Village Avoids EPA Fines With Stormwater Management Response

recently received a stamp of approval from the Environmental Protection Agency for its response to a July order to address a number of deficiencies in the village's stormwater management plan, facing hefty fines if not met according to schedule.

A March 14 letter from the agency states that they are satisfied with the submissions made in response to the order issued after that may have allowed debris, chemicals, and to contaminate Northport waters, and will work with the village to develop and implement an Illicit Discharge and Elimination (IDDE) trackdown scheme by the end of this month.

The plan would contain a comprehensive schedule for completion of corrective measures necessary to eliminate illicit discharges within the storm sewer system based on the locations identified in the EPA reports, as well as inspection, sampling, and verification. Northport's preliminary plan outline is attached to this article.

During a follow-up inspection on March 7, the EPA found five locations around outflow pipes that drain into Northport Harbor with higher than acceptable levels of coliform bacteria. These areas will be the first to be addressed.

"What we think we're going to do is purchase a TV camera that will video the inside of the pipes and we can find if they are cracked, if sections are disjointed, or possibly if someone has put a waste pipe into a stormwater pipe," said Mayor George Doll.

"The first thing is the five locations: the two pipes at the end of Main Street that are constantly flowing even in dry weather, a pipe at the end of Stanton Street that we think goes underground across Bayview and comes out at the bulkhead over there, and there might be a pipe up at the Cow Harbor parking lot or at the end of fifth avenue that is also constantly running."

The EPA said in its letter that it is also looking in to outfall pipes which may belong to New York State that drain 25A and come out near , according to Mayor Doll, and that a December sampling inspection conducted on the sewage treatment plant and many of the stormwater outfalls found the plant to be in compliance with all SPDES permit limitations, except for a minor exceedence of a daily limit for total suspended solids.