Public comment on stormwater permit open and welcome

The Town of Hillsborough has applied to renew its permit for discharging stormwater to state receiving waters. Through March 18, the N.C. Division of Water Quality invites public comment on the town’s draft NPDES Phase II Stormwater Permit.
Under the five-year permit of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, Hillsborough would be authorized to discharge stormwater from its separate stormwater sewer system to receiving waters within the Neuse River Basin—the Eno River and Sevenmile Creek.
The draft permit may be viewed on the N.C. Division of Water Quality’s website. Click on “Hillsborough” in the table.
Comments should be submitted in writing no later than March 18 and should reference the specific permitting action and permit number. Comments received before March 18 will be considered in the final determination regarding permit actions.
Send comments to Mike Randall, N.C. Division of Water Quality, 1617 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1617 or mike.randall@ncdenr.gov. For more information, Randall also may be contacted by phone at 807-6374.
The administrative record—including Hillsborough’s application, Stormwater Management Plan, draft permit and fact sheet—is available by writing to: N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Division of Water Quality, Stormwater Permitting Unit, 1617 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1617. The information is available for review and copying between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday-Friday at: Archdale Building, 9th Floor Division of Water Quality, Stormwater Permitting Unit, 512 N. Salisbury St. in Raleigh. Copies will be provided at a charge of 10 cents per page.
The intent of the municipal stormwater NPDES coverage and the requirements of the Clean Water Act is to reduce pollutant discharge as much as practical to protect the state’s surface waters from potential effects of runoff from urban areas.

More information is available through the links below:
Hillsborough’s Draft Permit
N.C. Division of Water Quality’s Notice of Public Comment Period