EPA QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS REGARDING IMPLEMENTATION OF AN INTERIM PERMITTING APPROACH FOR WATER QUALITY-BASED EFFLUENT LIMITATIONS IN STORM WATER PERMITS GUIDANCE FOR FISCAL YEAR 1997

摘要

On August 26, 1996, the EPA published in the Federal Register (61 FRrn43761) a policy outlining an interim approach for incorporating water quality-based effluent limitations into National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) storm water permits. The policy was developed to address the variable nature of storm water discharges, and the typical lack of information on which to base numeric water quality-based effluent limitations (expressed as concentration and mass). The policy addresses issues related to the type of effluent limitations that are most appropriate for NPDES storm water permits to provide for the attainment of water quality standards. Since the policy only applies to water quality-based effluent limitations, it is not intended to affect technology-based limitations, such as those based on effluent guidelines or the permit writer's best professional judgements, that are incorporated into storm water permits.rnBased on numerous requests for additional information regarding the implementation of the policy, the EPA has developed the following set of questions and answers. For convenience, the policy is also reprinted below.