National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permitting and Pesticides

1. National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)Permitting and Pesticides Jeff Fischer Permits Section Water Resources Division fischerj1@michigan.gov; (517) 335-4188 southernsportsmanaquaticsandland.com rio.nmsu.edu

2. 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

3. 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

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

5. 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

6. DNRE Development Schedule Court Grants 2 year stay of mandate Public Notice Draft General Permits EPA finalization of general permit DNRE Begin meeting internally Public Comment Period Ends EPA proposes draft permit Application Training Workshop 1st stakeholder meeting 2nd stakeholder meeting 3rd stakeholder meeting Final stakeholder meeting Public Hearing DNRE issues general permits Issue Certificates June 4, 2010 June 2009 July 19, 2010 April 9, 2011 November 2009 June, 11 2010 July 28, 2010 December 2010 February 2011 October 2010 August 16, 2010 November 2010 September 30, 2010

7. Annual Treatment Area Thresholds

8. 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.

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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 www.scerp.net

12. Discharge Limitations • Minimize pesticide use • Equipment maintenance/calibration • Spill prevention • Registered products • Specific restrictions • Listed pesticides www.thefullwiki.org/Pesticide

13. 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 www.dbw.ca.gov/Environmental/Aquatic.aspx

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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 www.lakelandrs.com/Technical_Services.aspx plants.ifas.ufl.edu/node/191

17. Requirement for Individual Permit • Pesticide not listed • Significant contributor to pollution • Outstanding state resource waters • Impaired waters • Permittee request www.aaroncjors.com

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

19. 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?

20. 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

21. Questions?