National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permitting and Pesticides Jeff Fischer Permits Section Water Resources Division (517) rio.nmsu.edusouthernsportsmanaquaticsandland.com

History Pesticides as pollutants –November 27, 2006 CWA Interpretation – 2009 National Cotton Council, et al. v. EPA NPDES permits required EPA response –Ruling reasonable –No appeal –Two year stay of mandate –Supreme Court review request

Pesticide Application Categories Covered Pesticide Uses –Mosquito and other flying insect control –Aquatic nuisance weed and algae control –Aquatic nuisance animal control –Forestry canopy pest control Outside scope of general permit –Terrestrial applications to control pests on forest floors and agricultural crops –Adulticiding –Off-target spray drift Activities exempt under CWA –Irrigation return flow –Storm water runoff pubs.usgs.gov

EPA Development Schedule Court Grants 2 year stay of mandate EPA proposes draft permit Public Comment Period Ends EPA finalization of general permit Mandate Issues June 2009 June 4, 2010 July 19, 2010 December 2010 April 9, 2011

NPDES Permit Development EPA, Michigan, and other Region 5 States working together Stakeholder Involvement –Four meetings –Sub workgroups General Permits –Federal vs. State Notice of Intent Certificate of Coverage –State must be at least as restrictive as fed permit

DNRE Development Schedule Court Grants 2 year stay of mandate EPA proposes draft permit Public Comment Period Ends EPA finalization of general permit Issue Certificates June 2009 June 4, 2010 July 19, 2010 December 2010 April 9, 2011 August 16, 2010 September 30, 2010 October 2010 November rd stakeholder meetingFinal stakeholder meeting Public Notice Draft General Permits Public Hearing2 nd stakeholder meeting July 28, st stakeholder meeting June, Application Training Workshop February 2011 DNRE issues general permits November 2009 DNRE Begin meeting internally

Annual Treatment Area Thresholds Pesticide Use Annual Threshold Mosquitoes and other flying insect pest control640 acres of treatment Aquatic Nuisance Plant and algae control In Water 20 acres of treatment At Water’s Edge 20 linear Miles of treatment Aquatic Nuisance Animal Control In Water 20 acres of treatment At Water’s Edge 20 linear Miles of treatment Forest Canopy Pest Control640 acres of canopy

Treatment Area Calculations Area of applications made to: 1) water’s of the state of Michigan, and 2) conveyances with a hydrologic connection to surface waters of the state during the time of pesticide application. For calculating annual treatment area totals, –Count each pesticide application as a separate activity. Also, multiple treatments to the same area are considered as distinct pesticide application events. For example: – a 5-acre treatment area that is treated 4 times in one year equals 20 acres of treatment area, and –treating both sides of a ten mile ditch is equal to twenty miles of treatment area.

Permittee Decision-maker and/or person financially responsible, or person applying pesticides –Michigan approach – One permittee –Clear division of responsibility Written agreement between parties Applications Under threshold –Automatic coverage –No application required

Michigan’s Permitting Approach Separate General Permit for each category –Mosquito and flying insect pest control –Aquatic nuisance weed and algae –Aquatic nuisance animal –Forestry canopy pest control Acknowledge existing programs –FIFRA –Rule 97 certifications –Aquatic Nuisance Control – Part 33 –Agriculture – Part 83 –Reporting –Procedures

General Permit Requirements Components that make up General Permit –Discharge Limitations –Integrated Pest Management Practices –Pesticide Discharge Management Plan –Record Keeping/Annual Report Adverse Incident Reporting No numeric limits

Discharge Limitations Minimize pesticide use Equipment maintenance/calibration Spill prevention Registered products Specific restrictions Listed pesticides

Integrated Pest Management Practices Only required if exceed annual threshold Identify species and contributing factors Pest action threshold Pre- and post-application surveillance Select/implement effective pest management Compliance –Pre-existing plans –Document implementation

Pesticide Discharge Management Plan Only required if exceed annual threshold –Deadlines for development Documentation of limit implementation –Evaluation/selection of control measures –Does not contain limitations Division of duties – written agreement Record retention Modification –Corrective action –updates

Record Keeping Required for all permittees –Minimal requirements if below threshold –Exceed threshold – more comprehensive Acknowledge other program requirements –Eliminate duplication Record retention –3 years –Availablity

Annual Report Required only if exceed annual threshold Summary of pesticide application activities –Treatment area Specific Submittal requirements –Can rely upon other documents to fulfill conditions of reporting requirement plants.ifas.ufl.edu/node/191

Requirement for Individual Permit Pesticide not listed Significant contributor to pollution Outstanding state resource waters Impaired waters Permittee request

Permit Application and Forms Proposed Format Application Training Workshop Tentative: February 10, 2011

Compliance Paramount Issue –Staffing and cost –Number of permits to process –Unsure of approach Rely on Existing Program Requirements Adverse Incident Report Corrective Action EPA Guidance –Expectations?

Current Status and Next Steps Draft General Permits Completed Public Notice –30 day comment period Newspaper DNRE website –Concurrent Hearing Announcement Continue Public Outreach General Permit Issuance in December Document Development –Annual Report –Permit Application Issue Certificates of Coverage Compliance

Questions?