Public Notification Requirements for CSOs in the Great Lakes Basin (Renewal)

The EPA is finalizing a rule to implement Section 425 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016 (Public Law 114-113), which requires EPA to work with the Great Lakes States to establish public notification requirements for combined sewer discharges to the Great Lakes. The requirements address signage, initial notification of local public health departments and other potentially affected entities, initial notification of the public, annual notice provisions, and requires the development of a public notification plan. The rule includes a two-stage approach with requirements that apply directly to existing National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permittees authorized to discharge from a CSO to the Great Lakes Basin, six months after the effective date of the rule, and a requirement that the public notification provisions be incorporated into NPDES permits when these permits are issued or reissued after the effective date of the rule. If the permit has been proposed prior to the rule effective date, the requirements would be incorporated into the next permit renewal. The NPDES permitting authority may extend the compliance dates for notification and/or submittal of the public notification plan for individual communities if the Director determines the community needs additional time to comply in order to avoid undue economic hardship.

The latest form for Public Notification Requirements for CSOs in the Great Lakes Basin (Renewal) expires 2021-04-30 and can be found here.