Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Grants Awarded To Michigan Projects

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grants for projects in Michigan to improve water quality and reduce excess nutrients that contribute to harmful algal blooms in Great Lakes watersheds, including Lake Erie, Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. The restoration projects in Michigan are:

• $350,000 to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality For Nutrient Reduction in the River Raisin and Lake Erie Basin: This project will reduce agricultural sources of nitrogen and phosphorus by 30 -50% through the installation of 133 water control structures on 4,000 – 5,000 acres of tilled cropland. Environmental benefits will include a reduction in nitrate and dissolved reactive phosphorus loadings from the treated areas to the River Raisin watershed and the Western Lake Erie Basin. This project builds on an earlier GLRI project which promoted voluntary best management practices designed to reduce nutrients from agricultural operations in the Raisin River watershed.
• $265,980 to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to Reduce Sediment and Nutrients Entering the Western Lake Erie Basin: The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will use this funding to increase implementation of effective conservation practices on farm fields to significantly reduce the quantity of sediment and nutrients discharged into the Western Lake Erie Basin. The project will prevent 30,400 tons of sediment, 42 tons of phosphorus and 67 tons of nitrogen from entering Lake Erie tributaries; 176 acres of wetlands will be restored.
• $499,741 to the Grand Traverse Bay Watershed Initiative for the Kids Creek Stormwater Reduction Project: This project will improve water quality on a major tributary to Kids Creek, an impaired stream in the Grand Traverse Bay watershed, by replacing underground culverts and channelized ditches with a natural meandering channel. The new stream channel will eliminate 73,000 square feet of impervious area, establish 27,000 square feet of floodplain and create a 15- to 30-foot-wide buffer. Green infrastructure will also be installed to further reduce stormwater and sedimentation impacts to Kids Creek.
• $995,204 to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality for Kawkawlin River Targeted Phosphorus and E. Coli Reduction: This project will implement best management practices (BMPs) identified in the Kawkawlin River Watershed Management Plan. The BMPs include installing six miles of agricultural buffers, 1,700 acres of wind barriers, 1,000 feet of livestock exclusion fencing and planting 6,000 acres of cover crops. This project is expected to prevent E. coli, 15,491 pounds of phosphorus (30 % of the load reduction goal for the watershed) and 10,921 tons of sediment from reaching Saginaw Bay each year.
• $798,282 to the Muskegon River Watershed Assembly for Restoration of Riparian Areas in the Muskegon River Watershed: This project will reforest more than 400 acres of riparian land, restore 150 acres of streambank using native vegetation, put 150 acres of revegetated or natural riparian land into conservation easements, develop 14 forest stewardship plans and implement proper erosion control best management practices at four riparian sites in high priority sub-watersheds of the Muskegon River. This project is expected to prevent 100 tons of sediment, 1,000 pounds of phosphorus and 6,000 pounds of nitrogen from reaching the Muskegon River, the Muskegon Lake Area of Concern and Lake Michigan each year.
• $189,376 to Michigan State University for Locating and Targeting High-Impact Farm Fields to Reduce Phosphorus Discharges: This project will provide electronic mapping technology to agricultural conservation technicians (such as federal and state natural resource agency employees) that will help the technicians identify and target farm fields that are especially prone to high rates of phosphorus discharge. The technicians can then begin working with the owners of these targeted fields and encourage the implementation of conservation practices such as cover crops and improved management of phosphorus and drainage water. As a result of this project, conservation practice implementation can be focused on farm fields having the greatest impacts on water quality, ultimately resulting in a reduction of soluble phosphorus loading in the Saginaw basin.

Caltha LLP provides expert environmental consultant services in Michigan to obtain environmental permits, evaluate regulatory requirements, and to develop cost effective compliance programs. For further information contact Caltha LLP at info@calthacompany.com or Caltha LLP Website

Michigan Projects To Improve Stormwater Quality and Reduce Bacteria

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded six Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grants, totaling over $1.6 million, to improve water quality at Great Lakes beaches in Michigan. Projects awarded grant funding include:

• $179,700 to the City of Marquette, Michigan, to lower health risks and to improve water quality at two Lake Superior beaches in Marquette by using green management practices to reduce contamination.
• $500,000 to the City of Marysville, Michigan, to install rain gardens and other green infrastructure to reduce contaminated stormwater runoff and to deter geese at Chrysler Beach on the St. Clair River.
• $500,000 to the Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority for green infrastructure to reduce contaminated stormwater runoff at Lake St. Clair Metropark (Metro Beach.)
• $217,015 to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to construct rain gardens, plant native grass and install a filtration system to improve water quality and reduce health risks at Sherman Park and Four Mile beaches in Sault Ste. Marie.
• $263,188 to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to build a green stormwater infiltration system at New Buffalo City Beach to reduce bacteria and nutrient levels.

Caltha LLP provides expert environmental consultant services in Michigan to obtain environmental permits, evaluate regulatory requirements, and to develop cost effective compliance programs. For further information contact Caltha LLP at info@calthacompany.com or Caltha LLP Website
 

Grants To Michigan Organizations Under Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

The U.S. Environmental Protection has awarded organizations, agencies, and universities working in the Detroit area more than $2.2 million in grants under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. The funded projects in the Detroit area include:

• $254,406 – Macomb County (Eliminating E. coli Sources Impacting Beach Closures).


• $534,689 – The Nature Conservancy (Detroit River-Western Lake Erie Cooperative Weed Management Area and Phragmites Control).


• $500,000 – Wayne County – Department of Public Services (Toxics Reduction within the Rouge and Detroit River Areas of Concern).


• $1,000,000 – Huron Clinton Metropark Authority (Reducing the Impact of Stormwater on Metro Beach).
  

Caltha LLP provides expert environmental consultant services in Michigan to obtain environmental permits, evaluate regulatory requirements, and to develop cost effective compliance programs.

For further information contact Caltha LLP at info@calthacompany.com or Caltha LLP Website

Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Grants in Michigan

U.S. EPA will provide more than $2 million in grants to three southeast Michigan organizations under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. A total of 99 grants for an estimated $63 million are expected to be awarded in Michigan. Funded projects advance the goals and objectives of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan which released in February.

Southeast Michigan Council of Governments was awarded $500,000 for its "Restoring the Lake Erie Corridor Through Green Streets" program. The funds will pay for construction of bioswales, tree trenches and grow zones to manage road runoff; reduction of annual stormwater runoff volumes, sediment and nutrient loading; development of a Great Lakes Green Streets Guidebook transferable to municipalities; and installation of Green Streets signage for public education benefits.

Wayne State University was awarded $519,564 for "Verification of Ballast Water Treatment Technology." This project is designed to develop technology that will help assess the effectiveness and durability of shipboard ballast water treatment systems.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment will receive $1,028,548 for "Rapid Response to Invasive Species." This project will use the best known methods to eradicate and control several invasive aquatic plant species that harm the Great Lakes.

Caltha LLP provides expert environmental consultant services in Michigan to obtain environmental permits, evaluate regulatory requirements, and to develop cost effective compliance programs.

For further information contact Caltha LLP at info@calthacompany.com or Caltha LLP Website

Wet Weather Pollution Report Issued By DNRE

Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) has released its report “Wet Weather Pollution in Michigan” (Report No. MI/DNRE/WB-10/020). DNRE formed five work groups to evaluate issues related to wet weather pollution and develop a strategy to more effectively protect water quality: Wastes to Land, Earth Change, Urban Living, Monitoring, and Water Quality Based Effluent Limits and Standards Applicability. Each work group report is included as a chapter of the report.

The conclusions and recommendations made by the Work Groups include:

1. Increased E. coli concentrations are the most documented effects from wet weather pollution discharges.
2. Urban streams are heavily impacted by flow modifications from wet weather pollution discharges, due to unnaturally high runoff volumes.
3. A large amount of subjectivity exists in many of the existing wet weather pollution programs.
4. A lack of consistent terminology exists across programs that deal with wet weather pollution.
5. Measuring the impacts of wet weather pollution is problematic, primarily due to sampling difficulty, a lack of methods to monitor pollutants, and established means to evaluate the impacts of wet weather pollution discharges.
6. Based on available records, animal wastes are the largest, by volume, wastes that are applied to land in Michigan.
7. Good regulatory mechanisms exist for biosolids, septage, CAFO permits, combined sewer overflow (CSO), storm sewer overflow (SSO), Industrial Storm Water, Municipal
Storm Water (those under permit), Construction Storm Water and soil erosion and sedimentation control (SESC).
8. Urban infrastructure in Michigan is currently in need of a clearly defined adequate maintenance program.
9. Effective best management practices (BMP) need to be identified and BMP standards established.
10. It is difficult to understand and address total maximum daily load (TMDL) obligations for wet weather pollution discharges.

Caltha LLP provides expert environmental consultant services in Michigan to obtain environmental permits, evaluate regulatory requirements, and to develop cost effective compliance programs.

For further information contact Caltha LLP at

info@calthacompany. or the Caltha LLP Website

Oil Spill Reporting - Federal Sheen Rule Criteria

Under the Clean Water Act, the "sheen rule" provides the framework for determining whether an oil spill should be reported to the federal government. Federal regulation requires the person in charge of a facility or vessel responsible for discharging oil that may be "harmful to the public health or welfare" to report the spill.

The regulation establishes the criteria for determining whether an oil spill may be harmful to public health or welfare, thereby triggering the reporting requirements:

• Discharges that cause a sheen or discoloration on the surface of a body of water;
• Discharges that violate applicable water quality standards; and
• Discharges that cause a sludge or emulsion to be deposited beneath the surface of the water or on adjoining shorelines.

These reporting criteria are independent of local or State spill reporting requirements. Therefore, spills might be reportable even if State spill reporting thresholds are not exceeded.

Because the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, which amended the Clean Water Act, broadly defines the term "oil," the sheen rule applies to both petroleum and non-petroleum oils and fats (e.g., vegetable oil, milk). The regulation also provides several exemptions from the notification requirements.

40 CFR 112 SPCC compliance and SPCC Plan services

Caltha LLP provides expert environmental consultant services in Michigan to obtain environmental permits, evaluate regulatory requirements, and to develop cost effective compliance programs.

For further information contact Caltha LLP at
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RCRA, SWPPP, Hazcom, SPCC Training

Many of the regulatory programs that affect our clients include some requirements for employee training. In order to maintain compliance, improve performance and reduce liabilities and costs, many of our clients may also conduct employee training that may not be required by specific regulations

RCRA Training & Universal Waste Handling Training
Some facilities are required to provide routine training to employees regarding hazard waste management. Facilities that generate only “universal wastes”, such as spend light bulbs, batteries, etc, need to document that employees have been trained on the proper handling of wastes. Caltha will develop RCRA training materials specific to your facility for you to present, or can provide an experienced RCRA trainer to present waste handling training to your employees.

Hazard Communication Training, HazCom Training
OSHA’s Hazard Communication standard includes a strong training component. Caltha prepares HazCom Training Programs for your trainers to present, or we can supply one of our expert trainers.

EMS Awareness and ISO 14001 Training
One of the key compliance elements is development of an Employee Training Program. Based on an individual employees job responsibilities, different level of training may be required, included training certification. Caltha provides stormwater training in a number of flexible formats, including “train the trainer” to maximize your training investment.

Stormwater and SWPPP Training
Caltha has provided SWPPP training to meet State stormwater permit requirements in over 40 different States. Stormwater training has included Employee SWPPP Awareness Training, Inspector Training, Stormwater Monitoring Training, and Overall Permit Compliance Training modules.

SPCC Training & 40 CFR 112 Compliance Training
Facilities that exceed the SPCC rule oil storage threshold of 1,320 gallons need to prepare a Spill Prevention, Control & Countermeasure (SPCC) Plan and comply with the US EPA SPCC Rule. Caltha prepares SPCC Plans, including the new SPCC Template Plan used by smaller facilities, and assists facilities in developing their SPCC rule compliance program, including SPCC inspections and SPCC training.

Environmental Training & EHS Compliance Training
Caltha has several training programs designed to provide an overview of environmental and EHS regulations that affect a typical facility. Training modules have including RCRA, EPCRA, CERCLA, above ground and underground tanks, wastewater, air emissions, hazard communication, hazardous material management, environmental management systems, compliance audits, and numerous State rules. A training program can be customized to meet our client’s special requirements

Caltha LLP provides expert environmental consultant services in Michigan to obtain environmental permits, evaluate regulatory requirements, and to develop cost effective compliance programs.

For further information contact Caltha LLP at

info@calthacompany.

or

Caltha LLP Website

Municipal MS4 Stormwater Pollution Prevention Surveys Proposed

US EPA is proposing a survey in advance of rulemaking related to stormwater permits and permit requirements.

EPA plans to propose a rule to control stormwater from newly developed and redeveloped sites and to take final action no later than November 2012. In support of this rulemaking, EPA is proposing to require three different groups to complete questionnaires about current stormwater management practices:

• Owners, operators, developers, and contractors of newly and redeveloped sites;
• Owners and operators of municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4); and
• States and territories.
  

The proposed survey will be open for public comment for 60 days following publication in the Federal Register.

Caltha LLP provides expert consulting services to public and private sector clients in Michigan to address Stormwater Permitting & Regulatory Support, Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPP), Stormwater Monitoring and Stormwater Training.

Michigan Stormwater Pollution Prevention - SWPPP - Stormwater Training Services

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SWPPP Compliance in Michigan

Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan Stormwater Permit Compliance
SWPPP Plan Template Stormwater Training

Caltha LLP provides technical support to facilities nationwide to comply with US EPA and State stormwater discharge permit requirements. Caltha specializes in industrial site permitting and compliance. We have experience with:

Sector A - Timber Products
Sector B - Paper and Allied Products Manufacturing
Sector C - Chemical and Allied Products Manufacturing
Sector D - Asphalt Paving and Roofing Materials and Lubricant Manufacturing
Sector E - Glass, Clay, Cement, Concrete, and Gypsum Products
Sector F - Primary Metals
Sector G - Metal Mining
Sector I - Oil and Gas Extraction and Refining
Sector J - Mineral Mining
Sector K - Hazardous Waste Treatment, Storage, or Disposal Facilities
Sector L - Landfills, Land Application Sites, and Open Dumps
Sector M - Automobile Salvage Yards
Sector N - Scrap Recycling and Waste Recycling Facilities
Sector O - Steam Electric Generating Facilities
Sector P - Land Transportation and Warehousing
Sector Q - Water Transportation
Sector R - Ship and Boat Building and Repair Yards
Sector S - Air Transportation Facilities
Sector T - Treatment Works
Sector U - Food and Kindred Product
Sector V - Textile Mills, Apparel, and Other Fabric Products
Sector W - Furniture and Fixtures
Sector X - Printing and Publishing
Sector Y - Rubber, Miscellaneous Plastic Products, and Miscellaneous Manufacturing Industries
Sector AA - Fabricated Metal Products
Sector AB - Transportation Equipment, Industrial and Commercial Machinery
Sector AC - Electronic and Electrical Equipment and Components

Caltha LLP maintains a library of SWPPP Templates developed to meet the requirements of individual States. Separate stormwater plan templates are provided to Industrial, Municipal (MS4) and Construction stormwater dischargers. Using a SWPPP Template, the level of effort required to complete a stormwater pollution prevention plan meeting State permit requirements is significantly reduced. The quality, ease-of-use, and effectiveness of the plan are also enhanced.

Caltha LLP also provides Stormwater Training courses developed to meet the requirements of individual States. Separate stormwater training programs are provided to meeting the needs of Industrial, Municipal (MS4) and Construction stormwater dischargers.
Training is offered in a number of flexible formats, ranging from traditional classroom training presented periodically in different locations, to facility-level training conducted at individual sites to meet employee and/or contractor training needs. Caltha offers web-based and remote training options. Caltha also creates facility-specific training materials and conducts “train-the-trainer” sessions for facility training staff.

Caltha LLP provides expert environmental consultant services in Michigan to obtain environmental permits, evaluate regulatory requirements, and to develop cost effective compliance programs.

For further information contact Caltha LLP at
info@calthacompany.com
or
Caltha LLP Website

Michigan Stormwater Training - SWPPP Training

Caltha LLP offers a number of different training opportunities related to stormwater pollution prevention and stormwater permit compliance. Training sessions are offered periodically in locations around Michigan or are presented at an individual facility to meet employee training requirements.

Caltha offers special SWPPP training options designed for small groups and small organizations.

[Read more about SWPPP Training – Stormwater Training]

Stormwater Training offered includes:

Industrial Stormwater
SWPPP Training (required by permit)
SWPPP Awareness Training
Industrial Stormwater Permit Overview
Conducting Stormwater Inspections and Comprehensive Compliance Evaluations
Stormwater Monitoring Training

Construction Stormwater
SWPPP Training (required by permit)
Conducting Construction Site Stormwater Inspections
Construction Stormwater Permit Overview

Municipal (MS4) Stormwater
Conducting Stormwater Assessments/Identifying Pollutant Sources
Conducting Stormwater Inspections
Conducting Non-Stormwater/Illicit Discharge Evaluations
Addressing Municipally-Owned Industrial Facilities
MS4 Stormwater Permit Overview

Other Related Training
Environmental Management Systems Overview
Facility Environmental Compliance Overview
SPCC Training (required under 40 CFR 112)

Click here for more information on Stormwater and SWPPP Services in Michigan

Caltha LLP provides expert environmental consultant services in Michigan to obtain environmental permits, evaluate regulatory requirements, and to develop cost effective compliance programs.

For further information contact Caltha LLP at
info@calthacompany.com
or
Caltha LLP Website

Michigan Environmental Consulting Services - Environmental Consultant

Caltha LLP provides expert technical consulting services to private and public sector clients across Michigan. For further information, click on links below:

Michigan (MDEQ) Auditing – Compliance Audit – System Audit Services
Michigan (MDEQ) Stormwater Permit Compliance – Storm Water Permitting Services
Michigan Integrated Contingency Plan - SPCC Plan Services
Michigan (MDEQ) EPCRA Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) Compliance
Michigan (MDEQ) RCRA Compliance Services
Michigan Haz Com – Product Stewardship Compliance Services
Michigan EHS Staffing - Contract Employee Services
Michigan (MDEQ) Wastewater Compliance - NPDES Permitting Services

Caltha LLP provides expert environmental consultant services in Michigan to obtain environmental permits, evaluate regulatory requirements, and to develop cost effective compliance programs.

For further information contact Caltha LLP at
info@calthacompany.com
or
Caltha LLP Website