STORM WATER2

· "Waste Discharge Permits" are governed in part by 30 TAC Chapter 319 (General Regulations Incorporated Into Permits), subchapter B, Hazardous Metals, Secs. 319.21-319.29

· This provision may be thought of as a default numeric limits condition, imposed by operation of regulation, where no limits are mentioned in the permit.

· 30 TAC 319.28 requires: " Every waste discharge permit which does not currently specify effluent limitations for any of the hazardous metals covered by this subchapter is hereby amended to incorporate the terms of this subchapter. In all waste discharge permits which the commission may issue, renew, or amend, the quality levels specified in this subchapter shall apply where the commission does not establish specific effluent limitations regarding a particular hazardous metal."

· The San Antonio permit is likely to be a template for other Phase I renewals.

· Reference to the City's permit is hereafter in the plural because its basic terms will likely be applicable to other municipal renewals.

IMPACT of permit language and 30 TAC 319.28

· regulation provides default numeric limits for hazardous metals in all "waste" discharge permits

· the following numeric limits will apply to inland and tidal waters, respectively:

Inland Waters
Metal	Not to Exceed Average	Not to Exceed Daily Composite	Not to Exceed Grab Sample
Arsenic	0.1	0.2	0.3
Barium	1.0	2.0	4.0
Cadmium	0.05	0.1	0.2
Chromium	0.5	1.0	5.0
Copper	0.5	1.0	2.0
Lead	0.5	1.0	1.5
Manganese	1.0	2.0	3.0
Mercury	0.005	0.005	0.01
Nickel	1.0	2.0	3.0
Selenium	0.05	0.1	0.2
Silver	0.05	0.1	0.2
Zinc	1.0	2.0	6.0

Tidal Waters
Metal	Not to Exceed Average	Not to Exceed Daily Composite	Not to Exceed Grab Sample
Arsenic	0.1	0.2	0.3
Barium	1.0	2.0	4.0
Cadmium	0.1	0.2	0.3
Chromium	0.5	1.0	5.0
Copper	0.5	1.0	2.0
Lead	0.5	1.0	1.5
Manganese	1.0	2.0	3.0
Mercury	0.005	0.005	0.01
Nickel	1.0	2.0	3.0
Selenium	0.1	0.2	0.3
Silver	0.05	0.1	0.2
Zinc	1.0	2.0	6.0

OUTCOME

· Above tables will be read into every new stormwater permit because:

(a) the new permits are entitled Waste Discharge Permits

(b) TCEQ fails to express specific numeric values in the permits, and

· TCEQ provides no permit language disavowing application of Subchapter B to the new waste discharge permits.

TCEQ DOES NOT INTENDED ABOVE OUTCOME

· The TCEQ fact sheet disavows intent to impose immediate numeric limitations, achieved by default.

· In the fact sheet, TCEQ says it does not intend to impose numeric limits at this time, but reserves the right to do so in the future.

· The result obscures the City's real Permit obligations.

· The Permit governs. Only express permit language can overcome application of Subchapter B, Hazardous Metals limitations.

SIMPLE REMEDIES

To accomplish TCEQ's expressed intent, to avoid automatic imposition of numeric limits for stormwater, the agency may simply do one of two things, either:

· adjust the permit's title to read "Stormwater Discharge Permit"; or

· insert specific language in the permit to the effect, "The commission finds application of Subchapter B of Chapter 319, 30 TAC, is not appropriate to renewal of federal stormwater permits for MS4 compliance under the program delegated to the State of Texas ."