Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Information Sessions Regarding Franklin Residually Designated Discharges

                                            The United Regional Chamber of Commerce logo 
Information Sessions Regarding Franklin Residually Designated Discharges
The United Regional Chamber of Commerce and the 495 MetroWest Partnership invites you to an information session at which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will provide information on the "Draft General Permit for Residually Designated Discharges in Bellingham, Franklin, and Milford." In light of the comment period being extended to Sept. 30, the 495/MetroWest Partnership and The United Regional Chamber have been working with the EPA to use this opportunity for further outreach and education for the affected parties.

The first of these information sessions is being held on Tues., Aug. 3 at 10 a.m. at Dean College in Franklin in the Alden Center at 85 Main St. Parking is available in the Dean Hall Parking Lot. The second session is scheduled for Wed., Aug. 18 at 3 p.m. in the Arcand Meeting Room at Bellingham Municipal Center, located at 10 Mechanic St., Bellingham.

The third session will be held on Thurs., Aug. 26 at 10 a.m. in the Physician's Conference Room at the Milford Regional Medical Center, located at 14 Prospect St., Milford. Free parking is available at the Cancer Center, directly across the street from the Hospital, on Prospect Street.

These meetings offer an opportunity for constructive dialogue on the details of the draft permit. EPA officials will offer a presentation, followed by Q&A. This is not a public hearing but an informational meeting to gather more details about the draft permit and to have your questions/concerns heard by the EPA. For further details and background information on the draft permit visit:http://www.epa.gov/region1/npdes/charlesriver/index.html.

If you have specific comments/concerns on the draft permit that you would like to submit formally, for the record, they must be sent in writing by Sept. 30 to the EPA at:

                        Mark Voorhees
                        Office of Ecosystem Protection
                        US EPA Region 1
                        5 Post Office Square, Suite 100, Mail Code OEP06-4
                        Boston, MA 02109-3912
                       Voorhees.mark@epa.gov

Who should attend? Property owners in the affected communities who have either received a letter/Notice of Residual Designation from the EPA or have 2 or more acres of impervious surface (rooftops, parking lots).

Why should you attend? Once the draft permit is finalized, affected property owners will be required to obtain an authorization to discharge stormwater and reduce phosphorous levels in those discharges by implementing Best Management Practices (BMP's - both non-structural and structural) and/or participating in a Certified Municipal Phosphorous Program (CMPP). Learn more about who is affected, what will need to be done to be in compliance, and what the timelines are.

Please send specific questions that you would like addressed at these meetings in advance to Mark Voorhees, at voorhees.mark@epa.gov

Also, please RSVP to Mark Voorhees and indicate which meeting you are planning on attending.


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