05-22-2023 City Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM 6B STAFF ORIGINATOR: Michael Grochala, Community Development Director MEETING DATE: May 22, 2023 TOPIC: Consider 1st Reading of Ordinance No. 02-23, Amending Chapter 405 Related to Bulk Deicing Material Storage VOTE REQUIRED: 3/5 INTRODUCTION Staff is requesting City Council approval to amend City Code Chapter 405 to establish minimum requirements for the storage of deicing material. BACKGROUND Section 18.6 of the City’s General Permit for Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) requires that the City adopt a regulatory mechanism (Ordinance) that requires proper salt storage at commercial, institutional, and non-NPDES Permitted industrial facilities. At a minimum the ordinance must require the following: a. Designated salt storage areas must be covered or indoors; b. Designated salt storage areas must be located on an impervious surface; and c. Implementation of practices to reduce exposure when transferring material in designated salt storage areas (e.g., sweeping, diversions, and/containment). Staff reviewed the requirements and draft ordinance with the City Council at the December 5, 2022, City Council work session. ANALYSIS Deicers used to reduce ice and snow on roads, parking lots, and sidewalks often include salt, which contains chloride. Chloride is easily transmitted into lakes, streams, and groundwater. This has the potential to impact drinking water supplies, as well as the health of freshwater fish and other aquatic life. Once in the water, there is no easy way to remove it. Residents experience the impacts of chloride in many ways: • Fish and aquatic bugs – High amounts of chloride are toxic to fish, aquatic bugs, and amphibians. Chloride can negatively affect the fish and insect community structure, diversity, and productivity, even at lower levels. • Plants – Road salt splash can kill plants and trees along the roadside, and plants that take up salty water through their roots can also suffer, Chloride in streams, lakes, and wetlands harms aquatic vegetation and can change the plant community structure.