General Assembly Raised Bill No. 5496
February Session, 2020 LCO No. 2681
Referred to Committee on ENVIRONMENT
Introduced by:
(ENV)
AN ACT CONCERNING THE SMALL MUNICIPAL SEPARATE STORM
SEWER SYSTEMS GENERAL PERMIT.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
1 Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) The Department of Energy
2 and Environmental Protection shall, within available appropriations,
3 develop and implement a state-wide public education and outreach
4 campaign to assist municipalities in complying with the requirements
5 of the small municipal separate storm sewer systems general permit.
6 Such campaign shall be developed in consultation with the Connecticut
7 Council of Small Towns, the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities,
8 environmental and watershed organizations and regional councils of
9 governments and shall, at a minimum, include recommendations for
10 video content, social media and electronic and print materials that
11 municipalities may use to fulfill the requirements of the permit.
12 Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective from passage) The Department of Energy and
13 Environmental Protection shall develop a program to allow a qualified
14 professional to certify that a municipality is in compliance with the
15 terms and conditions of the small municipal separate storm sewer
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16 systems general permit. The department shall develop
17 recommendations to (1) reduce documentation required to demonstrate
18 compliance with such general permit; (2) identify electronic reporting
19 applications that municipalities may use to simplify reporting pursuant
20 to such permit; and (3) direct the Center for Land Use Education and
21 Research at The University of Connecticut to provide workshops to
22 assist permittees with documentation under the general permit,
23 including, but not limited to, information regarding electronic reporting
24 applications and other compliance resources available to such
25 permittees.
26 Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective from passage) Notwithstanding any provision
27 of the general statutes, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental
28 Protection shall provide municipalities with an extension of time to
29 comply with the requirements of the small municipal separate storm
30 sewer systems general permit upon a demonstration to the satisfaction
31 of the commissioner that such municipality made significant progress
32 toward compliance with such requirements.
33 Sec. 4. (NEW) (Effective from passage) The Department of Energy and
34 Environmental Protection shall develop recommendations and provide
35 training and assistance to municipalities to facilitate compliance with
36 the small municipal separate storm sewer systems general permit. Such
37 recommendations, training and assistance shall include, but not be
38 limited to: (1) Mandating outfall screening requirements only when
39 there is evidence of an illicit discharge; (2) authorizing municipalities to
40 prioritize outfall screening based on the watershed; (3) assisting
41 municipalities in calculating and disconnecting directly connected
42 impervious area; and (4) limiting the requirement for long-term
43 maintenance plans for stormwater basins and treatment structures
44 under the post-construction stormwater best management practices to
45 new basins and treatment structures. The department shall submit a
46 report on or before October 1, 2021, in accordance with the provisions
47 of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing committees
48 of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to
49 municipalities and the environment. Such report shall set forth the
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50 recommendations required pursuant to this section and describe any
51 training and assistance provided by the department pursuant to this
52 section.
53 Sec. 5. (NEW) (Effective from passage) The Department of Energy and
54 Environmental Protection shall assist municipalities and regional
55 councils of government in coordinating regional stormwater coalitions
56 to provide a mechanism for municipalities, regional councils of
57 government and watershed and environmental organizations to
58 collaborate and share information regarding best practices, technical
59 products, field procedures, public education tools, documentation
60 software, training opportunities and cost-effective compliance tools.
61 Sec. 6. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2020) There is established within the
62 Department of Energy and Environmental Protection the Municipal
63 Stormwater Management Assistance program. Said program shall
64 provide matching grants to municipalities, groups of two or more
65 municipalities and regional council of governments to assist
66 municipalities in complying with the small municipal separate storm
67 sewer systems general permit. Such grants may be issued with priority
68 to projects that are regional in scope. The grants may be used for (1) the
69 planning, design and implementation of new stormwater best
70 management practices; (2) the acquisition of electronic reporting
71 software, field equipment needed for screening and laboratory testing;
72 (3) performing outfall monitoring; (4) low-impact development projects;
73 (5) developing long-term maintenance plans for stormwater basins and
74 treatment structures; and (6) other activities necessary to support
75 compliance with the permit.
76 Sec. 7. (Effective July 1, 2020) (a) For the purposes described in
77 subsection (b) of this section, the State Bond Commission shall have the
78 power from time to time to authorize the issuance of bonds of the state
79 in one or more series and in principal amounts not exceeding in the
80 aggregate twenty million dollars.
81 (b) The proceeds of the sale of such bonds, to the extent of the amount
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82 stated in subsection (a) of this section, shall be used by the Department
83 of Energy and Environmental Protection for the purpose of providing
84 grants-in-aid pursuant to the Municipal Stormwater Assistance
85 program established pursuant to section 6 of this act.
86 (c) All provisions of section 3-20 of the general statutes, or the exercise
87 of any right or power granted thereby, that are not inconsistent with the
88 provisions of this section are hereby adopted and shall apply to all
89 bonds authorized by the State Bond Commission pursuant to this
90 section. Temporary notes in anticipation of the money to be derived
91 from the sale of any such bonds so authorized may be issued in
92 accordance with section 3-20 of the general statutes and from time to
93 time renewed. Such bonds shall mature at such time or times not
94 exceeding twenty years from their respective dates as may be provided
95 in or pursuant to the resolution or resolutions of the State Bond
96 Commission authorizing such bonds. None of such bonds shall be
97 authorized except upon a finding by the State Bond Commission that
98 there has been filed with it a request for such authorization that is signed
99 by or on behalf of the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management
100 and states such terms and conditions as said commission, in its
101 discretion, may require. Such bonds issued pursuant to this section shall
102 be general obligations of the state and the full faith and credit of the state
103 of Connecticut are pledged for the payment of the principal of and
104 interest on such bonds as the same become due, and accordingly and as
105 part of the contract of the state with the holders of such bonds,
106 appropriation of all amounts necessary for punctual payment of such
107 principal and interest is hereby made, and the State Treasurer shall pay
108 such principal and interest as the same become due.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 from passage New section
Sec. 2 from passage New section
Sec. 3 from passage New section
Sec. 4 from passage New section
Sec. 5 from passage New section
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Sec. 6 July 1, 2020 New section
Sec. 7 July 1, 2020 New section
Statement of Purpose:
To require the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to
provide certain assistance to municipalities in relation to compliance
with the small municipal separate storm sewer systems general permit.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.]
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