27 Public notice of draft PAG-04, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System general permit for discharges from small flow treatment facilities
Public Notice of Draft PAG-04, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System General Permit for Discharges from Small Flow Treatment Facilities [44 Pa.B. 96]
[Saturday, January 4, 2014]The Department of Environmental Protection (Department) is announcing the availability of a draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) General Permit for discharges from Small Flow Treatment Facilities (PAG-04). To access the draft General Permit and related documents, visit www.elibrary.dep.state.pa.us and select ''Permit and Authorization Packages,'' ''Point and Non-Point Source Management,'' ''National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System—NPDES,'' ''General Permits'' and ''PAG-04 (Draft).''
The PAG-04 General Permit is intended to provide NPDES permit coverage to Small Flow Treatment Facilities (SFTFs), including Single Residence Sewage Treatment Plants (SRSTPs), with discharges to waters of the Commonwealth. The existing PAG-04 General Permit is scheduled to expire on February 4, 2014, but will be extended. The Department is proposing to reissue a final PAG-04 General Permit on or before the expiration date of the administratively extended permit.
The draft PAG-04 General Permit includes the following proposed changes in comparison to the existing PAG-04 General Permit:
• The permit language has been updated to conform to the Department's regulations in 25 Pa. Code Chapter 92a (relating to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permitting, monitoring and compliance) as published at 40 Pa.B. 5767 (October 9, 2010).
• Permittees with PAG-04 General Permit coverage must submit Annual Maintenance Reports to the Department electronically if required by the Department in writing.
The proposed Notice of Intent (NOI) fee for coverage under this General Permit is $100 for SFTFs that are not SRSTPs. There is no NOI fee for SRSTPs.
The Department anticipates that once coverage under the General Permit is authorized, coverage will continue without the need to submit a separate, subsequent NOI for renewal of coverage unless the Department specifically requires the submission of a separate, subsequent NOI in writing. The permittee must agree and certify that the permittee has read and continues to be eligible for coverage under the most recent PAG-04 and that it will comply with any conditions and modifications to those conditions.
Written Comments: The Department is seeking comments on the draft PAG-04 General Permit, Document No. 3800-PM-BPNPSM0093a-f for a period of 30 days. Interested persons may submit written comments on these documents by February 3, 2014. Comments submitted by facsimile will not be accepted. The Department will accept comments submitted by e-mail. A return name and address must be included in each e-mail transmission. Written comments should be submitted to Dharmendra Kumar, Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Point and Non-Point Source Management, Rachel Carson State Office Building, 11th Floor, P. O. Box 8774, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8774, dkumar@pa.gov. Written comments submitted during the 30-day comment period will be retained by the Department and considered in making a final determination. The Department will provide an opportunity for any interested person or group of persons, any affected State, any affected interstate agency, United States Environmental Protection Agency or any interested agency, to request or petition for a public hearing with respect to the proposed General Permit. The request or petition for public hearing, which must be filed within the 30-day period allowed for filing of written comments, must indicate the interest of the party filing the request and the reasons why a hearing is warranted. A hearing will be held if there is significant public interest.
Contact: Questions regarding the draft PAG-04 General Permit should be directed to Dharmendra Kumar at dkumar@pa.gov or (717) 787-2288.
E. CHRISTOPHER ABRUZZO,
Secretary[Pa.B. Doc. No. 14-27. Filed for public inspection January 3, 2014, 9:00 a.m.]
