A.
Prohibition of illegal discharges. No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged into the MS4 any materials other than stormwater except as provided in § 236-25A below. The commencement, conduct or continuance of any illegal discharge to the MS4 is prohibited, except as described as follows:
(1)
The following discharges are exempt from discharge prohibitions established
by this chapter, unless the Department or the municipality has determined
them to be substantial contributors of pollutants: waterline flushing
or other potable water sources, landscape irrigation or lawn watering,
existing diverted stream flows, rising groundwater, uncontaminated
groundwater infiltration to storm drains, uncontaminated pumped groundwater,
foundation or footing drains, air-conditioning condensate, irrigation
water, springs, water from individual residential car washing, natural
riparian habitat or wetland flows, residential street wash water,
water from fire-fighting activities, and any other water source not
containing pollutants. Such exempt discharges shall be made in accordance
with an appropriate plan for reducing pollutants.
(2)
Discharges approved in writing by the SMO to protect life or property
from imminent harm or damage, provided that such approval shall not
be construed to constitute compliance with other applicable laws and
requirements, and further provided that such discharges may be permitted
for a specified time period and under such conditions as the SMO may
deem appropriate to protect such life and property while reasonably
maintaining the purpose and intent of this chapter.
(3)
Dye testing in compliance with applicable state and local laws is
an allowable discharge but requires a verbal notification to the SMO
prior to the time of the test.
(4)
The prohibition shall not apply to any discharge permitted under
an SPDES permit, waiver, or waste discharge order issued to the discharger
and administered under the authority of the Department, provided that
the discharger is in full compliance with all requirements of the
permit, waiver, or order and other applicable laws and regulations,
and provided that written approval has been granted for any discharge
to the MS4.
B.
Prohibition of illicit connections.
(1)
The construction, use, maintenance or continued existence of illicit
connections to the MS4 is prohibited.
(2)
This prohibition expressly includes, without limitation, illicit
connections made in the past, regardless of whether the connection
was permissible under law or practices applicable or prevailing at
the time of connection.
(3)
A person is considered to be in violation of this chapter if the
person connects a line conveying sewage to the municipality's
MS4 or allows such a connection to continue.
A.
No persons shall operate a failing individual sewage treatment system
in areas tributary to the municipality's MS4. A failing individual
sewage treatment system is one which has one or more of the following
conditions:
(1)
The backup of sewage into a structure.
(2)
Discharges of treated or untreated sewage onto the ground surface.
(3)
A connection or connections to a separate stormwater sewer system.
(4)
Liquid level in the septic tank above the outlet invert.
(5)
Structural failure of any component of the individual sewage treatment
system that could lead to any of the other failure conditions as noted
in this section.
(6)
Contamination of off-site surface water and groundwater.
B.
Any failing individual sewage system shall be remedied to the satisfaction
of the SMO.
A.
Activities that are subject to the requirements of this section are
those types of activities that:
B.
Such activities include failing individual sewage treatment systems as defined in § 236-26, improper management of pet waste or any other activity that causes or contributes to violations of the municipality's MS4 SPDES permit authorization.
C.
Upon notification to a person that he or she is engaged in activities
that cause or contribute to violations of the municipality's
MS4 SPDES permit authorization, that person shall take all reasonable
actions to correct such activities such that he or she no longer causes
or contributes to violations of the municipality's MS4 SPDES
permit authorization.
A.
Best management practices. Where the SMO has identified illicit discharges as defined in § 236-5 or activities contaminating stormwater as defined in § 236-27, the municipality may require implementation of best management practices (BMPs) to control those illicit discharges and activities.
(1)
The owner or operator of a commercial or industrial establishment
shall provide, at its own expense, reasonable protection from accidental
discharge of prohibited materials or other wastes into the MS4 through
the use of structural and nonstructural BMPs.
(2)
Any person responsible for a property or premises, which is, or may be, the source of an illicit discharge as defined in § 236-5 or an activity contaminating stormwater as defined in § 236-27 may be required to implement, at said person's expense, additional structural and nonstructural BMPs to reduce or eliminate the source of pollutant(s) to the MS4.
(3)
Compliance with all terms and conditions of a valid SPDES permit
authorizing the discharge of stormwater associated with industrial
activity, to the extent practicable, shall be deemed compliance with
the provisions of this section.
B.
Individual sewage treatment system: response to special conditions requiring no increase of pollutants or requiring a reduction of pollutants. Where individual sewage treatment systems are contributing to the municipality's being subject to the special conditions as defined in § 236-5, the owner or operator of such individual sewage treatment systems shall be required to comply with the applicable rules and regulations of the Suffolk County Department of Health Services and/or the below requirements. In instances where there is an inconsistency with the below requirements and the Suffolk County Department of Health Services rules and regulations, the more restrictive requirement shall apply.
(1)
Maintain and operate individual sewage treatment systems as follows:
(a)
Inspect the septic tank annually to determine scum and sludge
accumulation. Septic tanks must be pumped out whenever the bottom
of the scum layer is within three inches of the bottom of the outlet
baffle or sanitary tee or the top of the sludge is within 10 inches
of the bottom of the outlet baffle or sanitary tee.
(b)
Avoid the use of septic tank additives.
(c)
Avoid the disposal of excessive quantities of detergents, kitchen
wastes, laundry wastes, and household chemicals; and
(d)
Avoid the disposal of cigarette butts, disposable diapers, sanitary
napkins, trash and other such items.
(2)
Repair or replace individual sewage treatment systems as follows:
(a)
In accordance with 10 NYCRR Appendix 75-A to the maximum extent
practicable.
(b)
A design professional licensed to practice in New York State
shall prepare design plans for any type of absorption field that involves:
(c)
A written certificate of compliance shall be submitted by the
design professional to the municipality at the completion of construction
of the repair or replacement system.
A.
The SMO may, without prior notice, suspend MS4 discharge access to
a person when such suspension is necessary to stop an actual or threatened
discharge which presents or may present imminent and substantial danger
to the environment, to the health or welfare of persons, or to the
MS4. The SMO shall notify the person of such suspension within a reasonable
time thereafter in writing of the reasons for the suspension. If the
violator fails to comply with a suspension order issued in an emergency,
the SMO may take such steps as deemed necessary to prevent or minimize
damage to the MS4 or to minimize danger to persons.
B.
Suspension due to the detection of illicit discharge. Any person
discharging to the municipality's MS4 in violation of this chapter
may have its MS4 access terminated if such termination would abate
or reduce an illicit discharge. The SMO will notify a violator in
writing of the proposed termination of its MS4 access and the reasons
therefor. The violator may petition the SMO in writing for reconsideration.
Access may be granted by the SMO if he/she finds that the illicit
discharge has ceased and the discharger has taken steps to prevent
its recurrence. Access may be denied if the SMO determines in writing
that the illicit discharge has not ceased or is likely to recur. A
person commits an offense if the person reinstates MS4 access to premises
terminated pursuant to this section without the prior approval of
the SMO.
Any person subject to an industrial or construction activity
SPDES stormwater discharge permit shall comply with all provisions
of such permit. Proof of compliance with said permit may be required
in a form acceptable to the municipality prior to the allowing of
discharges to the MS4.
A.
Applicability. This section applies to all facilities that the SMO
must inspect to enforce any provision of this chapter or whenever
the authorized enforcement agency has cause to believe that there
exists, or potentially exists, in or upon any premises any condition
which constitutes a violation of this chapter.
B.
Access to facilities.
(1)
The SMO shall be permitted to enter and inspect facilities subject
to regulation under this chapter as often as may be necessary to determine
compliance with this chapter. If a discharger has security measures
in force which require proper identification and clearance before
entry into its premises, the discharger shall make the necessary arrangements
to allow access to the SMO.
(2)
Facility operators shall allow the SMO ready access to all parts
of the premises for the purposes of inspection, sampling, examination
and copying of records as may be required to implement this chapter.
(3)
The municipality shall have the right to set up on any facility subject
to this chapter such devices as are necessary in the opinion of the
SMO to conduct monitoring and/or sampling of the facility's stormwater
discharge.
(4)
The municipality has the right to require the facilities subject
to this chapter to install monitoring equipment as is reasonably necessary
to determine compliance with this chapter. The facility's sampling
and monitoring equipment shall be maintained at all times in a safe
and proper operating condition by the discharger at its own expense.
All devices used to measure stormwater flow and quality shall be calibrated
to ensure their accuracy.
(5)
Unreasonable delays in allowing the municipality access to a facility
subject to this chapter is a violation of this chapter. A person who
is the operator of a facility subject to this chapter commits an offense
if the person denies the municipality reasonable access to the facility
for the purpose of conducting any activity authorized or required
by this chapter.
(6)
If the SMO has been refused access to any part of the premises from
which stormwater is discharged and he/she is able to demonstrate probable
cause to believe that there may be a violation of this chapter or
that there is a need to inspect and/or sample as part of a routine
inspection and sampling program designed to verify compliance with
this chapter or any order issued hereunder, then the SMO may seek
issuance of a search warrant from any court of competent jurisdiction.
Notwithstanding other requirements of law, as soon as any person
responsible for a facility or operation, or responsible for emergency
response for a facility or operation, has information of any known
or suspected release of materials which are resulting or may result
in illegal discharges of pollutants discharging into the MS4, said
person shall take all necessary steps to ensure the discovery, containment,
and cleanup of such release. In the event of such a release of hazardous
materials, said person shall immediately notify emergency response
agencies of the occurrence via emergency dispatch services. In the
event of a release of nonhazardous materials, said person shall notify
the municipality in person or by telephone or facsimile no later than
the next business day. Notifications in person or by telephone shall
be confirmed by written notice addressed and mailed to the municipality
within three business days of the telephone notice. If the discharge
of prohibited materials emanates from a commercial or industrial establishment,
the owner or operator of such establishment shall also retain an on-site
written record of the discharge and the actions taken to prevent its
recurrence. Such records shall be retained for at least three years.