrate water chemistry, biology, and physical assessments in one suitable watershed” to ensure “all three techniques [are] analyzed holistically”; and that (2) “site selection will be orchestrated at the state level” to “maintain an adequate number of residential, commercial, and industrial sites for State water chemistry needs.” MDE, Maryland’s NPDES Municipal Stormwater Monitoring at § 4.3.63 MDE’s decision-making illustrates that, as the Policy Memo stated, the permitting authority and permittees worked together to “determine if storm water monitoring efforts [were] appropriate and useful.” 61 Fed. Reg. at 41,699. MDE did not rubber stamp the jurisdictions’ proposal but affirmed that “[t]here is still a need to continue water chemistry work for the far field objectives of nutrient reduction in the Bay and accurate loading estimates for NPDES.” MDE, Maryland’s NPDES Municipal Stormwater Monitoring at § 4.2.64 63 As the initial permit application requirements indicate, the appropriate land uses that a permittee was to monitor were commercial, residential, and industrial. See 40 C.F.R. § 122.26(d)(2)(iii)(A). 64 MDE also took into consideration the financial burden on local jurisdictions in revising the monitoring program: “The cost for establishing four monitoring sites with either automated equipment or staff and having numerous storm events sampled and analyzed [as required of NPDES MS4 permits] makes this one of the more expensive undertakings for local jurisdictions.” MDE, Maryland’s NPDES Municipal Stormwater Monitoring § 4.1 (1997). Although the Policy Memo does not explicitly include cost as a factor in making program changes, it does state that “[c]hanges to the stormwater management program may be justified due to the availability of new information on the relative magnitude of a problem.” EPA, Interpretive Policy Memorandum on Reapplication Requirements for Municipal Separate Sewer Systems, 61 Fed. Reg. 41,698, 41,699 (Aug. 9, 1996) (emphasis added) [hereinafter Policy Memo]. Research on the cost 60 Moreover, biological and physical monitoring are within the scope of the EPA’s suggestions for alternative techniques, that is, “monitoring techniques other than end-ofthe pipe chemical-specific monitoring, including habitat assessments, bioassessments, and/or other biological methods.” 61 Fed. Reg. at 41,699 (emphasis added). By increasing the number of monitored storm events,65 MDE intended for the Counties to acquire more representative data about pollutant loads. Compare 61 Fed. Reg. at 41,699 (The EPA encouraged permit writers “to determine if storm water monitoring efforts are appropriate and useful.”), with 40 C.F.R. § 122.62(d)(2)(iii)(D) (The initial application called for “[a] proposed monitoring program for representative data collection.”).66 to undertake certain monitoring requirements strikes us as information relevant in considering programmatic changes. Moreover, we cannot view MDE’s decision in a vacuum. In light of MDE’s addition of biological and physical monitoring, MDE stated that “[t]o be fair, current chemical requirements, at least in terms of monitoring sites, need to be pared with a commensurate reapportionment of resources to accommodate the two additional stool legs.” MDE, Maryland’s NPDES Municipal Stormwater Monitoring at § 4.3. We believe it was reasonable for MDE to reallocate resources for its revised program to further the objective of “restor[ing] and maintain[ing] the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters.” 33 U.S.C. § 1251(a). 65 MDE has amassed a wealth of data from monitoring stormwater throughout the State: “Since the inception of the NPDES stormwater program, Maryland’s MS4 jurisdictions have monitored more than 2,745 storm events along with an additional 1,605 sampling activities during baseflow conditions.” MDE, Basis for Final Determination to Issue Anne Arundel County’s NPDES MS4 Permit. 66 The Water Groups argue: “[T]he monitoring location for Baltimore City – Moores Run – is located on the eastern edge of the City near the border with Baltimore County, and is located within the Back River watershed which is just one of four major watersheds that receives discharges from the City’s MS4.” MDE’s approach illustrates that 61 The Water Groups insist on interpreting representative in terms of the boundaries of the political subdivisions. In its analysis of the Counties’ initial monitoring experiences, MDE explained that site selection was a challenging undertaking, and one that it had to interpret flexibly so that the Counties could reasonably carry out their monitoring duties. That is, “monitoring only five sites did not allow any single jurisdiction to monitor all possible land uses.” Maryland’s NPDES Municipal Stormwater Monitoring at § 2.3. From MDE’s perspective, however, the state-wide program to improve water quality was maintained by, “in the aggregate,” monitoring “the continuum from low density residential to heavy industrial sites.” Id. (emphasis added). The watersheds MDE has approved extend from low-density residential land use to commercial use and light industrial use.67 representative does not only reflect the boundaries of the political subdivisions. Increasing the frequency of monitoring at a location is a way to yield more representative data. To the extent that the Water Groups insist on interpreting representative only with respect to the boundaries of the political subdivisions, we note that the Permits require “detailed” watershed assessments “for the entire County.” Part IV.E.1 (emphasis added). The assessment shall include the following activities: “[d]etermin[ing] current water quality problems”; “[i]nclud[ing] the results of a visual watershed inspection”; and “[i]dentify[ing] and rank[ing] water quality problems.” Id. This Permit requirement facilitates comprehensive data collection in each jurisdiction. 67 For a comparison of land uses, see Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works, 2013 Annual Report (NPDES MS4 Permit) § III-73, available at http://www.aacounty.org/departments/public-works/wprp/npdes-ms4-permit/; Baltimore County Government, 2014 NPDES Annual Report § 10-4, available at http://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/Agencies/environment/npdes/index.html; City of Baltimore Department of Public Works et al., 2011 Annual Report (NPDES MS4 Permit); MDE, Review of Prince George’s County’s 2009 Annual Report (NPDES MS4 Permit), available at http://www.mde.state.md.us/programs/Water/Stormwater ManagementProgram/SedimentandStormwaterHome/Documents/Prince%20George%20 3-6%20Annual%20Report%20Review.pdf; Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection, Breewood Tributary Restoration, available at 62 Thus, we conclude MDE has approved of monitoring locations that adequately represent a continuum of land uses for the agency and the Counties to collect data. See MDE, Maryland’s NPDES Municipal Stormwater Monitoring at § 4.3 (“[S]ite selection will be orchestrated at the state level” to “maintain an adequate number of residential, commercial, and industrial sites for State water chemistry needs.”) (emphasis added). MDE amended the program with the CWA’s objective at the forefront of its mind: “restor[ing] and maintain[ing] the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters.” Id.; see 33 U.S.C. § 1251(a). In accordance with the Policy Memo, the agency’s changes and reasoning strike us as thorough efforts to make the monitoring program “appropriate and useful.” 61 Fed. Reg. at 41,699. We conclude that MDE acted within the discretion the EPA accorded it in the Policy Memo. Thus, we also conclude that MDE has committed no legal errors pertaining to 40 C.F.R. § 122.26(d)(2)(iii)(D). For many of the same reasons, we believe that the Permits contain monitoring “sufficient to yield data which are representative of the monitored activity.” 40 C.F.R. § 122.48(b). The Permits require monitoring of many pollutants. Part IV.F.1.a-d.68 http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/DEP/Restoration/breewood.html (last visited Feb. 11, 2016). 68 Part IV.F.1. The Counties must obtain samples representative of a dozen storm events for biochemical oxygen demand, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, nitrate plus nitrite, total suspended solids, total petroleum hydrocarbons, e. coli or enterococcus, total lead, total copper, total zinc, total phosphorus, and hardness. Id. Consequently, “the resulting data will accurately portray the most common conditions for each site.” EPA, NPDES Storm Water Sampling Guidance Document § 2.7.1, at 18 (1992). The Counties must also ensure that a laboratory analysis of these samples is conducted under EPA approved methods. Part IV.F.1.a. 63 Following the Counties’ first experience implementing MS4 permits, MDE increased the frequency of monitoring to “improve pollutant load estimates.” MDE, Maryland’s NPDES Municipal Stormwater Monitoring § 4.0. The agency also decided to orchestrate site selection at the state level to “maintain an adequate number of residential, commercial, and industrial sites for State water chemistry needs.” Id. § 4.3. By taking control of the selection of monitored sites, MDE could better ensure monitoring of a continuum of activities (industrial, residential, and commercial). Additionally, the Counties will have to explain their monitoring process to ensure that the agency can evaluate whether they have complied with MDE’s requirements. Part V.A.1.b. (The Counties shall submit annual reports and include “[a] narrative summary describing the results and analyses of data, including monitoring data that is accumulated throughout the reporting year.”). 69 69 When the EPA issued the initial permit application requirements for MS4s, the EPA set criteria to make storm events and sampling representative. 40 C.F.R. § 122.26(d)(2)(iii) (citing 40 C.F.R. § 122.21(g)(7)); see EPA, NPDES Storm Water Sampling Guidance Document § 2.7.1, at 18 (1992) (“These criteria were established to: (1) ensure that adequate flow would be discharged; (2) allow some build-up of pollutants during the dry weather intervals, and (3) ensure that the storm would be ‘representative,’ (i.e., typical for the area in terms of intensity, depth, and duration).”). To wit, a storm event must be “greater than 0.1 inch,” “at least 72 hours” after the “previously measured storm event,” and the sample must be for a “flow-weighted composite sample” taken for “either the entire discharge or for the first three hours of the discharge.” 40 C.F.R. § 122.21(g)(7). As we discussed, it is ambiguous whether this regulation (40 C.F.R. § 122.26(d)(2)) pertains to subsequent permit applications and, thus, to this case. Thus, we turn again to the EPA Policy Memo which clarifies reapplication requirements. EPA, Interpretive Policy Memorandum on Reapplication Requirements for Municipal Separate Sewer Systems, 61 Fed. Reg. 41,698, 41,698 (Aug. 9, 1996) [hereinafter “Policy Memo”]. The EPA encouraged “permitting authorities to work with permittees to determine if storm water monitoring efforts are appropriate and useful,” and to “propose changes to make the program more appropriate and useful.” Id. at 41,699. Because MDE did not propose any changes to the EPA’s sampling criteria, see MDE, Maryland’s NPDES Municipal Stormwater Monitoring, at §§ 4.0–4.3; App’x. 5, we conclude that these criteria should 64 MDE also requires the Counties to assess WLAs, which represent pollutant loads. Part IV.E.2.b.iii. The Counties must record continuous flow measurements to obtain data to estimate pollutant reductions. Part IV.F.1.a.iv. Because the Counties are to achieve WLAs over time through restoration activities, MDE requires the Counties to conduct such monitoring “where the cumulative effects of watershed restoration activities can be assessed.” Part IV.F.1 (emphasis added). MDE thus structured the Permits and imposed requirements on the Counties to ensure that they will monitor the discharge of pollutants to yield representative data. We conclude that the Permits comply with 40 C.F.R. § 122.48(b).