Stormwater Regulations and GARC

The Government and Regulatory Affairs Committee (GARC) keeps SWEMA members up-to-date on emerging regulatory issues, including recent protocols with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

By Laurie Honnigford

Since the implementation of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase II regulations, which were published Dec. 8, 1999, the management of stormwater has become an issue construction professionals must deal with on an almost daily basis.

With the implementation of such an initiative, there comes a diverse array of ways of dealing with this issue. The Stormwater Equipment Manufacturers Association (SWEMA) was established to work as an industry organization in setting forth protocols for the effective operation of stormwater management systems to the longterm benefit of all stakeholders in the drive for clean water.

With having limited resources to devote to regulatory matters, combined with stormwater programs managed at the local level in many states, there are simply too many jurisdictions for manufacturers to regularly engage them all. Conversely, many regulatory agencies are administered with limited staff and resources; hence, their ability to accommodate individual companies proves equally challenging. Through the creation of the Government and Regulatory Affairs Committee (GARC), SWEMA will better serve its members and the regulatory community alike.

A primary function of GARC is to serve as a clearinghouse for regulatory information and current events on behalf of the association's members. By staying up-todate with emerging regulatory issues, GARC is able to quickly identify those issues most critical to its members and become actively involved in the regulatory process.

By drawing on the collective knowledge and experience of committee members, GARC is able to generate the most robust guidance available relative to manufactured technologies. GARC provides guidance to the regulatory community following a thorough vetting process. As a result, considerable time, effort and costs are saved by all stakeholders; thus, allowing everyone to get back to the business of cleaning water. As an added benefit, members have come to recognize a number of opportunities to advance the science behind their technologies.

Recently, GARC has been working with officials from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJ DEP) to improve the hydrodynamic separators and filters testing protocols. NJ DEP is willing to work with the industry to set up a workable process and protocol for testing manufactured treatment devices. NJ DEP wants the MTD tested and verified so they can create an acceptance list. NJ DEP is working with the industry to draft the process for how MTDs are vetted through NJ DEP and NJ CAT. Additionally, industry representatives are making suggested changes to the testing protocols to improve the science behind the current protocols.

GARC has been called upon by several regulatory agencies to provide written comments on proposed regulations, deliver presentations on manufactured technologies and serve on various stakeholder committees. GARC also works closely with the newly formed Technical Committee to produce guidance relative to BMP testing, sizing and any other technical matters that may arise. Moving forward, GARC intends to build upon its past efforts and become an increasingly valuable resource for the stormwater community.

Laurie Honnigford is the managing director for the Stormwater Equipment Manufacturers Association. She may be contacted at laurie@stormwaterassociation.com.