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0 <br />a <br />league of minnesota cities <br />04. <br />Septemher 1 , 1.o; <br />To: Mayors, Managers, and Clerks <br />From: Joel Jamnik, Legislative Counsel <br />9e: Possible Congressional Action to Pegulate Storm Water Discharges <br />Recent developments regarding the wastewater treatment construction <br />grant program and the charging of fees for pollution permits hale <br />subjects of prior Action Alerts. I would like to thank you for <br />concern and prompt responses to these past action alerts. I also <br />sincerely wish I did not have to sand the following action alert to you, <br />but once again we are faced with a proposal that could severely impact <br />Minnesota's cities. As bizarre as it may sound, the following <br />is actually ur.der consideration. <br />Tne Clear Water Act of 1972 requires the Federa: Environmevital <br />Protection Agency to issue a permit and control polluticn levels <br />enttiing the wate^s of the United States from every manmade dise_harg0 <br />point. So fa:,, the EPA has concentrated on the the g po a on <br />pro which include municipal sewage systems and waste water <br />generated by industrial prcceuses. <br />Now, in response to a federal court ruling, EPA has saic it will require <br />storm water collection systems to obtain a permit similar to those <br />issued to waste treatment facilities and major industrial plants, even <br />though by EPA's own estimate the overwhelming majority of storm systeaa <br />are relatively a minor pollution concern and deserve low priority <br />attention. <br />Given the limited resources available for water pollution cleanup and <br />the enormcus number of separa.e storm water permits required, doggedly <br />pursuing a policy of requiring permit applications and issuing cleanup <br />requirements for storm water discharges threatens to make a mockery of <br />the Clean Water Act itself. <br />1 B3 un.vurs.ty avenum oast, st Pa.1 main,r•;0t,1 551 01 (61 2) 2275600 <br />