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FAIRVIEW TWP. — A state mandated Municipal Small Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) permitting program was the cause of an overview and update meeting Wednesday at the township’s municipal building. All municipalities in the state are require to participate in the program.
Township engineers from Borton-Lawson, David Yefko and Brian Palmiter, presented a general overview, specifics and progress of the program.
The township applied for and received a permit in 2013. For the 2013-2014 year, township officials submitted the initial report and state paperwork. Last year, the township submitted just the report. This year, according to Yefko, the state wants to see progress, including having township meetings. The current permit will expire in 2019.
“MS4 regulations are intended to keep storm water systems clean, protecting downstream waterways,” Yefko said.
The township has three major watersheds — land where water that falls and drains goes to a common outlet — the Mountain Top Joint Sanitary Authority watches: Solomon Creek, Big Wapwallopen Creek, including Bow Creek and Nescopeck Creek, including Conety Run. The local watersheds will eventually drain into the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
“Sediment is the largest (watershed) contaminant in the United States,” Yefko said. Fairview Township regulates sediment control through land water ordinances.
Palmiter said there are six required minimal control measures (MCM) for the program which, when implemented, should result in significant reduction in pollutants discharged into receiving waters: public education and outreach, public involvement, illicit damage detection and elimination, pollution prevention and good housekeeping programs, construction site runoff control and post-construction stormwater management.
The public education and outreach includes planning a program with outreach, educating targeting audience groups and publication of resources to the township, including a website.
“(Target action groups in Fairview Township include) school children, municipal employees, residents and businesses within the township,” Palmiter said.
Public involvement includes stenciling street inlets to identify storm water drains, inviting school field trips to watersheds as a teaching tool and creating a task force to help build and inform the public
Illicit damage detection and elimination include testing of waters to see that waters are clean from damage, including, but not limited to, oil and gas and creating a detailed map of storm water features, including basins and inlets.
“They (Department of Public Works) have to test it and find out what it is and eliminate it from the source,” Yefko said, speaking about a mechanic having a garage in the township and dumping waste oil in a creek.
Pollution prevention and good housekeeping programs include training of employees and management of facilities which could potentially have storm water runoff.
Palmiter said the township will need to follow up with permits for the construction site runoff control and post-construction stormwater management in the 2018 permit plan cycle because the “township falls under the state wide program.”
The township will create a MS4 tab on their website, in accordance with the outreach MCM. The presenters said the website will have everything the public needs to know on the website including ways to get involved, but noted it wouldn’t be complete until late this year.