Opportunity for Comment
Draft General Permit - Discharge of Pesticides
Comment deadline: May 1, 2014
Pursuant to Maine law 38 MRSA, §464, sub-§4A, the Department?s Bureau of Land and Water Quality, Division of Water Quality Management has developed a general permit (GP) for the incidental and unintended discharges of pesticides to surface Waters of the State associated with pest control activities provided the pesticide(s) are applied in compliance with federal labeling restrictions and applied in compliance with State statute, Maine Board of Pesticide Control rules and best management practices. This GP applies to Class GPA, AA, A, B, C, SA, SB, SC surface Waters of the State, tributaries to Class GPA waters, and those waters having a drainage area of less than 10 square miles. This permit covers any Operator who meets the eligibility requirements identified in Part II §1.1 of the permit and if so required, has submitted a NOI in accordance with Part II §1.2 of the permit. This GP is being issued as a Maine Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (MEPDES) permit and has been assigned #MEG230000.
Only Operators meeting the eligibility requirements outlined in the GP may be covered under the permit. If an Operator does not meet the eligibility provisions described in Part I §1.1 of the GP, the Operator?s point source discharges to surface Waters of the State from the application of pesticides will be in violation of the CWA, unless the Operator has obtained coverage under another permit or the Clean Water Act exempts these discharges from MEPDES permit requirements. Agricultural storm water and irrigation return flow are exempt from MEPDES permits. Also, applications that do not reach Waters of the State do not need permit coverage. Thus, the permit covers the incidental and unintentional discharge of pesticides (biological pesticides and chemical pesticides which leave a residue) to surface Waters of the State resulting from the following use patterns: 1) Flying Insect Pest Control; (2) Terrestrial Weed Pest Control; and (3) Forest Canopy Pest Control.
Comments must be received by 5 PM, Thursday, May 1, 2014. The Department contact for the GP for the Discharge of Pesticides is:
Gregg Wood
Department of Environmental Protection
Bureau of Land & Water Quality
Division of Water Quality Management
State House Station #17
Augusta, ME. 04333
e-mail: gregg.wood@maine.gov
phone: 207-287-7693