The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking strong action to enact the next generation of environmental protection for the Charles River by tackling pollution problems caused by storm water.
Specifically, the EPA has announced its targeted effort to apply more stringent controls on storm water pollution in the Charles River watershed, where storm water containing high levels of phosphorus is a chief culprit in dramatic algae blooms--including toxic cyanobacteria--that have plagued the river in recent years. The EPA action will require certain industrial, commercial and residential facilities in the towns of Milford, Franklin and Bellingham, Mass., with two or more acres of impervious area to operate under a Clean Water Act permit. The EPA is accepting public comments on this action.
“Polluted storm water runoff causes serious water quality problems and is the next great challenge for cleaning the Charles River,” said Robert Varney, regional administrator of EPA’s New England office. “By working closely with Massachusetts and our other partners, we will make great environmental improvements, while at the same time providing facilities with flexibility and time to meet the new standards. Working together cooperatively, we can solve these problems.”
In a separate but closely related action, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is enacting a statewide requirement for facilities with five or more acres of impervious area to reduce storm water runoff. Under both the federal and state actions, new requirements will be phased in to reduce polluted storm water runoff at sites with large paved areas, including shopping malls and industrial areas. While the statewide standard will be five acres, the state is proposing to match EPA’s two-acre requirement in the Charles, where a higher level of control is needed to address chronic water quality problems.
“Until now, managing storm water has largely been the responsibility of the cities and towns,” said Laurie Burt, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. “It is critical now for other property owners to step up to the plate and do their part. This new program creates a level playing field by requiring that the responsibility for managing storm water be shared by municipalities and private property owners.”
Source: U.S. EPA
