NOTICE OF PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD
The Department of Energy and the Environment (the Department) is soliciting comments on the draft Consolidated Total Maximum Daily Load Implementation Plan (TMDL IP). Section 2.2.5.5 of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for the District’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4), Permit No. DC 0000221, directs the District to update the previous TMDL IP, which was developed in 2016, and to make this updated plan available for public review and comment. The TMDL IP summarizes the District’s progress to date in implementing stormwater best management practices (BMPs) to reduce pollutant loads and provides projections and attainment strategies to guide future implementation. The TMDL IP is available in the attachments section below, or upon request by contacting the Department’s Water Quality Division at (202) 308-2950.
The Department will consider the public’s comments when finalizing this plan. Interested persons may submit written comments on the draft plan, which must include the person’s name, telephone number, affiliation, if any, mailing address, a statement outlining their concerns, and any facts underscoring those concerns. All comments must be submitted within sixty (60) days after the date of publication of notice in the D.C. Register.
Comments should be clearly marked “Total Maximum Daily Load Implementation Plan” and either (1) mailed or hand-delivered to DOEE, Water Quality Division, 1200 First Street, N.E., 5th Floor, Washington, DC 20002, Attention: Total Maximum Daily Load Implementation Plan, or (2) e-mailed to [email protected].
The Department will consider all timely received comments before finalizing the plan. All comments will be treated as public documents and will be made available for public viewing on the Department’s website. When the Department identifies a comment containing copyrighted material, the Department will provide a reference to that material on the website. If a comment is sent by e-mail, the email address will be automatically captured and included as part of the comment that is placed in the public record and made available on the Department’s website. If the Department cannot read a comment due to technical difficulties, and the email address contains an error, the Department may not be able to contact the commenter for clarification and may not be able to consider the comment. Including the commenter’s name and contact information in the comment will avoid this difficulty.