The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on September 18, 2024, a settlement with Atlantic City, New Jersey, that corrects violations of stormwater management requirements under the Clean Water Act.
The city corrected the violations and will pay a $20,000 penalty. The city further agreed to a $60,000 project to make the system more resilient to the impacts of climate change.
Stormwater flows into catch basins into Atlantic City’s stormwater sewer system and is discharged into area bays and the Atlantic Ocean.
In consultation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the EPA conducted a review of Atlantic City’s municipal separate storm sewer system to ensure compliance with the permit issued by the state under the Clean Water Act.
The EPA identified several violations of the Clean Water Act.
The violations included not using best practices to manage stormwater, not fully training staff and not updating its Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan.
These issues, documented in Administrative Compliance Orders issued to Atlantic City, could have allowed pollutants into the stormwater system, risking water quality and public health.
In addition to fixing the violations and agreeing to pay a $20,000 penalty, Atlantic City is launching a project that goes beyond compliance.
This project, referred to in legal terms as a Supplemental Environmental Project, is to replace about 18,000 square feet of traditional asphalt with permeable pavement.
This pavement allows water to pass through, reducing runoff and filtering pollutants. This upgrade will prevent pollutants from entering the stormwater system and enhance the city’s resilience to climate change by managing stormwater more effectively.
