New NPDES Draft Permit in Metro Boston Now Available for Public Comment

Commercial, industrial, and institutional facilities with more than one acre of impervious area in the Charles, Mystic, and Neponset River watersheds will be required to obtain permits for otherwise unregulated stormwater discharges. Impervious areas include parking lots, roofs, and other surfaces that make it difficult for rainwater to infiltrate the soil. Approximately 60 municipalities in the wider Metro Boston area will be affected by this permit, with parcel-level analyses available for each watershed on the EPA's website.

The draft version of this permit is now available for review and comment, with the comment period remaining open until Wednesday, January 29^th, 2025. In addition, the EPA will conduct two informational meetings open to the public, as well as two public hearings on the following dates:

Public meetings:
January 7th, 2025 7:00 PM
January 9th, 2025 7:00 PM

Public hearings: 
January 22nd, 2025 7:00 PM
January 23rd, 2025 7:00 PM
 

For more information on NPDES permits and regulations, visit the EPA’s website: https://www.epa.gov/npdes-permits/residual-designation-charles-river-watershed-mystic-river-watershed-and-neponset#NoticePreliminaryDesignation