EPA Orders 85 PA Municipalities To Improve Stormwater Management

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Tuesday announced it has sent orders to 85 municipalities in northcentral and northeast Pennsylvania requiring improvements to their programs for managing stormwater.

EPA issued the orders to augment Pennsylvania’s efforts to ensure effective stormwater management programs are in place to improve water quality in local streams and the Chesapeake Bay, which is downstream of most of the towns cited by EPA.

The municipalities receiving the orders are:

— Carbon County: Bowmanstown Borough, Lower Towamensing, Weissport Borough

— Centre County: College Township, Harris Township, Patton Township, State College Borough

— Lackawanna County: Old Forge Borough, Taylor Borough, Clarks Summit Borough, South Abingdon Township, Clarks Green Borough, Dickson City Borough, Dunmore Borough, Blakely Borough, Throop Borough, Ransom Township, PSU Scranton, Moosic Borough, Abington Township, Scranton City, Scott Township

— Lehigh County: Catasauqua Borough, Slatington Borough, Whitehall Township, Macungie Township, Upper Milford Township, Salisbury Township, South Whitehall Township, Emmaus Borough, Alburtis Borough, Weisenberg Township

— Luzerne County: Duryea Borough, Edwardsville Borough, Wilkes-Barre Township, Plymouth Borough, Larksville Borough, Sugar Notch Borough, Ashley Borough, DuPont Borough, Jenkins Township, Avoca Borough, Warrior Run Borough, Laflin Borough, Dallas Borough, Swoyersville Borough, Exeter Borough, Wyoming Borough, Pittston Township, Nanticoke City, Newport Township, West Wyoming Borough, Foster Township, Hazleton City, West Pittston Borough, Kingston Borough, Bear Creek Township, Wilkes-Barre City, Laurel Run Borough, Plymouth Township, Hughestown Borough, Dallas Township, Lehman Township

— Luzerne & Northampton County: Jackson Township, Fountain Hill Borough, Lower Saucon Township, Lower Nazareth Township, Hanover Township

— Lycoming County: Old Lycoming Township, Montoursville Borough, Loyalsock Township, Williamsport City

— Northampton County: Allen Township, Northampton Borough, Walnutport Borough, Bangor Borough, Lower Mt. Bethel Township, Pen Argyl Borough, Freemansburg Borough, Williams Township, East Allen Township, Easton City, Bushkill Township, Plainfield Township, Hellertown Borough, Northampton County, Wind Gap Borough, Forks Township, Hanover Township.

“In this age of changing climate and more frequent and severe weather events, managing urban stormwater is essential for protecting and restoring the waterways in our communities,” said EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin. “Our objective in issuing these orders is to build on the work being done by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and bridge any gaps in making it clear to the municipalities that they need to do a better job of implementing their programs for controlling stormwater runoff.”

The federal Clean Water Act requires the cited municipalities to develop and implement a program to reduce contamination of stormwater runoff and prevent illegal discharges of stormwater.

EPA’s orders also require the cited municipalities to correct deficiencies with their respective Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) programs and to come into compliance with their Clean Water Act stormwater discharge permits. MS4s are publicly-owned drainage systems, including storm drains, pipes, and ditches, which are designed to collect and convey stormwater runoff in urbanized areas.

Urbanized areas generally contain large portions of impervious surfaces such as roads, rooftops and parking lots that channel stormwater directly into local streams, rivers, and other water bodies. Improperly managed stormwater runoff from urbanized areas can cause flooding and significant erosion, damage streams, and carry excessive nutrients, sediment, metals, volatile organic compounds, and other pollutants downstream.

The orders provide information to the municipalities regarding how to assure compliance with MS4 requirements of the Clean Water Act.

For more information, visit EPA’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s) webpage.

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