ENB Region 4 Completed Applications 08/10/2005

This draft permit is a Department-initiated modification of the State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) permit for the Village of Catskill Sewage Treatment Plant (STP), undertaken pursuant to 6NYCRR Part 750-1.18(b)(6) & (7). The following changes have been made to the permit.

Permit pages -

Updated permit pages are used, based on current Department guidance, format and nomenclature.

Permit pages are renumbered and reordered.

The address for the Bureau of Watershed Compliance and the Region 4 Water Engineer on the Recording, Reporting and Monitoring page have been updated.

                                            

Discharge notification act language has been added to the permit.

The special conditions for leachate disposal have been updated.

The list of additional CSO outfalls on page 2 of the permit has been updated with new numbers, latitude and longitude coordinates and street locations.

Combined sewers convey both sewage and stormwater. During dry weather the sewers discharge to the local wastewater treatment plant where the effluent is treated to remove pollutants before discharge to the receiving water. During rain events, when storm water enters the sewers, the capacity of the sewer system to convey the combined effluent to the treatment plant is often exceeded and the effluent will discharge directly to the receiving water.

Since CSOs contain mixtures of domestic sewage, storm water runoff, and sometimes, industrial wastewater, they may contain high levels of suspended solids, toxic chemicals, floatable materials and other pollutants that can cause exceedances of water quality standards and use impairments. Such exceedances may pose risks to human and aquatic health and may impair the use and enjoyment of the Nation’s waterbodies.

On April 19, 1994, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) responded to the CSO problem by officially noticing  the Combined Sewer Overflow Control Policy (Policy).  The purpose of the Policy was to expedite compliance with the requirements of the Clean Water Act by controlling CSO discharges to the Nation’s waters. Six years later, Congress enacted the Wet Weather Water Quality Act of 2000 requiring SPDES permits or orders for CSO communities/permittees to conform to the Policy.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is authorized to issue NPDES permits in New York State pursuant to a 1975 Memorandum of Agreement with Region II EPA.  NYSDEC issues permits to discharge wastewater  under the State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) program.   As part of this program, DEC issues SPDES discharge permits to CSO communities/permittees.

There are 76 communities with almost 1000 CSOs  in New York.  New York is estimated to have about ten  percent of the total national problem of combined sewer overflows.  In consideration of the significant work needed to implement the Policy in New York State, EPA and NYSDEC agreed that DEC would  prioritize the implementation of the policy, starting with  CSO communities that had the greatest water quality impact. DEC has completed implementation of CSO requirements in permits and/or consent orders for those communities. DEC has recently entered into an agreement with EPA to expeditiously modify all remaining CSO SPDES permits in New York State in order to be in compliance with the Clean Water Act.

The CSO requirements include implementing Nine Minimum Controls (NMC) and a Long-Term Control Plan (LTCP). The NMCs are inexpensive technology-based controls that can be used tocontrol CSOs without performing extensive studies. DEC has developed15 Best Management Practices (BMPs), which embody the NMCs and require the control of CSO discharges from combined sewer systems.  The applicable BMPs are to be included in all SPDES permits for combined sewer systems. DEC also developed a checklist as guidance for permittees in preparing their annual BMP reports.

The LTCP consists of more extensive characterization and monitoring of both the combined sewer system and the receiving water, as well as selection and implementation of CSO control alternatives, with the intent of minimizing the impacts of CSOs on water quality. The Policy provides consideration for CSO permittees serving populations under 75,000 such that the scope of the Phase I LTCP may be streamlined on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the Department.

LTCP requirements are included in the SPDES permits where implementation of the BMPs alone will not result in compliance with the CWA. The LTCP requirement is broken into two phases. Phase I of the  LTCP is a comprehensive study of the combined sewer system and the effect of CSOs on the receiving water quality. Once it is determined whether water quality standards in the receiving water are impacted by CSO discharges, the permittee will, if necessary, research alternatives for mitigation of the impact of CSO discharges and choose one or more of those alternatives for implementation. The permittee will suggest a schedule of construction or implementation of those alternatives, i.e. Phase II of the LTCP, to DEC.

Phase II of the LTCP is the construction and implementation of the alternatives chosen in the Phase I  LTCP. Once the control measures are in place, the permittee is required to perform post-construction monitoring to ensure that the goals of the LTCP and the appropriate water quality standards are met.

The Village of Catskill SPDES permit has been modified to include BMP numbers 3, 5, 7, 11, 12,  14 and 15. BMP number 3 refers to the consideration of industrial pretreatment. Number 5 refers to the wet weather operating plan.  BMP number 7 refers to the control of floatable and settleable solids.  Number 11 refers to septage and hauled waste.  BMP number 12 refers to the control of run-off .  Number  14 refers to the characterization and monitoring of the Villages CSO system and BMP number 15 refers to the requirement of an annual report summarizing implementation of the BMP’s.

The applicant proposes to modify an existing SPDES permit.  Applicant has requested approval to increase the permitted surface discharge from the Stewart's Shop located at the intersection of Routes 81 and 26 in the Town of Greenville, Greene County , New York, from 400 gallons per day to 500 gallons per day of treated sanitary wastewater through a sand filter system to a Class C tributary of Basic Creek .  

The Department has made a tentative determination to issue a permit for a State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit under Article 17 of the Environmental Conservation Law.  This tentative determination indicates that the discharge regulated under this statute is considered to satisfy regulatory standards for permit issuance, based on information available to the Department at this time.  As a tentative determination, the Department seeks comments on the proposed regulated activity prior to making a final decision on permit issuance.  As such, this tentative determination does not signify Department approval for or endorsement of the activity for which a permit is sought or for the overall proposed project.

A draft permit is available for inspection and comment at the Region 4 Office located at 1150 N. Westcott Road, Schenectady, N. Y.

Refer to this application by Application Number listed above and SPDES Number NY-0260932.

The applicant seeks to modify an existing SPDES Permit for the Stewart's Store located at the intersection of Routes 7 and 20 in the Town of Duanesburg, New York, as follows: increase permitted flowof treated sanitary wastewater through a sand filter system to a Class C tributary of Normanskill Creek from 200 gallons to 400 gallons per day; change flow monitoring requirements from a daily to an annual basis; change visual observation requirements for the septic system from a daily to a monthly basis and allowance for installation of a Zabel Filter.

The Department has made a tentative determination to issue a permit for a State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit under Article 17 of the Environmental Conservation Law.  This tentative determination indicates that the discharge regulated under this statute is considered to satisfy regulatory standards for permit issuance, based on information available to the Department at this time.  As a tentative determination, the Department seeks comments on the proposed regulated activity prior to making a final decision on permit issuance.  As such, this tentative determination does not signify Department approval for or endorsement of the activity for which a permit is sought or for the overall proposed project.

A draft permit is available for inspection and comment at the Region 4 Office located at 1150 N. Westcott Road, Schenectady, N. Y.

Refer to this application by Application Number listed above and SPDES Number NY-0205559.

The applicant seeks to modify an existing SPDES permit for the Stewart's Shop located at 596 Sacandaga Road, Town of Glenville, New York, as follows: increase permitted flow of treated sanitary wastewater through a sand filter system to a Class C tributary of the Mohawk River from 400 gallons to 500 gallons per day and install a Zabel filter.

The Department has made a tentative determination to issue a permit for a State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit under Article 17 of the Environmental Conservation Law.  This tentative determination indicates that the discharge regulated under this statute is considered to satisfy regulatory standards for permit issuance, based on information available to the Department at this time.  As a tentative determination, the Department seeks comments on the proposed regulated activity prior to making a final decision on permit issuance.  As such, this tentative determination does not signify Department approval for or endorsement of the activity for which a permit is sought or for the overall proposed project.

A draft permit is available for inspection and comment at the Region 4 Office located at 1150 N. Westcott Road, Schenectady, N. Y.

Refer to this application by Application Number listed above and SPDES Number NY-0224634.

Applicant proposes the construction of six apartment buildings (totaling 64 units), two garages and one community use center, involving placement and grading of approximately 425 yards of fill, encroaching 18 feet into the adjacent area of Freshwater Wetland S-118.  To reduce impacts to the wetland, the applicant proposes plantings and grading at the rear of the property, which will inhibit future encroachment and runoff of pollutants into the wetland from the development.  The project is located on the south side of Campbell Road, immediately adjacent to the east property line of the Town wastewater treatment facility, in the town of Rotterdam, Schenectady County, NY.