Environmental Compliance
Environmental Health & Safety develops and maintains plans to ensure environmental safety and compliance. Our duties include stormwater pollution prevention, oil spill prevention, hazardous waste management and indoor air quality.
- Indoor Air Quality
- Hazardous Waste Management
- Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures
- Stormwater Pollution Prevention
- Stormwater Management Plan
Indoor Air Quality
Indoor air quality covers a broad range of issues including temperature extremes, stuff in the air and unpleasant odors. If you suspect a problem with the air quality in your space, please contact the EHS department or complete the Health and Safety Concern form.
Hazardous Waste Management
Hazardous Waste Management Plan
Purpose:
Introduction
The management of hazardous waste is governed by the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) regulations, specifically, 40CFR260-262. These regulations are the implementation of the
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Some states, of which Arkansas is one, are
authorized by the EPA to run their own hazardous waste program; these are known as
agreement states. In Arkansas, this function is executed by the Arkansas Department of
Environmental Quality (ADEQ) and the regulations are codified in AR regulation 23 rather than
40CFR 260-262. While the ADEQ regulations are almost a duplicate copy of the EPA regulations,
they are slightly more stringent. This increased stringency affects both small quantity and large
quantity generators of hazardous waste.
The word hazardous in the context of waste generation has a very specific and limited meaning.
While hazardous in general uses means something that is a threat to human health, ADEQ takes
the approach of environmental protection. When the word hazardous is used when referring to
waste, it strictly means that the waste is subject to the regulations. A waste could legitimately
be a threat to human health, but if it is not regulated according to regulation 23, it is not a
hazardous (regulated) waste. Alternatively, a waste may be little or no threat to human health
and still meet the regulatory definition of a hazardous waste.
If a waste is determined to be hazardous by the regulations, its disposal options are explicitly
defined by the hazardous waste management regulations; however, disposal options are not
defined for non-regulated waste. Local ordinances may preclude disposal of chemical waste in
the sewer or landfill so no chemical should be poured down the drain without written approval
from the EHS director including container residues.
Definitions
Acutely Hazardous Waste means unused chemicals to be discarded that appear on the P-list or
a spent chemical that appears on the F-list from F027-F033. The limit for accumulation at any
one time of acutely hazardous waste for SQGs and CESQGs is one kilogram or one quart.
Central Accumulation Area (CAA) means where hazardous waste is accumulated once a satellite
accumulation area container is full.
Characteristic Waste means any material that is a hazardous waste because it has certain
characteristics. The characteristics are defined on the D-list.
Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generator (CESQG) means a generator of hazardous waste
that generates less than 100 kg per month (approximately 27 gallons) of hazardous waste and
less than 1 kg of acutely hazardous waste and accumulates less than 1000 kg of hazardous
waste and less than 1 kg of acutely hazardous waste on site at any one time.
Corrosive means any material that has a pH of less than 2.0 or more than 12.5 or corrodes steel
at a rate of more than 0.25 inches per year.
D-list means the list that determines whether or not a waste is a hazardous waste based on the
characteristics of that waste.
DOT means US Department of Transportation.
Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) means an individual trained to make a hazardous waste
determination that will move chemical waste from the satellite accumulation area to the
central accumulation area.
F-list means the list that contains spent chemicals from non-specific sources. If a waste appears
on this list, it is a hazardous waste.
Flash point means the temperature at which a chemical can form an ignitable mixture with air
(will ignite if a flame or spark is applied to the mixture). This information can be found on the
Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for the chemical.
Generator means any person that generates hazardous waste. It can also mean the entity that
generates hazardous waste with respect to the generator status of an entity.
Hazardous Waste means any waste that is regulated under RCRA. This includes both
characteristic and listed waste. The word “hazardous” in this context may be used
interchangeably with the word “regulated”.
Ignitable means any material that has a flash point that is less than 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60
degrees Celsius).
K-list means the list that contains spent chemicals from specific sources. If a waste appears on
this list, it is a hazardous waste.
Large Quantity Generator (LQG) means a generator of hazardous waste that generates more
than 1000 kg per month of hazardous waste or more than 1 kg of acutely hazardous waste or
accumulates more than 6000 kg of hazardous waste or more than 1 kg of acutely hazardous
waste on site at any one time.
Listed Waste means any material that is a hazardous waste because appears on one of the EPA
lists: F-list, K-list, P-list or U-list.
Manifest means the shipping paperwork that must accompany a shipment of hazardous waste.
Mixed Waste means hazardous waste that is mixed with biological or radioactive waste.
Oxidizer means a material that has the ability to provide oxygen to help sustain a combustion
reaction.
P-list means the list that contains unused chemicals that are going to be discarded. If a waste
appears on this list, it is an acutely hazardous waste.
Reactive means is any material that is unstable, explosive, reacts violently with water or air or
forms toxic gases when exposed to water or air at ambient temperature.
Satellite Accumulation Area (SAA) means the area where waste is initially generated that is
under the control of the generator. A room or lab would be considered one SAA.
SDS means safety data sheet. This sheet is provided by the manufacturer and it contains
information about a material such as the hazards associated with the chemical, the signs and
symptoms of exposure to the chemical as well as some of the materials chemical and physical
properties.
Small Quantity Generator (SQG) means a generator of hazardous waste that generates more
than 100 kg per month (approximately 27 gallons) of hazardous waste but less than 1000 kg per
month, less than 1 kg of acutely hazardous waste and accumulates less than 6000 kg of
hazardous waste and less than 1 kg of acutely hazardous waste on site at any one time.
Toxic means any material that contains an amount over the regulatory limit of one or more of
the 40 chemicals designated by the EPA as causing to have the characteristic of toxicity. These
40 chemicals are given on the D-list.
U-list means the list that contains unused chemicals that are going to be discarded. If a waste
appears on this list, it is a hazardous waste.
Roles and Responsibilities
Generator in a laboratory or laboratory support area: The responsibilities of this type of
generator are as follows:
1. The generator must be trained before hazardous waste is generated. This is the only
way a generator will know how to properly manage their chemical waste.
2. The generator must apply a label to the waste container before waste is added to the
container. The label must use the words “chemical waste”, a description of the waste
and the date waste was first added to the container. A label template is available on the
EHS website.
3. The generator must make sure the labeled container is closed tightly unless waste is
being added to the container.
4. When the container is full, the generator must arrange for pickup of the full container
with EHS via the online request form. EHS will take the container from the point of
generation to the CAA for processing.
5. If a generator wishes to discard unused chemicals, the generator must notify EHS so that
the disposition of the chemicals can be determined.
6. A generator must not pour chemicals down the drain without written approval from
EHS.
7. A generator must not move waste from one SAA into another. Movement within one lab
or room may be allowed, but check with the EHS first.
8. A generator may have a working container for chemical waste that can remain open
while a process is ongoing. The working container must be emptied at the end of the
process or the end of the day, whichever comes first, into an appropriately labeled and
dated container.
9. A generator must provide his or her own container for chemical waste. If large volumes
of waste will be generated, EHS may provide a container upon request. When using a
container that previously contained a chemical for storage of chemical waste, the
container must:
a. Be thoroughly rinsed to be sure no residue of the previous chemical is left.
b. Have the label defaced and a chemical waste label placed on it so that there is no
confusion about the contents of the container.
c. Be compatible with the waste that is going to be added to it.
Generator in non-laboratory support areas: The responsibilities of this type of generator are as
follows:
1. The generator must be trained before hazardous waste is generated. This is the only
way a generator will know how to properly manage their hazardous waste.
2. The generator must apply a label to the waste container before waste is added to the
container. The label must use the words “hazardous waste” and a description of the
waste. A label template is available on the EHS website.
3. The generator must make sure the container is closed tightly unless waste is being
added to the container.
4. When the container is full, the generator must arrange for pickup of the full container
with EHS via the online request form. EHS will take the container from the point of
generation to the CAA for processing.
5. If a generator wishes to discard unused chemicals, the generator must notify EHS so that
the disposition of the chemicals can be determined.
6. A generator must not pour chemicals down the drain without written approval from
EHS.
7. A generator must not move waste from one SAA into another. Movement within one
room may be allowed, but check with the EHS first.
8. A generator must provide his or her own container for chemical waste. If large volumes
of waste will be generated, EHS may provide a container upon request. When using a
container that previously contained a chemical for storage of chemical waste, the
container must:
a. Be thoroughly rinsed to be sure no residue of the previous chemical is left.
b. Have the label defaced and a hazardous waste label placed on it so that there is
no confusion about the contents of the container.
c. Be compatible with the waste that is going to be added to it.
Environmental Health and Safety: The responsibilities of EHS are as follows:
1. EHS must be fully trained to handle hazardous waste. This includes:
a. Training for RCRA on an annual basis
b. Training for DOT every 3 years
c. HAZWOPER training as often as appropriate
2. EHS must deliver training for all hazardous waste generators.
3. EHS must maintain control of the CAA.
4. EHS must perform weekly inspections of the CAA. The inspections shall include checking
container integrity and compatibility with the materials stored, checking for appropriate
labeling and checking for appropriate closure of the containers.
5. EHS must collect waste from the satellite accumulation areas for storage in the CAA
upon request from generators. For waste generated in laboratories or laboratory
support areas, pickup of containers will be accomplished upon request or less than six
months from the date on the label, whichever comes first. For all other areas, pickup of
containers of waste will be accomplished upon request or when the volume at a
particular SAA exceeds 55 gallons, whichever comes first.
6. When waste is taken to the CAA, EHS must be sure the waste is added to a container
that is properly labeled. The label must have:
a. The words: “Hazardous Waste: Federal and state law prohibit improper disposal”
b. A description of the waste
c. The appropriate EPA waste codes
d. The date the container was brought to the CAA
7. EHS must assure that waste is removed from the CAA within 180 days from the date
waste was first brought into the CAA.
8. EHS must arrange for removal of hazardous waste from the CAA when appropriate.
9. EHS must assure that the hazardous waste manifest is completed appropriately and sign
the document.
10. EHS is also the emergency coordinator (EC) for the site. EHS or an appropriately trained
designee must respond to all emergencies, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. EHS shall
ensure that someone is on call to respond to emergencies, as defined in the emergency
response section, outside of business hours.
11. EHS shall ensure that a return copy of the manifest for hazardous waste is received
within 60 days of the shipment leaving the site. If this does not occur, EHS shall send a
copy of the unsigned manifest and a letter of explanation to ADEQ.
12. EHS shall ensure that all waste manifests are kept on site for at least 3 years.
13. EHS shall ensure that an annual declaration is sent to ADEQ each year before January 31
and that the appropriate fees, if applicable, have been paid.
14. EHS shall ensure that if any hazardous waste is analyzed that the records are kept on
site for three years.
Procedures
Hazardous Waste Determination
Ultimately, the determination about whether or not a waste is truly regulated will be made by
EHS upon waste being placed in the central accumulation area when the waste is generated in a
laboratory or a laboratory support area. In all other areas, it is the responsibility of the
generator to determine whether or not a waste is a hazardous waste. It is important for all
generators to understand how a waste becomes a hazardous waste to ensure proper disposal
procedures are followed. Improper disposal of hazardous waste can lead to hefty fines and can
be a danger to the environment and human health.
A waste can gain the designation of hazardous waste by demonstrating a hazardous
characteristic or by being listed. The characteristics of a waste that can make it a hazardous
waste are ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity and toxicity and cause these wastes to carry a D
code as indicated below:
D001: Ignitable- A waste is ignitable if it has a flash point below 130F. Information about
the flash point of a material can be found on the SDS for the material. In general,
aqueous solutions with >80% water are not ignitable. All oxidizers are also considered to
be ignitable and carry the D001 code.
D002: Corrosive- A waste is corrosive if it has a pH below 2.0 or above 12.5 or if it
corrodes steel at a rate greater than 0.25 inches per year.
D003: Reactive- A waste is reactive if it readily and violently reacts with air or water at
ambient temperatures, is shock sensitive, or a number of other conditions. If the SDS for
a material describes the material as “unstable”, “explosive”, “dangerous when wet”,
“generates toxic gas when exposed to air or water” or any other similar verbiage, the
waste should be considered reactive.
D004-D043: Toxic- A waste is toxic if it contains any of the 40 chemicals indicated in
appendix A at the indicated level. Note that the term toxic in this context has a very
limited meaning.
Note that D codes apply if the material is used OR unused.
There are four lists of hazardous wastes. The F-list contains chemicals that become waste from
non-specific sources. The K-list contains waste from processes that are specific sources (wastes
from this list are unlikely to be generated at Arkansas State University). The P-list and U-list
contain unused chemicals that are hazardous waste if discarded or abandoned. Codes that are
obtained by listed waste are designated by the list from which they come (ex. F-list contains
chemicals that will receive F-codes).
The primary way a chemical can obtain an F-code is by being used as a solvent. An important
thing to remember is that concentration of one of these solvents within the waste cannot cause
it to be removed from the list. In other words, if your waste contains one drop of a material
that has an F-code (F003 is an exception), then it is a regulated waste. Common examples of
solvents that carry F-codes are methylene chloride (F002), acetone (F003), methanol (F003) and
toluene (F005). The complete F-list is contained in Appendix B.
A chemical cannot obtain a U-code unless it is discarded unused. While used chemicals receive
D, F or K-codes, a used chemical cannot receive a U-code (or a P-code). Since generated waste
must be generated from the same process to be consolidated, adding unused chemicals to the
waste drums is not allowed. Common examples of chemicals that have U-codes are acetone
(U002), chloroform (U044), methanol (U154) and methylene chloride (U080). The complete Ulist is contained in Appendix C.
A chemical cannot obtain a P-code unless it is discarded unused. Chemicals on the P-list are
considered acutely hazardous by the EPA. Since generated waste must be generated from the
same process to be consolidated, adding unused chemicals to the waste drums is not allowed.
Furthermore, adding P-list waste to a container makes the entire mixture an acutely hazardous.
Therefore, adding P-list waste to a drum would result in a jump to the most regulated
generator status, LQG, because the limit for accumulation of acutely hazardous waste for SQG
and CESQG is 1 kg (2.2 lbs). Common examples of chemicals that have P-codes are sodium azide
(P105), osmium tetroxide (P087), vanadium pentoxide (P120) and nicotine (P075). The
complete P-list is contained in Appendix D.
Generating used chemical waste in laboratories and laboratory support areas
1. Review a process before beginning to determine if waste is going to be generated.
2. Label the container with the words “chemical waste”, a description of the waste and the
date that waste was first added to the container. The use of the chemical waste label
template is strongly encouraged.
3. Only open the container when waste is going to be added. The container shall remain
closed at all other times.
4. Once the waste container is full, the process is complete and the container is no longer
needed, the date on the container is within 30 days of reaching six months from the
date on the container or the amount of waste in the SAA exceeds 55 gallons, contact
EHS for pickup of the container. The waste shall be removed within 3 days if the amount
of waste in the SAA exceeds 55 gallons.
5. Upon collection of a SAA chemical waste container, EHS shall transport the container to
the CAA. At that point, EHS shall determine if the chemical waste is regulated hazardous
waste and label and store the container appropriately.
6. While the vendor normally completed the hazardous waste manifest and applies the
appropriate shipping labels, ensure that all of the following are done before the waste
leaves the site:
a. The hazardous waste manifest is correct including EPA ID number, address,
telephone numbers, proper shipping names of materials and amounts.
b. The appropriate DOT hazard labels are applied to the shipping containers.
c. The appropriate hazardous waste label is applied to the shipping containers. This
includes the following:
i. The words “Hazardous Waste- Federal Law Prohibits Improper Disposal. If
found, contact the nearest police or public safety authority or the US
Environmental Protection Agency.”
ii. The generator name and address
iii. The generator EPA ID number
iv. The manifest tracking number
v. The appropriate waste codes
Generating used chemical waste in all other areas
1. Review a process before beginning to determine if waste is going to be generated.
2. By analyzing the waste or using generator knowledge, determine if the waste is a
hazardous waste.
3. If the waste is a hazardous waste, label the container with the words “hazardous waste”
and a description of the waste. The use of the hazardous waste label template is
strongly encouraged. If the waste is not a hazardous waste, it should be labeled as a
non-hazardous waste (preferably with the label template on the website). For nonhazardous wastes, the rest of the following steps are encouraged, but not required.
4. Only open the container when waste is going to be added. The container shall remain
closed at all other times.
5. Once the waste container is full, the process is complete and the container is no longer
needed or the amount of waste in the SAA exceeds 55 gallons, contact EHS for pickup of
the container. The waste shall be removed within 3 days if the amount of waste in the
SAA exceeds 55 gallons.
6. Upon collection of a SAA chemical waste container, EHS shall transport the container to
the CAA and apply the appropriate label (if necessary) and date.
7. While the vendor normally completed the hazardous waste manifest and applies the
appropriate shipping labels, ensure that all of the following are done before the waste
leaves the site:
a. The hazardous waste manifest is correct including EPA ID number, address,
telephone numbers, proper shipping names of materials and amounts.
b. The appropriate DOT hazard labels are applied to the shipping containers.
c. The appropriate hazardous waste label is applied to the shipping containers. This
includes the following:
i. The words “Hazardous Waste- Federal Law Prohibits Improper Disposal. If
found, contact the nearest police or public safety authority or the US
Environmental Protection Agency.”
ii. The generator name and address
iii. The generator EPA ID number
iv. The manifest tracking number
v. The appropriate waste codes
Discarding unused materials in laboratories and laboratory support areas
1. Before deciding to discard unused materials, determine if the chemicals can be used by
someone else in the lab.
2. If the chemicals cannot be used by someone else, make a list of the chemicals you wish
to dispose in a spreadsheet. The spreadsheet should include: the chemical name, the
size of the container, the amount in the container (include units; this will also indicate
whether or not the material is a liquid or solid) and what the material from which the
container is made (plastic, glass, metal, etc.). A template is available on the EHS website.
EHS may be available to assist with this process.
3. Email a copy of the spreadsheet to EHS and arrange a time when the chemicals can be
removed from the area.
4. Do not discard unused materials into the trash or down the drain without prior written
approval from EHS.
5. Once unused chemicals are collected, they must be labeled with the CAA hazardous
waste label and then stored in the CAA. The date must also be applied.
6. Unused chemicals must be placed in secondary containers and stored in the same
secondary container with compatible chemicals only.
7. Refer to the section on used chemical waste to see the shipping requirements prior to
the waste leaving the site (step 6).
Discarding unused materials in all other areas
1. Before deciding to discard unused materials, determine if the chemicals can be used by
someone else.
2. If it is a single chemical or only a few chemicals, use the online request form to request
removal of the chemicals. If there are multiple chemicals that need to be disposed,
make a list of the chemicals you wish to dispose in a spreadsheet. The spreadsheet
should include: the chemical name, the size of the container, the amount in the
container (include units; this will also indicate whether or not the material is a liquid or
solid) and what the material from which the container is made (plastic, glass, metal,
etc.). A template is available on the EHS website. EHS may be available to assist with this
process.
3. Email a copy of the spreadsheet to EHS and arrange a time when the chemicals can be
removed from the area.
4. Do not discard unused materials into the trash or down the drain without prior written
approval from EHS.
5. Once unused chemicals are collected, they must be labeled with the CAA hazardous
waste label and then stored in the CAA. The date must also be applied.
6. Unused chemicals must be placed in secondary containers and stored in the same
secondary container with compatible chemicals only.
7. Refer to the section on used chemical waste to see the shipping requirements prior to
the waste leaving the site (step 7).
Laboratory Cleanout
When there are many chemicals that require disposal in a laboratory or laboratory support
area, a laboratory cleanout may be required. The advantage of a laboratory cleanout is that any
chemicals disposed as a part of the process do not count toward the university’s generator
status. If 20 or more unused chemicals need to be removed from the lab, a laboratory cleanout
will be scheduled. The following is the procedure for initiating and completing a laboratory
cleanout.
1. Segregate the chemicals that will potentially be disposed from those that will be left in
the lab. If the desire is to dispose of all chemicals in the lab, this step may be skipped.
2. Make a spreadsheet list of all the chemicals that will potentially be disposed. A template
is available on the EHS website.
3. Provide the list to someone within your department that can distribute the list to other
faculty/staff within the department. This will allow the potential for a chemical to be
used rather than being disposed.
4. After one week, the remaining chemicals will be disposed. The list must be submitted to
EHS at this point. This will be the beginning date of the laboratory cleanout. The
laboratory cleanout must be completed within 30 days of the beginning date.
5. EHS will remove the chemicals from the laboratory and transport them to the CAA. The
chemicals will be appropriately labeled and stored when they are brought into the CAA.
Materials with Special Considerations
Discuss with EHS handling of any of the following materials prior to disposal:
Biological materials
Sharps
Fluorescent bulbs
Batteries (other than alkaline)
Used oil
Anything containing mercury
Central Accumulation Area (CAA)
The central accumulation area must stay under the control of EHS at all times. Unauthorized
personnel may not enter the CAA without being escorted by authorized personnel.
Storage in CAA
Storage in the CAA must follow ADEQ regulations. All chemically incompatible wastes must be
segregated. For example, corrosive materials should be segregated from organic materials.
Adequate aisle space must be maintained between secondary containment pallets, a minimum
of three feet. All containers must be oriented in such a way that the hazardous waste label is
clearly visible.
Safety Equipment in CAA
The best way to avoid an incident is for all personnel to be fully trained to their job duties
(described in the next section) and to have access to the appropriate fully-functioning safety
equipment. The following equipment should be available in or near the CAA:
A portable fire extinguisher
Spill cleanup materials including:
Absorbent material
Containers to store contaminated spill cleanup materials
Scoop or shovel for cleaning up the spill
Appropriate PPE to safely clean up the spill
Combination safety shower/eyewash
Maintenance of this equipment is also important. A checklist should be maintained for
materials contained in the spill kit. Portable fire extinguishers require annual certification and a
monthly visual inspection. Safety showers must be flushed monthly. Eyewashes should be
flushed weekly. Personnel in control of the CAA must be trained on how to use all the safety
equipment and in what situations it should be used.
Inspection in CAA
The CAA must be inspected on a weekly basis. The following items should be checked:
1) Is the CAA secure?
2) Are all of the containers in good conditions (no leaks, properly closed and no evidence
of spills?
3) Are wastes segregated based on compatibility?
4) Are all containers labeled and dated?
5) Do all containers have the appropriate waste codes on the label?
6) Is there less than 1000 kg (2206 lbs.) of waste accumulated in the last month?
7) Is there less than 6000 kg (13224 lbs.) of total waste stored?
8) Is there adequate aisle space (minimum 3 feet)?
9) Are all spill and decontamination materials present and in good working order?
10) Is the fire extinguisher at appropriate pressure and the annual inspection up to date?
11) Has the safety shower/eyewash been flushed?
Generator training:
A generator must be trained on how to identify whether or not a generated waste is a
hazardous waste. This is accomplished by classroom (or online) training. This training should be
attended within 6 months of initial assignment to a job where waste may be generated. While
attendance of this training is only required once, it is recommended that each generator attend
classroom (or online) training annually. Live training will be given by EHS upon request. The
training will describe how a waste becomes classified as a hazardous waste as well as specific
instruction on how to handle waste materials. Training records shall be kept by EHS.
Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) personnel training:
If EHS is also a generator, then he/she must attend or give hazardous waste generator training
on an annual basis. Beyond that, there are additional requirements for EHS because they work
in the CAA. These workers will, for the remainder of this section, be referred to as operators.
Operators of the CAA will need the following training:
Hazardous waste management (annual)
HAZWOPER 24 hour (initial only), must also review who on site is responsible for safety
and health, the hazards present on site and where to access safety equipment and PPE.
HAZWOPER 8 hour refresher (annual), must also review who on site is responsible for
safety and health, the hazards present on site and where to access safety equipment
and PPE.
DOT hazardous materials shipping training (every 3 years)
Fire extinguisher training (annual)
A copy of all training records shall be kept by EHS. A job description for each operator must also
be kept with the training records along with their duties regarding management of hazardous
waste.
Emergency Response
Emergencies must be addressed by the emergency coordinator (EHS) or designee only. A phone
must be designated for use to report hazardous waste incidences and the emergency
coordinator’s (EC) number must be posted by this phone. The location of fire extinguishers, spill
control materials and fire alarms must also be posted by this phone. Each of the following
situations would be considered an emergency:
Fire: The EC or designee shall call the fire department to extinguish the fire unless it is in
incipient stage (less than pallet size and the chemicals involved in the fire are known to
be non-toxic and do not break down to toxic components when burned).
Spill: The EC or designee shall contain the spill and clean it up as soon as possible. The
spill residues will need to be containerized and labeled appropriately before being
stored in the CAA. If the spill leaves the site as defined below, it will be considered a
threat to human health and should be reported as described below.
Unauthorized access: If the CAA is accessed by someone unauthorized to do so, the EC
or designee shall investigate. If necessary, the EC or designee shall contact the police
department.
If there is a threat to human health outside of the facility, it is required to contact the National
Response Center and ADEQ Emergency Response once the appropriate local authorities have
been contacted. This needs to be done as soon as possible, normally within 15 minutes. Each
agency will need the following information:
The name, address and EPA ID number of the facility
The date, time and type of incident
The quantity and type of hazardous waste
The extent of injuries (if any)
The quantity and disposition of recovered materials
The following situations would be considered a threat to human health outside the facility:
A fire where the formation of toxic compound(s) occur upon combustion of the waste.
Any spill that leaves the site including onto the ground (unless all material can be
recovered), into storm drains or into water (creek, stream, lake, river, etc.) including
rainwater runoff that leads to a water source or storm drain.
Any incident with hazardous waste that leads to injuries beyond the facility borders.
Theft of hazardous waste if the waste makes it beyond the facility borders.
Phone numbers of the local authorities as well as the national and state response centers with
the information needed for calling them is in Appendix E.
Recordkeeping
The following are the record keeping requirements for hazardous waste:
All hazardous waste manifests must be maintained on site for a minimum of 3 years.
If a closed manifest is not received within 60 days, an unsigned copy of the manifest and
a written explanation must be sent to ADEQ.
An annual declaration must be sent to ADEQ by January 31 of each calendar year.
If any hazardous waste is sent for analysis, records of the analysis must be kept for 3
years. Note that analysis for waste determination must be done by an ADEQ approved
laboratory. A list of these is available on the ADEQ website.
A written report of attempts to reduce the amount of hazardous waste generated (a
waste minimization report) should be included with the annual declaration
Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures
Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures - Spill prevention deals with the university's efforts to prevent pollution (oil and other hazardous materials) from entering our waterways.
Stormwater Pollution Prevention
Stormwater Pollution Prevention - Along with trying to keep our waterways clean, the university must also make measured efforts to keep pollution from entering stormwater, which will end up in our waterways.
Executive Summary
The primary purpose of this plan is to meet the requirements of the Arkansas Department of
Environmental Quality (ADEQ) issued National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) small
Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit issued to the Arkansas State University (A-State)
main campus (Jonesboro). ADEQ enforces the requirement of the Clean Water Act (CWA) and this
stormwater management plan (SWMP) outlines how A-State complies with the portions of the CWA that
pertain to stormwater by meeting the permit requirements. The SWMP is meant to describe how AState identifies sources of pollution that might impact stormwater discharges, implements Best
Management Practices (BMPs) for activities (such as construction and municipal tasks) to reduce
pollution to stormwater and measures the effectiveness of BMPs in reducing discharge of pollutants into
stormwater that leaves campus to associated waterways of the state.
A-State Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) has the primary responsibility for ensuring compliance
with stormwater requirements and for developing and implementing procedures to that end. A-State
also has a Stormwater Advisory Committee (SWAC) that reviews procedures developed by EHS and
makes recommendations prior to implementation. The SWAC has the opportunity to review
construction plans to provide input on reducing the stormwater impact of those projects. EHS updates
the SWAC quarterly on the activities it undertakes to meet the SWMP requirements.
A-State EHS has identified sources of stormwater pollution and ranks them on the basis of the likelihood
of each pollutant entering the stormwater conveyance. With the list of sources identified, EHS develops
and implements BMPs for each Minimum Control Measure required by the state. Minimum control
measures include: public education and outreach on stormwater impacts, public
involvement/participation, illicit discharge detection and elimination, construction site stormwater
runoff control, post-construction stormwater management in new development and redevelopment
and pollution prevention/good housekeeping for municipal operations (for the A-State campus,
municipal operations includes Facilities Management). This plan discusses how each BMP addresses the
minimal control measures intended to reduce stormwater pollution and how the effectiveness of each
BMP at achieving this goal is measured.
In conjunction with the mission of Arkansas State University Environmental Health and Safety, EHS
develops and uses training, educational materials and public involvement activities to raise awareness of
the campus community to their role in protecting water quality. These activities help prevent some
stormwater pollution before it occurs. When the potential for stormwater pollution is high, A-State has
BMPs intended to ensure that every reasonable measure is taken to reduce the impact of stormwater
pollution. This includes punitive measures for any on campus that violate the requirement set forth in
this plan. We believe that the combination of these two approaches is the most effective means of
reducing the impact of stormwater pollution on water quality. Reducing the impact of stormwater
pollution on campus by these means is in line with university mission of educating leaders, enhancing
intellectual growth and enriching lives.
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Contents
Executive Summary........................................................................................................................................................1
Chapter 1: Introduction .................................................................................................................................................4
1.1 Regulatory Background.......................................................................................................................................4
1.2 Roles and Responsibilities....................................................................................................................................4
1.2.1 Responsible Official ......................................................................................................................................5
1.2.2 Environmental Health and Safety (Cognizant Official).................................................................................5
1.2.3 Stormwater Advisory Committee (SWAC)....................................................................................................5
1.2.4 Facilities Management.................................................................................................................................6
1.2.5 Construction Site Management ...................................................................................................................6
1.2.6 Other Contract Personnel.............................................................................................................................6
1.2.7 Other Staff, Faculty and Administrators ......................................................................................................7
1.2.8 Students and Other Campus Community Members.....................................................................................7
Chapter 2: Site Information ...........................................................................................................................................7
Chapter 3: Potential Sources of Stormwater Contamination.........................................................................................8
Chapter 4: Minimum Control Measures ........................................................................................................................9
Chapter 5: Best Management Practices ........................................................................................................................9
5.1 Public Education and Outreach ...........................................................................................................................9
5.1.1 Rationale....................................................................................................................................................10
5.1.2 Implementation and Measurable Goals.....................................................................................................10
5.2 Public Involvement/Participation ......................................................................................................................11
5.2.1 Rationale....................................................................................................................................................11
5.2.2 Implementation and Measurable Goals.....................................................................................................12
5.3 Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination........................................................................................................13
5.3.1 Rationale....................................................................................................................................................13
5.3.2 Implementation and Measurable Goals.....................................................................................................14
5.4 Construction Site Stormwater Runoff Control ...................................................................................................14
5.4.1 Rationale....................................................................................................................................................14
5.4.2 Implementation and Measurable Goals.....................................................................................................15
5.5 Post-Construction Stormwater Management in New Development and Redevelopment................................16
5.5.1 Rationale....................................................................................................................................................16
5.5.2 Implementation and Measurable Goals.....................................................................................................16
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5.6 Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping for Facilities....................................................................................17
5.6.1 Rationale....................................................................................................................................................17
5.6.2 Implementation and Measurable Goals.....................................................................................................17
Chapter 6: Recordkeeping............................................................................................................................................18
6.1 SWMP Updating ................................................................................................................................................18
6.2 Monitoring.........................................................................................................................................................18
6.3 Recordkeeping...................................................................................................................................................18
6.4 SWMP Annual Reports ......................................................................................................................................19
Chapter 7: Enforcement of Stormwater Rules .............................................................................................................20
7.1 Illicit Discharges.................................................................................................................................................20
7.2 Construction Site Stormwater ...........................................................................................................................20
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Chapter 1: Introduction
Stormwater is water that starts to run along the ground rather than soaking into the ground.
Stormwater can carry with it unwanted pollutants into the waterways of the state. The pollutants that
stormwater can carry include sediment, oil, pesticides, nutrients (like fertilizer), litter and many others.
These pollutants can have effects very near to the source of pollution (such as carrying mud and dirt
onto a road or sidewalk creating an unsafe situation) and very far away (such as carrying fertilizers from
crops planted in the Mississippi River drainage basin causing dead zones in the Gulf of Mexico near the
mouth of the Mississippi River). Thus, it is important to take steps to minimize pollution to protect our
natural resources including our drinking water. The ultimate purpose of stormwater management is for
A-State to do its part in protecting the waterways of the state of Arkansas and the United States.
1.1 Regulatory Background
In 1948, the United States established the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. This was the first law to
provide broad protection for our water from pollution. In 1972, the law was amended and became
known as the Clean Water Act (CWA). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the entity
responsible for writing the regulations to enforce the CWA. In the state of Arkansas, the Arkansas
Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) is the agency tasked with enforcing the regulations.
Arkansas State University is classified as a small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4); a small
MS4 is a municipality that has stormwater discharges from an urbanized area that serves less than
100,000 individuals. Each MS4 must obtain a permit from the state to discharge stormwater to the
waterways of the state. This permit, called a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
permit, requires the covered MS4 to develop a Stormwater Management Plan (SWMP). A-State has had
several SWMPs in past years; since the NPDES permit must be renewed in 2019, an update to the SWMP
seemed appropriate. This SWMP is the document that A-State uses to provide guidance to university
employees, contractors and students and to enforce the stormwater regulations.
The program requirements for Arkansas State University include: application for an NPDES permit for
stormwater discharge, development of a stormwater management plan (which describes the required
six minimum control measures), implementation of a stormwater management program using
appropriate best management practices (BMPs), development of measurable goals for the stormwater
program and evaluation of the effectiveness of the program periodically. A copy of the current permit is
appendix B to this plan.
1.2 Roles and Responsibilities
Like safety and compliance in other areas, the responsibility for preventing stormwater pollution lies
with everyone in the community. Staff, faculty, students and contractors all have an important role in
helping ensure that stormwater is polluted as little as practicable. The roles and responsibilities for each
person in the community are listed below.
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1.2.1 Responsible Official
The responsible official is a person within the organization that has the authority to make decisions on
behalf of the MS4. The responsible official at A-State is currently the Assistant Vice Chancellor for
Human Resources. The responsibilities of the responsible official include:
Signing the permit application every time a renewal is required.
Reviewing and signing the annual report each year.
Responding to queries, inspections and findings by ADEQ.
1.2.2 Environmental Health and Safety (Cognizant Official)
The Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) office has the primary responsibility for ensuring university
compliance with the requirements of the SWMP. The director of EHS is the cognizant official, which is
the person authorized by the responsible official to have responsibility for the environmental matters of
the campus. The responsibilities of EHS include:
Development and implementation of the SWMP and any related stormwater pollution
prevention plans (SWPPPs).
Semiannual sampling of outfalls as required by the SWPPPs for certain stormwater-related
pollutants.
Quarterly inspection of sites that have a SWPPP.
Comprehensive annual inspection of sites that have a SWPPP.
Review of construction plans to ensure compliance with stormwater regulations.
Monthly inspection of construction sites to check for compliance with stormwater regulations.
Communication of inspection findings to the appropriate campus or contractor authority to
encourage correction.
Enforcement of requirements of the SWMP if non-compliant issues are not corrected. This can
include work stoppage and levying of fines (upon agreement from Facilities Management and
the responsible official).
Development of literature and training for informing faculty, staff, students, administration and
contractors of the impacts of stormwater pollution.
Organization of events for public involvement in the identification and/or reduction of
stormwater pollution.
Respond to stormwater complaints and issues reported by the campus community.
1.2.3 Stormwater Advisory Committee (SWAC)
The stormwater advisory committee is made up of individuals from various parts of the campus. The
committee meets quarterly to discuss stormwater issues on campus. The SWAC includes member from
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the following areas: Environmental Health and Safety, Ecotoxicology, Parking Services, Facilities
Management (Landscape Architect, Grounds Services or Recycling and Building Services), the student
body and from the community outside of A-State. The responsibilities of the SWAC include:
Review of to ensure compliance with stormwater regulations.
Periodic review of the SWMP and SWPPPs.
Providing of ideas for public involvement activities.
1.2.4 Facilities Management
Construction projects on the campus are completed through the construction office of Facilities
Management. If the completed project will be managed by the university, Facilities Management has a
greater role than projects that will be managed by outside entities. The responsibilities of Facilities
Management include:
Signing of the Notice of Intent and the Notice of Termination for projects that will be managed
by the university once completed.
Support of enforcement actions against construction contractors including stop work orders and
fines.
Compliance with the requirements of the SWPPP written for Facilities Management including
corrections of issues found on inspections.
Communication of projects that could impact stormwater quality to EHS.
Maintenance of BMPs associated with the Facilities Management site.
1.2.5 Construction Site Management
Construction site management are the individuals that have authority on the construction site to correct
stormwater compliance issues that are found. This can be a project manager, engineer, site foreman or
any other individual with such authority. The responsibilities of the construction site management
include:
Development of the Notice of Intent and SWPPP for the construction site.
Completion of field inspection at the interval required by the SWPPP.
Maintenance of the SWPPP and the site map as changes are made.
Maintenance of BMPs on the construction site.
Correction of stormwater compliance issues identified by EHS on monthly inspections.
Communication of stormwater requirements to all contractors on the construction site.
1.2.6 Other Contract Personnel
Other contract personnel are individuals that work on campus that are not employed by the university
that are not construction site management. These contract personnel may be individuals that work on a
construction site or individuals that perform other tasks on campus. The responsibilities of other
contract personnel include:
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Compliance with the stormwater requirements described in information provided to the
contractor by Facilities Management (literature provided by EHS).
Correction of issues at the direction of construction site management (on construction sites only
and only for issues caused by the contractor).
1.2.7 Other Staff, Faculty and Administrators
Most of the individuals on the A-State campus do not have an active daily role in stormwater
compliance. However, they do have the opportunity to be additional sets of eyes on the campus at
large. Stormwater issues can occur at any time and EHS only performs periodic inspections. The
responsibilities of staff, faculty and administrators include:
Report any issues with stormwater pollution to EHS.
Complete stormwater awareness training.
Refrain from littering.
1.2.8 Students and Other Campus Community Members
Everyone else in the campus community has a role in helping control stormwater pollution as well. The
responsibilities of everyone else include:
Report any issues with stormwater pollution to EHS.
Refrain from littering.
Chapter 2: Site Information
The Arkansas State University Jonesboro campus is located within the city limits of Jonesboro, Arkansas.
The city of Jonesboro is a separate MS4 from the A-State MS4; some stormwater leaves the City of
Jonesboro MS4 and enters the A-State MS4. All of the stormwater leaves the A-State MS4 into Turtle
Creek. Turtle Creek flows into the St. Francis River which in turn empties into the Mississippi River. The
Mississippi River empties into the Gulf of Mexico. Any pollution of stormwater within the campus of AState can have an impact very far from where it initially occurs.
Before entering Turtle Creek, most of the stormwater from the university flows into a stormwater ditch
known as Turtle Creek Lateral. In the past, A-State had clear cut this ditch once a year. However,
Facilities Management and the Stormwater Advisory Committee agreed that allowing vegetation to
grow on the ditch bank is a better way to manage the stormwater that flows on campus. This has the
advantage of stabilizing the ditch banks and potentially removing unwanted contaminants from
stormwater. For these reasons, A-State no longer clear cuts Turtle Creek Lateral. A-State intends to
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study the scientific literature on the subject and perhaps perform novel research regarding storm ditch
vegetation during the permit cycle.
A-State has many places where stormwater can enter the waterways of
the state. There are stormwater inlets all over campus; EHS is working
to ensure that all stormwater inlets are marked with an indicating plate
demonstrating that they drain to a waterway (an example is pictured to
the right). A map of these inlets is included in appendix D of this plan.
EHS plans to have every inlet marked by the end of 2019. Water from
these inlets and other places makes its way to about 50 outfalls from
the university. EHS inspects these outfalls annually during periods of
dry weather to detect any illicit discharges to stormwater conveyance. A
map of these outfalls is included in appendix E of this plan. Finally, as of
2019, the Arkansas State University MS4 does not discharge
stormwater to any impaired waters.
Chapter 3: Potential Sources of Stormwater Contamination
It is important to identify the potential sources of stormwater contamination to maximize the
effectiveness of control measures. Identification of these contaminants is determined by past and
current sampling of stormwater as well as knowledge of the day-to-day operations of the university. The
table below lists the contaminants, their sources and frequency of occurrence.
Figure 2: Potential Sources of Contamination of Stormwater.
Figure 1: Stormwater Drain Marker
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Most contamination of stormwater can be prevented by simply taking measures to control them. Some
sources cannot be controlled so easily, though. For example, oil and fuel that leaks from vehicles while
driving on the road is inevitable. These types of pollution contribute little to the overall pollution.
Control measures are primarily concerned with educating people to keep the rare events from becoming
frequent and controlling the common and large quantity contaminants that are caused by human
activity. While A-State strives to eliminate as much pollution as feasible from stormwater conveyance,
primary attention is given to controlling sediment runoff due to human activity, which is the most
common pollutant to the waterways of the state according to the Environmental Protection Agency. 70
percent of sediment erosion into waterways is caused by human activity.
Chapter 4: Minimum Control Measures
Because of the risk of stormwater pollution to the health of our environment, EPA and ADEQ require as
a part of our permit and SWMP certain minimum control measures. The six minimum control measures
include:
Public education and outreach on stormwater impacts,
Public involvement/participation,
Illicit discharge detection and elimination,
Construction site stormwater runoff control,
Post-construction stormwater management in new development and redevelopment and
Pollution prevention/good housekeeping for municipal operations.
For each control measure, A-State is required to have best management practices (BMPs) implemented
for each measure and measurable goals for determining the success of each BMP including a rationale
for why each BMP and associated measureable goals were chosen. The individuals tasked with
implementing and coordinating the BMPs described in the SWMP is also required, including an
organizational chart. The organizational chart is Appendix F of this plan.
Chapter 5: Best Management Practices
Best management practices are the strategies an entity employs in implementing control measures. The
goal of these BMPs is to reduce stormwater pollution. Some BMPs directly influence contaminant levels
by actively blocking water or filtering it before it moving into stormwater conveyance. The majority of
BMPs are indirect, though. Whether it be inspection of areas to look for risks of contamination or public
education and involvement initiatives, the goal of these indirect practices is to increase awareness about
stormwater pollution and because of such prevent some pollution before it happens. This section
outlines the BMPs that are used by A-State and the rationale behind selecting these BMPs to meet the
minimum control measures required by the EPA and ADEQ.
5.1 Public Education and Outreach
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This control measure is intended to increase public awareness about stormwater pollution. The more
aware the public is of the impacts of stormwater pollution, the more likely they are to take action to
prevent or lessen it in their daily activities. Public education and outreach is intended to help the public,
which at A-State includes students, faculty, staff and contractors, understand the types of stormwater
pollution and what they can specifically do to reduce stormwater pollution.
5.1.1 Rationale
While awareness of pollution in general has grown in the public in the years since the initial first
requirements for small MS4s to obtain a permit from the state for the discharge of stormwater, the
public in general is still largely unaware of the impacts of stormwater pollution. A-State being an
institution of higher learning is uniquely positioned to meet the goal of public education as education is
the primary reason for the existence of the university. The public education and outreach goals are
approved and updated by the Stormwater Advisory Committee and are chosen to reach as much of the
public as possible. It is the goal of A-State to reach 100% of the campus community during the 5 year
term of each permit cycle. The BMPs chosen are listed in the next section and are chosen to maximize
this potential.
The permit also requires that A-State chose five different themes to highlight during the permit term.
These themes were chosen to address the most common forms or stormwater pollution that occur with
the greatest frequency. The public education themes include:
Oil, petroleum products and other process chemicals -- 2019
Herbicides and pesticides -- 2020
Erosion control (construction activities and grounds maintenance) -- 2021
Illicit discharge detection -- 2022
Litter and debris – 2023
The development and distribution of materials is largely the responsibility of the Director of EHS with
input from the Stormwater Advisory Committee and Facilities Management.
5.1.2 Implementation and Measurable Goals
Most of these BMPs have already been implemented in past years, but there are some new BMPs and
measurable goals for those BMPs. Each of these is described in the table below. Distribution of
brochures reaches more individuals than any of the other methods as students are required to
participate in safety week. Over the course of the permit cycle, 100% of the students are reached. The
brochures also reach all employees that go through new employee orientation (required for new
employees) and any that participate in the benefits fair. Stormwater training reaches Facilities
Management personnel (required annually) and many others. New brochures targeted toward
contractors should reach close to 100% of contractors on campus.
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Figure 3: Best Management Practices for Public Education and Outreach
5.2 Public Involvement/Participation
This control measure is intended to increase public inclusion in and participation in the campus
stormwater management. According to EPA Factsheet 2.4 for the Stormwater Phase II Final Rule, “The
public can provide valuable input and assistance to a regulated small MS4’s municipal stormwater
management program…” A-State wants the public (which includes the faculty, staff and students) to
have as much involvement as they wish to have in the stormwater management program. Public
involvement and participation activities are targeted toward encouraging engagement in our
environmental programs, including stormwater management.
5.2.1 Rationale
A-State has historically had several ways that the campus community can be involved in stormwater
management at the university. The Stormwater Advisory Committee includes members from various
places within the campus community and includes one member from outside the campus community.
The A-State Environmental Health and Safety Office participates annually in community awareness
activities, like Earth Day, to educate the campus community and beyond on the impacts or stormwater
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pollution, preventative measures that the university undertakes and ideas on how the community can
impact water quality. We have both of these methods to be effective in meeting the goal of public
participation so we have decided to continue both of these best management practices.
The Stormwater Advisory Committee had some additional ideas on how we could increase community
involvement. These ideas included continuing to pursue campus community cleanup initiatives and a
newsletter to the campus community that highlights stormwater activity. Having a community cleanup
involves the community more intimately, but tends not to be very broad in scope. A newsletter is the
converse of that; it is lest impactful but reaches more people. Thus, the committee felt that having both
types of BMPs would have the maximum impact on the community. Along with these two new ideas,
EHS intends to finish marking all storm drains by the end of the permit cycle. We have asked employees
to become involved in this endeavor by informing EHS when they observe an unmarked storm drain.
5.2.2 Implementation and Measurable Goals
As mentioned above, two of these BMPs have been implemented in past years. In addition to these two,
there are three new BMPs. They are listed in the table below. We feel this combination of BMPs will
increase public involvement both in the number of people involved and the depth of their involvement
in stormwater pollution prevention. While having 100% of the public involved is not realistic, providing a
variety of opportunities for the public involvement gives 100% of the campus community the option of
participating.
Figure 4: Best Management Practices for Public Involvement/Participation
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5.3 Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination
An illicit discharge is defined by federal regulations as “…any discharge to a MS4 that is not composed
entirely of stormwater…”, although there are a few exceptions to this rule. This control measure is
intended to reduce the amount of stormwater pollution that occurs by unauthorized discharges and
illegal dumping. This is accomplished by a combination of identification of outfalls, visual inspections,
training, reporting mechanisms and response to illicit discharges if they do occur.
There are a number of non-stormwater discharges that are allowed under the NPDES permit conditions.
These include:
While these discharges are allowed, the campus community is encouraged to minimize these types of
discharges as well. Guidance for reducing these types of discharges to stormwater is given in the
stormwater awareness training, literature distributed at events and on the A-State Environmental
Health and Safety website on the page dedicated to stormwater.
5.3.1 Rationale
Detection and elimination of illicit discharges to stormwater requires a multi-faceted approach.
Identification of potential problem areas, training on how to identify illicit discharges and a mechanism
for reporting such issues are all items that A-State considers important for this BMP to be effective. A
map of stormwater outfalls (Appendix E) and visual inspection of those outfalls are practices that are
currently underway at A-State. The map is reviewed on an annual basis for accuracy and is also updated
when new outfalls are added. The response to illicit discharges has also already been implemented;
however, the mechanism for correction and enforcement will change with the new permit. Enforcement
of stormwater rules is discussed in chapter 7 of this SWMP.
Training of employees on identifying illicit discharges is something that A-State has been doing in
training for a number of years, but this had not been counted as a measurable goal. More detail has
been added to the training this year. Because of this training, there have been informal reports for illicit
discharges (emails, phone calls, etc.), but there has never been an official reporting mechanism. A-State
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and the SWAC feel that having a specific reporting mechanism will make reporting concerns easier, thus,
adding this as a measurable goal seems appropriate.
5.3.2 Implementation and Measurable Goals
As mentioned above, three of these BMPs have been implemented in past years. In addition to these
two, there are two new BMPs. They are listed in the table below. The BMPs that have already been
implemented (map of stormwater outfalls, visual inspection of outfalls during dry weather and response
to illicit discharges) have been effective in the past and thus will continue to be measured. The new
BMPs should enhance our effectiveness in identifying and eliminating illicit discharges.
Figure 5: Best Management Practices for Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination
5.4 Construction Site Stormwater Runoff Control
Stormwater runoff from construction sites can cause environmental problems and is unsightly when it is
polluted with sediment due to lack of effective BMPs. Sediment is the main pollutant of concern in
stormwater according to the EPA. Thus the majority of attention on construction sites is dedicated to
allowing the lowest amount of sediment practicable to leave the construction site. The construction site
management is responsible for BMPs to control sediment leaving the construction site; A-State is
responsible for ensuring that construction sites are using and maintaining the appropriate BMPs on the
construction site.
5.4.1 Rationale
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A-State EHS and the stormwater advisory committee have determined that the current BMPs used for
construction site stormwater runoff control are effective so those BMPs will remain in place. A more
well-defined enforcement procedure for non-compliance with stormwater requirements at construction
sites is necessary. A-State has been using the city of Jonesboro enforcement procedure up to this point;
a simpler procedure has been devised with similar penalties to the city. The end goal being of
implementing a new procedure is improvement to the overall performance of BMPs on a construction
site when inadequacies are found rather than simply punitive measures.
5.4.2 Implementation and Measurable Goals
Site plan review for construction and monthly inspection of construction sites are BMPs that have long
been a part of the stormwater management program. These BMPs will continue to be used as they are
required by regulations and have been deemed very effective. A new, formal escalation process for
enforcement of stormwater requirements has been developed. This new procedure better explains the
expectations and responses to noncompliance issues of Arkansas State University. Enforcement
procedures are explained more fully in chapter 7. Lastly, the ability of the public to comment on
stormwater concerns relating to construction activities is a permit requirement. The addition of a
reporting mechanism for illicit discharges will be added to the EHS website (see previous section). This
same mechanism can be used for reporting issues with construction site activities as well. The best
management practices for construction site stormwater runoff control are listed in the table below.
Figure 6: Best Management Practices for Construction Site Stormwater Runoff Control
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5.5 Post-Construction Stormwater Management in New Development and Redevelopment
When redevelopment takes place within the A-State MS4 that disturbs an acre or greater, the project is
treated the same as a new construction projects. All of the BMPs that apply to construction sites equally
apply to redevelopment. The primary purpose for the best management practices that occur in this
section is ensuring that the stormwater compliance process is seen through past the end of the
construction phase. Furthermore, post-construction stormwater management must be considered in
the design phase to achieve the required goal of 80% or greater removal of total suspended solid (TSS)
from flows if the TSS exceeds the predevelopment level. Design of systems to retain stormwater for
ground infiltration or slow stormwater flow is also encouraged in the design process.
5.5.1 Rationale
As mentioned above, several BMPs that apply to other areas equally apply to post-construction
stormwater management. However, there are a few areas that are not addressed in other sections.
First, the completion of a Notice of Termination (NOT) is required for any site that has completed
construction. Since this is completed after construction has finished, it seems appropriate for it to be
included as a post-construction BMP. This is the only BMP for post-construction that is completed after
construction.
Planning is necessary prior to construction for some of the post-construction requirements to be
implemented. New stormwater outfalls may be constructed if a new construction or redevelopment
takes place near the campus perimeter. Other stormwater issues can be identified prior to construction
if EHS and the stormwater advisory committee are a part of the design review process. Facilities
Management has informally asked for input regarding stormwater from EHS and the SWAC on new
construction and redevelopment in the past. EHS and the SWAC will continue to be a part of the design
process, specifically as it relates to stormwater management into the future. Thus, identification of new
outfalls as the result of new construction or redevelopment and design review for post-construction
stormwater management seem appropriate as BMPs. As physical post-construction stormwater BMPs
are added as the result of new construction or redevelopment, additional inspections regarding
maintenance of these physical BMPs will be added.
5.5.2 Implementation and Measurable Goals
Notices of termination have been completed for construction projects according to the regulations since
A-State became a small MS4, but this has not been counted as a measurable goal until now. Adding this
as a measurable goal will help ensure that NOTs are completed in a timely manner. Outfalls have also
been added in an informal manner in the past; using this as a measurable goal will help ensure that new
outfalls are identified early in the design and construction process rather than during or even after
construction. Lastly, using design review for post-construction stormwater management as a
measurable goal will ensure that EHS and the SWAC continue to have a seat at the table in the design
phase. The best management practices for post-construction stormwater management in new
development and redevelopment are listed in the table below.
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Figure 7: Best Management Practices for Post-Construction Stormwater Management in New Development and Redevelopment
5.6 Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping for Facilities
Good housekeeping may be the most important aspect of stormwater pollution prevention. If areas
within the MS4 that have the potential to pollute stormwater are kept neat and clean, the likelihood of
those areas causing a contamination issue are greatly reduced. The most important elements of a good
housekeeping program for municipal operations are training, inspection and procedures directly
targeted as maintaining cleanliness. All of these aspects are addressed in the BMPs used by A-State in
this section and other sections of the stormwater management plan.
5.6.1 Rationale
Training, inspections and cleaning procedures are the critical components of a good housekeeping
program, thus it is appropriate to address all three of these areas with best management practices.
Training on good housekeeping (along with other aspects of stormwater management) is included as a
best management practices in other sections of this plan; to include it as a BMP in this section would be
redundant. Inspection of areas at Facilities Management (the primary area of municipal activities) that
have the potential to pollute stormwater and inspection of fuel storage areas all over campus are vital to
ensure that these areas are well-maintained. Regular inspections are counted as a BMP. Efforts made to
keep the campus clean also contribute to reducing stormwater pollution therefore these items are
included as BMPs as well.
5.6.2 Implementation and Measurable Goals
Street sweeping, trash/litter collection and recycling are ongoing BMPs from previous SWMPs.
Inspection of municipal operations has been occurring for many years as well, but has not been listed as
a BMP in the stormwater management plan until now. Inspection of oil storage areas is a part of another
environmental plan, but has not been included in this plan until now. The best management practices
for pollution prevention and good housekeeping for are listed in the table below.
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Figure 7: Best Management Practices for Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping in Facilities
Chapter 6: Recordkeeping
All records regarding stormwater management are kept and maintained by Arkansas State University
Environmental Health and Safety department. The records kept include annual reports, inspection
reports, email communications (when necessary), testing results (when sampling is performed),
stormwater advisory committee meeting minutes and any communication between the state (ADEQ)
and the university regarding stormwater. Details on how the records are kept and how long they are
maintained is given in section 6.3
6.1 SWMP Updating
By permit requirement, the SWMP must be reviewed annually to see if updates are necessary. A
standing item on the fall SWAC meeting agenda is review of the SWMP. Review of the plan will be
documented in Appendix A. Changes will also be documented here. If a change requires resubmission of
the SWMP to the state, this will be documented in this appendix and the appendix will be transferred to
the new SWMP.
6.2 Monitoring
Requires monitoring of stormwater for the A-State MS4 includes inspection of outfalls during dry
weather. All outfalls are inspected annually and some outfalls that have the highest risk of having illicit
discharge are monitored quarterly. While sampling and testing are not required within the A-State MS4
because of the lack of activities require sampling, EHS reserves the right to sample stormwater when
illicit discharge is expected or if there is suspicion of some impact to the environment.
6.3 Recordkeeping
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Records for stormwater are kept in two ways: most records for the current year are kept in a notebook
with sections for each type of record. Records kept this way include: construction site inspections,
municipal activities inspections, monthly stormwater checklists for Facilities Management, annual
reports to ADEQ and stormwater advisory committee meeting minutes. Notices of coverage and
stormwater pollution prevention plans for construction sites are kept in a filing cabinet in the EHS
Director’s office.
All records are kept for a minimum of three years. Many records are kept beyond this because the
records are used for historical purposes. Notices of coverage for ongoing project are posted on the
construction site and are available to the public for viewing. These NOCs are removed once the notice of
termination has been accepted by the state.
6.4 SWMP Annual Reports
A-State must complete an annual report to ADEQ each year. According to the permit, the following
items must be included in the report:
The status of compliance with permit conditions;
An assessment of the appropriateness of the identified best management practices and the
progress towards achieving the measureable goal for each of the minimum control measures;
Results of information collected and analyzed, if any, during the reporting period, including
monitoring data used to assess the success of the program at reducing the discharge of
pollutants;
A summary of the stormwater activities A-State plans to undertake during the next reporting
cycle (including an implementation schedule);
Proposed changes to the stormwater management program, including changes to any BMPs or
any identified measurable goals that apply to the program elements;
Description and schedule for implementation of additional BMPs that may be necessary, based
on monitoring results, to ensure compliance with applicable TMDLs and implementation plans
and
Notice that A-State is relying on another government entity to satisfy some of the permit
obligations (if applicable).
The last two bullet points do not currently apply to A-State, but they are listed here since they appear in
the permit. The annual report is completed using a template downloaded from the ADEQ website. The
annual report is completed and submitted by March 31 of each year.
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Chapter 7: Enforcement of Stormwater Rules
To ensure that the campus community, including contractors that are on campus, comply with the
stormwater regulations, and enforcement mechanism is necessary. Previously, A-State had used the
Jonesboro City ordinance as the enforcement procedure for stormwater violations. However, A-State
has now developed a separate procedure that is similar to the city ordinance, but is adapted to meet the
unique needs of the university community.
7.1 Illicit Discharges
Illicit discharges are any discharges other than stormwater to the waters of the state. A-State has best
management practices in place to help prevent illicit discharges; however, unforeseen events,
carelessness or purposeful action can lead to illicit discharges that cannot be controlled by any BMPs.
Thus, A-State has a SOP that specifically outlines the process for escalating and enforcing the
stormwater rules, which includes the prohibition on illicit discharges. The enforcement procedure for
illicit discharges is explained in SOP SW-002 Enforcement of Stormwater Requirements on Campus and is
attached as Appendix G to this plan.
7.2 Construction Site Stormwater
Construction sites have the highest probability of contaminating stormwater and thus need more
regular attention. Inspections are performed on construction sites at least monthly. A clearly defined
enforcement procedure is necessary to ensure that any non-compliant issues found as a result of
inspections are corrected in a timely manner. The enforcement procedure for construction site
stormwater is explained in SOP SW-001 Enforcement of Stormwater Requirements on Construction Sites
and is attached as Appendix H to this plan
Stormwater Management Plan
Executive Summary
The primary purpose of this plan is to meet the requirements of the Arkansas Department of
Environmental Quality (ADEQ) issued National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) small
Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit issued to the Arkansas State University (A-State)
main campus (Jonesboro). ADEQ enforces the requirement of the Clean Water Act (CWA) and this
stormwater management plan (SWMP) outlines how A-State complies with the portions of the CWA that
pertain to stormwater by meeting the permit requirements. The SWMP is meant to describe how AState identifies sources of pollution that might impact stormwater discharges, implements Best
Management Practices (BMPs) for activities (such as construction and municipal tasks) to reduce
pollution to stormwater and measures the effectiveness of BMPs in reducing discharge of pollutants into
stormwater that leaves campus to associated waterways of the state.
A-State Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) has the primary responsibility for ensuring compliance
with stormwater requirements and for developing and implementing procedures to that end. A-State
also has a Stormwater Advisory Committee (SWAC) that reviews procedures developed by EHS and
makes recommendations prior to implementation. The SWAC has the opportunity to review
construction plans to provide input on reducing the stormwater impact of those projects. EHS updates
the SWAC quarterly on the activities it undertakes to meet the SWMP requirements.
A-State EHS has identified sources of stormwater pollution and ranks them on the basis of the likelihood
of each pollutant entering the stormwater conveyance. With the list of sources identified, EHS develops
and implements BMPs for each Minimum Control Measure required by the state. Minimum control
measures include: public education and outreach on stormwater impacts, public
involvement/participation, illicit discharge detection and elimination, construction site stormwater
runoff control, post-construction stormwater management in new development and redevelopment
and pollution prevention/good housekeeping for municipal operations (for the A-State campus,
municipal operations includes Facilities Management). This plan discusses how each BMP addresses the
minimal control measures intended to reduce stormwater pollution and how the effectiveness of each
BMP at achieving this goal is measured.
In conjunction with the mission of Arkansas State University Environmental Health and Safety, EHS
develops and uses training, educational materials and public involvement activities to raise awareness of
the campus community to their role in protecting water quality. These activities help prevent some
stormwater pollution before it occurs. When the potential for stormwater pollution is high, A-State has
BMPs intended to ensure that every reasonable measure is taken to reduce the impact of stormwater
pollution. This includes punitive measures for any on campus that violate the requirement set forth in
this plan. We believe that the combination of these two approaches is the most effective means of
reducing the impact of stormwater pollution on water quality. Reducing the impact of stormwater
pollution on campus by these means is in line with university mission of educating leaders, enhancing
intellectual growth and enriching lives.
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Contents
Executive Summary........................................................................................................................................................1
Chapter 1: Introduction .................................................................................................................................................4
1.1 Regulatory Background.......................................................................................................................................4
1.2 Roles and Responsibilities....................................................................................................................................4
1.2.1 Responsible Official ......................................................................................................................................5
1.2.2 Environmental Health and Safety (Cognizant Official).................................................................................5
1.2.3 Stormwater Advisory Committee (SWAC)....................................................................................................5
1.2.4 Facilities Management.................................................................................................................................6
1.2.5 Construction Site Management ...................................................................................................................6
1.2.6 Other Contract Personnel.............................................................................................................................6
1.2.7 Other Staff, Faculty and Administrators ......................................................................................................7
1.2.8 Students and Other Campus Community Members.....................................................................................7
Chapter 2: Site Information ...........................................................................................................................................7
Chapter 3: Potential Sources of Stormwater Contamination.........................................................................................8
Chapter 4: Minimum Control Measures ........................................................................................................................9
Chapter 5: Best Management Practices ........................................................................................................................9
5.1 Public Education and Outreach ...........................................................................................................................9
5.1.1 Rationale....................................................................................................................................................10
5.1.2 Implementation and Measurable Goals.....................................................................................................10
5.2 Public Involvement/Participation ......................................................................................................................11
5.2.1 Rationale....................................................................................................................................................11
5.2.2 Implementation and Measurable Goals.....................................................................................................12
5.3 Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination........................................................................................................13
5.3.1 Rationale....................................................................................................................................................13
5.3.2 Implementation and Measurable Goals.....................................................................................................14
5.4 Construction Site Stormwater Runoff Control ...................................................................................................14
5.4.1 Rationale....................................................................................................................................................14
5.4.2 Implementation and Measurable Goals.....................................................................................................15
5.5 Post-Construction Stormwater Management in New Development and Redevelopment................................16
5.5.1 Rationale....................................................................................................................................................16
5.5.2 Implementation and Measurable Goals.....................................................................................................16
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5.6 Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping for Facilities....................................................................................17
5.6.1 Rationale....................................................................................................................................................17
5.6.2 Implementation and Measurable Goals.....................................................................................................17
Chapter 6: Recordkeeping............................................................................................................................................18
6.1 SWMP Updating ................................................................................................................................................18
6.2 Monitoring.........................................................................................................................................................18
6.3 Recordkeeping...................................................................................................................................................18
6.4 SWMP Annual Reports ......................................................................................................................................19
Chapter 7: Enforcement of Stormwater Rules .............................................................................................................20
7.1 Illicit Discharges.................................................................................................................................................20
7.2 Construction Site Stormwater ...........................................................................................................................20
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Chapter 1: Introduction
Stormwater is water that starts to run along the ground rather than soaking into the ground.
Stormwater can carry with it unwanted pollutants into the waterways of the state. The pollutants that
stormwater can carry include sediment, oil, pesticides, nutrients (like fertilizer), litter and many others.
These pollutants can have effects very near to the source of pollution (such as carrying mud and dirt
onto a road or sidewalk creating an unsafe situation) and very far away (such as carrying fertilizers from
crops planted in the Mississippi River drainage basin causing dead zones in the Gulf of Mexico near the
mouth of the Mississippi River). Thus, it is important to take steps to minimize pollution to protect our
natural resources including our drinking water. The ultimate purpose of stormwater management is for
A-State to do its part in protecting the waterways of the state of Arkansas and the United States.
1.1 Regulatory Background
In 1948, the United States established the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. This was the first law to
provide broad protection for our water from pollution. In 1972, the law was amended and became
known as the Clean Water Act (CWA). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the entity
responsible for writing the regulations to enforce the CWA. In the state of Arkansas, the Arkansas
Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) is the agency tasked with enforcing the regulations.
Arkansas State University is classified as a small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4); a small
MS4 is a municipality that has stormwater discharges from an urbanized area that serves less than
100,000 individuals. Each MS4 must obtain a permit from the state to discharge stormwater to the
waterways of the state. This permit, called a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
permit, requires the covered MS4 to develop a Stormwater Management Plan (SWMP). A-State has had
several SWMPs in past years; since the NPDES permit must be renewed in 2019, an update to the SWMP
seemed appropriate. This SWMP is the document that A-State uses to provide guidance to university
employees, contractors and students and to enforce the stormwater regulations.
The program requirements for Arkansas State University include: application for an NPDES permit for
stormwater discharge, development of a stormwater management plan (which describes the required
six minimum control measures), implementation of a stormwater management program using
appropriate best management practices (BMPs), development of measurable goals for the stormwater
program and evaluation of the effectiveness of the program periodically. A copy of the current permit is
appendix B to this plan.
1.2 Roles and Responsibilities
Like safety and compliance in other areas, the responsibility for preventing stormwater pollution lies
with everyone in the community. Staff, faculty, students and contractors all have an important role in
helping ensure that stormwater is polluted as little as practicable. The roles and responsibilities for each
person in the community are listed below.
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1.2.1 Responsible Official
The responsible official is a person within the organization that has the authority to make decisions on
behalf of the MS4. The responsible official at A-State is currently the Assistant Vice Chancellor for
Human Resources. The responsibilities of the responsible official include:
Signing the permit application every time a renewal is required.
Reviewing and signing the annual report each year.
Responding to queries, inspections and findings by ADEQ.
1.2.2 Environmental Health and Safety (Cognizant Official)
The Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) office has the primary responsibility for ensuring university
compliance with the requirements of the SWMP. The director of EHS is the cognizant official, which is
the person authorized by the responsible official to have responsibility for the environmental matters of
the campus. The responsibilities of EHS include:
Development and implementation of the SWMP and any related stormwater pollution
prevention plans (SWPPPs).
Semiannual sampling of outfalls as required by the SWPPPs for certain stormwater-related
pollutants.
Quarterly inspection of sites that have a SWPPP.
Comprehensive annual inspection of sites that have a SWPPP.
Review of construction plans to ensure compliance with stormwater regulations.
Monthly inspection of construction sites to check for compliance with stormwater regulations.
Communication of inspection findings to the appropriate campus or contractor authority to
encourage correction.
Enforcement of requirements of the SWMP if non-compliant issues are not corrected. This can
include work stoppage and levying of fines (upon agreement from Facilities Management and
the responsible official).
Development of literature and training for informing faculty, staff, students, administration and
contractors of the impacts of stormwater pollution.
Organization of events for public involvement in the identification and/or reduction of
stormwater pollution.
Respond to stormwater complaints and issues reported by the campus community.
1.2.3 Stormwater Advisory Committee (SWAC)
The stormwater advisory committee is made up of individuals from various parts of the campus. The
committee meets quarterly to discuss stormwater issues on campus. The SWAC includes member from
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the following areas: Environmental Health and Safety, Ecotoxicology, Parking Services, Facilities
Management (Landscape Architect, Grounds Services or Recycling and Building Services), the student
body and from the community outside of A-State. The responsibilities of the SWAC include:
Review of to ensure compliance with stormwater regulations.
Periodic review of the SWMP and SWPPPs.
Providing of ideas for public involvement activities.
1.2.4 Facilities Management
Construction projects on the campus are completed through the construction office of Facilities
Management. If the completed project will be managed by the university, Facilities Management has a
greater role than projects that will be managed by outside entities. The responsibilities of Facilities
Management include:
Signing of the Notice of Intent and the Notice of Termination for projects that will be managed
by the university once completed.
Support of enforcement actions against construction contractors including stop work orders and
fines.
Compliance with the requirements of the SWPPP written for Facilities Management including
corrections of issues found on inspections.
Communication of projects that could impact stormwater quality to EHS.
Maintenance of BMPs associated with the Facilities Management site.
1.2.5 Construction Site Management
Construction site management are the individuals that have authority on the construction site to correct
stormwater compliance issues that are found. This can be a project manager, engineer, site foreman or
any other individual with such authority. The responsibilities of the construction site management
include:
Development of the Notice of Intent and SWPPP for the construction site.
Completion of field inspection at the interval required by the SWPPP.
Maintenance of the SWPPP and the site map as changes are made.
Maintenance of BMPs on the construction site.
Correction of stormwater compliance issues identified by EHS on monthly inspections.
Communication of stormwater requirements to all contractors on the construction site.
1.2.6 Other Contract Personnel
Other contract personnel are individuals that work on campus that are not employed by the university
that are not construction site management. These contract personnel may be individuals that work on a
construction site or individuals that perform other tasks on campus. The responsibilities of other
contract personnel include:
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Compliance with the stormwater requirements described in information provided to the
contractor by Facilities Management (literature provided by EHS).
Correction of issues at the direction of construction site management (on construction sites only
and only for issues caused by the contractor).
1.2.7 Other Staff, Faculty and Administrators
Most of the individuals on the A-State campus do not have an active daily role in stormwater
compliance. However, they do have the opportunity to be additional sets of eyes on the campus at
large. Stormwater issues can occur at any time and EHS only performs periodic inspections. The
responsibilities of staff, faculty and administrators include:
Report any issues with stormwater pollution to EHS.
Complete stormwater awareness training.
Refrain from littering.
1.2.8 Students and Other Campus Community Members
Everyone else in the campus community has a role in helping control stormwater pollution as well. The
responsibilities of everyone else include:
Report any issues with stormwater pollution to EHS.
Refrain from littering.
Chapter 2: Site Information
The Arkansas State University Jonesboro campus is located within the city limits of Jonesboro, Arkansas.
The city of Jonesboro is a separate MS4 from the A-State MS4; some stormwater leaves the City of
Jonesboro MS4 and enters the A-State MS4. All of the stormwater leaves the A-State MS4 into Turtle
Creek. Turtle Creek flows into the St. Francis River which in turn empties into the Mississippi River. The
Mississippi River empties into the Gulf of Mexico. Any pollution of stormwater within the campus of AState can have an impact very far from where it initially occurs.
Before entering Turtle Creek, most of the stormwater from the university flows into a stormwater ditch
known as Turtle Creek Lateral. In the past, A-State had clear cut this ditch once a year. However,
Facilities Management and the Stormwater Advisory Committee agreed that allowing vegetation to
grow on the ditch bank is a better way to manage the stormwater that flows on campus. This has the
advantage of stabilizing the ditch banks and potentially removing unwanted contaminants from
stormwater. For these reasons, A-State no longer clear cuts Turtle Creek Lateral. A-State intends to
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study the scientific literature on the subject and perhaps perform novel research regarding storm ditch
vegetation during the permit cycle.
A-State has many places where stormwater can enter the waterways of
the state. There are stormwater inlets all over campus; EHS is working
to ensure that all stormwater inlets are marked with an indicating plate
demonstrating that they drain to a waterway (an example is pictured to
the right). A map of these inlets is included in appendix D of this plan.
EHS plans to have every inlet marked by the end of 2019. Water from
these inlets and other places makes its way to about 50 outfalls from
the university. EHS inspects these outfalls annually during periods of
dry weather to detect any illicit discharges to stormwater conveyance. A
map of these outfalls is included in appendix E of this plan. Finally, as of
2019, the Arkansas State University MS4 does not discharge
stormwater to any impaired waters.
Chapter 3: Potential Sources of Stormwater Contamination
It is important to identify the potential sources of stormwater contamination to maximize the
effectiveness of control measures. Identification of these contaminants is determined by past and
current sampling of stormwater as well as knowledge of the day-to-day operations of the university. The
table below lists the contaminants, their sources and frequency of occurrence.
Figure 2: Potential Sources of Contamination of Stormwater.
Figure 1: Stormwater Drain Marker
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Most contamination of stormwater can be prevented by simply taking measures to control them. Some
sources cannot be controlled so easily, though. For example, oil and fuel that leaks from vehicles while
driving on the road is inevitable. These types of pollution contribute little to the overall pollution.
Control measures are primarily concerned with educating people to keep the rare events from becoming
frequent and controlling the common and large quantity contaminants that are caused by human
activity. While A-State strives to eliminate as much pollution as feasible from stormwater conveyance,
primary attention is given to controlling sediment runoff due to human activity, which is the most
common pollutant to the waterways of the state according to the Environmental Protection Agency. 70
percent of sediment erosion into waterways is caused by human activity.
Chapter 4: Minimum Control Measures
Because of the risk of stormwater pollution to the health of our environment, EPA and ADEQ require as
a part of our permit and SWMP certain minimum control measures. The six minimum control measures
include:
Public education and outreach on stormwater impacts,
Public involvement/participation,
Illicit discharge detection and elimination,
Construction site stormwater runoff control,
Post-construction stormwater management in new development and redevelopment and
Pollution prevention/good housekeeping for municipal operations.
For each control measure, A-State is required to have best management practices (BMPs) implemented
for each measure and measurable goals for determining the success of each BMP including a rationale
for why each BMP and associated measureable goals were chosen. The individuals tasked with
implementing and coordinating the BMPs described in the SWMP is also required, including an
organizational chart. The organizational chart is Appendix F of this plan.
Chapter 5: Best Management Practices
Best management practices are the strategies an entity employs in implementing control measures. The
goal of these BMPs is to reduce stormwater pollution. Some BMPs directly influence contaminant levels
by actively blocking water or filtering it before it moving into stormwater conveyance. The majority of
BMPs are indirect, though. Whether it be inspection of areas to look for risks of contamination or public
education and involvement initiatives, the goal of these indirect practices is to increase awareness about
stormwater pollution and because of such prevent some pollution before it happens. This section
outlines the BMPs that are used by A-State and the rationale behind selecting these BMPs to meet the
minimum control measures required by the EPA and ADEQ.
5.1 Public Education and Outreach
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This control measure is intended to increase public awareness about stormwater pollution. The more
aware the public is of the impacts of stormwater pollution, the more likely they are to take action to
prevent or lessen it in their daily activities. Public education and outreach is intended to help the public,
which at A-State includes students, faculty, staff and contractors, understand the types of stormwater
pollution and what they can specifically do to reduce stormwater pollution.
5.1.1 Rationale
While awareness of pollution in general has grown in the public in the years since the initial first
requirements for small MS4s to obtain a permit from the state for the discharge of stormwater, the
public in general is still largely unaware of the impacts of stormwater pollution. A-State being an
institution of higher learning is uniquely positioned to meet the goal of public education as education is
the primary reason for the existence of the university. The public education and outreach goals are
approved and updated by the Stormwater Advisory Committee and are chosen to reach as much of the
public as possible. It is the goal of A-State to reach 100% of the campus community during the 5 year
term of each permit cycle. The BMPs chosen are listed in the next section and are chosen to maximize
this potential.
The permit also requires that A-State chose five different themes to highlight during the permit term.
These themes were chosen to address the most common forms or stormwater pollution that occur with
the greatest frequency. The public education themes include:
Oil, petroleum products and other process chemicals -- 2019
Herbicides and pesticides -- 2020
Erosion control (construction activities and grounds maintenance) -- 2021
Illicit discharge detection -- 2022
Litter and debris – 2023
The development and distribution of materials is largely the responsibility of the Director of EHS with
input from the Stormwater Advisory Committee and Facilities Management.
5.1.2 Implementation and Measurable Goals
Most of these BMPs have already been implemented in past years, but there are some new BMPs and
measurable goals for those BMPs. Each of these is described in the table below. Distribution of
brochures reaches more individuals than any of the other methods as students are required to
participate in safety week. Over the course of the permit cycle, 100% of the students are reached. The
brochures also reach all employees that go through new employee orientation (required for new
employees) and any that participate in the benefits fair. Stormwater training reaches Facilities
Management personnel (required annually) and many others. New brochures targeted toward
contractors should reach close to 100% of contractors on campus.
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Figure 3: Best Management Practices for Public Education and Outreach
5.2 Public Involvement/Participation
This control measure is intended to increase public inclusion in and participation in the campus
stormwater management. According to EPA Factsheet 2.4 for the Stormwater Phase II Final Rule, “The
public can provide valuable input and assistance to a regulated small MS4’s municipal stormwater
management program…” A-State wants the public (which includes the faculty, staff and students) to
have as much involvement as they wish to have in the stormwater management program. Public
involvement and participation activities are targeted toward encouraging engagement in our
environmental programs, including stormwater management.
5.2.1 Rationale
A-State has historically had several ways that the campus community can be involved in stormwater
management at the university. The Stormwater Advisory Committee includes members from various
places within the campus community and includes one member from outside the campus community.
The A-State Environmental Health and Safety Office participates annually in community awareness
activities, like Earth Day, to educate the campus community and beyond on the impacts or stormwater
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pollution, preventative measures that the university undertakes and ideas on how the community can
impact water quality. We have both of these methods to be effective in meeting the goal of public
participation so we have decided to continue both of these best management practices.
The Stormwater Advisory Committee had some additional ideas on how we could increase community
involvement. These ideas included continuing to pursue campus community cleanup initiatives and a
newsletter to the campus community that highlights stormwater activity. Having a community cleanup
involves the community more intimately, but tends not to be very broad in scope. A newsletter is the
converse of that; it is lest impactful but reaches more people. Thus, the committee felt that having both
types of BMPs would have the maximum impact on the community. Along with these two new ideas,
EHS intends to finish marking all storm drains by the end of the permit cycle. We have asked employees
to become involved in this endeavor by informing EHS when they observe an unmarked storm drain.
5.2.2 Implementation and Measurable Goals
As mentioned above, two of these BMPs have been implemented in past years. In addition to these two,
there are three new BMPs. They are listed in the table below. We feel this combination of BMPs will
increase public involvement both in the number of people involved and the depth of their involvement
in stormwater pollution prevention. While having 100% of the public involved is not realistic, providing a
variety of opportunities for the public involvement gives 100% of the campus community the option of
participating.
Figure 4: Best Management Practices for Public Involvement/Participation
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5.3 Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination
An illicit discharge is defined by federal regulations as “…any discharge to a MS4 that is not composed
entirely of stormwater…”, although there are a few exceptions to this rule. This control measure is
intended to reduce the amount of stormwater pollution that occurs by unauthorized discharges and
illegal dumping. This is accomplished by a combination of identification of outfalls, visual inspections,
training, reporting mechanisms and response to illicit discharges if they do occur.
There are a number of non-stormwater discharges that are allowed under the NPDES permit conditions.
These include:
While these discharges are allowed, the campus community is encouraged to minimize these types of
discharges as well. Guidance for reducing these types of discharges to stormwater is given in the
stormwater awareness training, literature distributed at events and on the A-State Environmental
Health and Safety website on the page dedicated to stormwater.
5.3.1 Rationale
Detection and elimination of illicit discharges to stormwater requires a multi-faceted approach.
Identification of potential problem areas, training on how to identify illicit discharges and a mechanism
for reporting such issues are all items that A-State considers important for this BMP to be effective. A
map of stormwater outfalls (Appendix E) and visual inspection of those outfalls are practices that are
currently underway at A-State. The map is reviewed on an annual basis for accuracy and is also updated
when new outfalls are added. The response to illicit discharges has also already been implemented;
however, the mechanism for correction and enforcement will change with the new permit. Enforcement
of stormwater rules is discussed in chapter 7 of this SWMP.
Training of employees on identifying illicit discharges is something that A-State has been doing in
training for a number of years, but this had not been counted as a measurable goal. More detail has
been added to the training this year. Because of this training, there have been informal reports for illicit
discharges (emails, phone calls, etc.), but there has never been an official reporting mechanism. A-State
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and the SWAC feel that having a specific reporting mechanism will make reporting concerns easier, thus,
adding this as a measurable goal seems appropriate.
5.3.2 Implementation and Measurable Goals
As mentioned above, three of these BMPs have been implemented in past years. In addition to these
two, there are two new BMPs. They are listed in the table below. The BMPs that have already been
implemented (map of stormwater outfalls, visual inspection of outfalls during dry weather and response
to illicit discharges) have been effective in the past and thus will continue to be measured. The new
BMPs should enhance our effectiveness in identifying and eliminating illicit discharges.
Figure 5: Best Management Practices for Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination
5.4 Construction Site Stormwater Runoff Control
Stormwater runoff from construction sites can cause environmental problems and is unsightly when it is
polluted with sediment due to lack of effective BMPs. Sediment is the main pollutant of concern in
stormwater according to the EPA. Thus the majority of attention on construction sites is dedicated to
allowing the lowest amount of sediment practicable to leave the construction site. The construction site
management is responsible for BMPs to control sediment leaving the construction site; A-State is
responsible for ensuring that construction sites are using and maintaining the appropriate BMPs on the
construction site.
5.4.1 Rationale
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A-State EHS and the stormwater advisory committee have determined that the current BMPs used for
construction site stormwater runoff control are effective so those BMPs will remain in place. A more
well-defined enforcement procedure for non-compliance with stormwater requirements at construction
sites is necessary. A-State has been using the city of Jonesboro enforcement procedure up to this point;
a simpler procedure has been devised with similar penalties to the city. The end goal being of
implementing a new procedure is improvement to the overall performance of BMPs on a construction
site when inadequacies are found rather than simply punitive measures.
5.4.2 Implementation and Measurable Goals
Site plan review for construction and monthly inspection of construction sites are BMPs that have long
been a part of the stormwater management program. These BMPs will continue to be used as they are
required by regulations and have been deemed very effective. A new, formal escalation process for
enforcement of stormwater requirements has been developed. This new procedure better explains the
expectations and responses to noncompliance issues of Arkansas State University. Enforcement
procedures are explained more fully in chapter 7. Lastly, the ability of the public to comment on
stormwater concerns relating to construction activities is a permit requirement. The addition of a
reporting mechanism for illicit discharges will be added to the EHS website (see previous section). This
same mechanism can be used for reporting issues with construction site activities as well. The best
management practices for construction site stormwater runoff control are listed in the table below.
Figure 6: Best Management Practices for Construction Site Stormwater Runoff Control
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5.5 Post-Construction Stormwater Management in New Development and Redevelopment
When redevelopment takes place within the A-State MS4 that disturbs an acre or greater, the project is
treated the same as a new construction projects. All of the BMPs that apply to construction sites equally
apply to redevelopment. The primary purpose for the best management practices that occur in this
section is ensuring that the stormwater compliance process is seen through past the end of the
construction phase. Furthermore, post-construction stormwater management must be considered in
the design phase to achieve the required goal of 80% or greater removal of total suspended solid (TSS)
from flows if the TSS exceeds the predevelopment level. Design of systems to retain stormwater for
ground infiltration or slow stormwater flow is also encouraged in the design process.
5.5.1 Rationale
As mentioned above, several BMPs that apply to other areas equally apply to post-construction
stormwater management. However, there are a few areas that are not addressed in other sections.
First, the completion of a Notice of Termination (NOT) is required for any site that has completed
construction. Since this is completed after construction has finished, it seems appropriate for it to be
included as a post-construction BMP. This is the only BMP for post-construction that is completed after
construction.
Planning is necessary prior to construction for some of the post-construction requirements to be
implemented. New stormwater outfalls may be constructed if a new construction or redevelopment
takes place near the campus perimeter. Other stormwater issues can be identified prior to construction
if EHS and the stormwater advisory committee are a part of the design review process. Facilities
Management has informally asked for input regarding stormwater from EHS and the SWAC on new
construction and redevelopment in the past. EHS and the SWAC will continue to be a part of the design
process, specifically as it relates to stormwater management into the future. Thus, identification of new
outfalls as the result of new construction or redevelopment and design review for post-construction
stormwater management seem appropriate as BMPs. As physical post-construction stormwater BMPs
are added as the result of new construction or redevelopment, additional inspections regarding
maintenance of these physical BMPs will be added.
5.5.2 Implementation and Measurable Goals
Notices of termination have been completed for construction projects according to the regulations since
A-State became a small MS4, but this has not been counted as a measurable goal until now. Adding this
as a measurable goal will help ensure that NOTs are completed in a timely manner. Outfalls have also
been added in an informal manner in the past; using this as a measurable goal will help ensure that new
outfalls are identified early in the design and construction process rather than during or even after
construction. Lastly, using design review for post-construction stormwater management as a
measurable goal will ensure that EHS and the SWAC continue to have a seat at the table in the design
phase. The best management practices for post-construction stormwater management in new
development and redevelopment are listed in the table below.
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Figure 7: Best Management Practices for Post-Construction Stormwater Management in New Development and Redevelopment
5.6 Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping for Facilities
Good housekeeping may be the most important aspect of stormwater pollution prevention. If areas
within the MS4 that have the potential to pollute stormwater are kept neat and clean, the likelihood of
those areas causing a contamination issue are greatly reduced. The most important elements of a good
housekeeping program for municipal operations are training, inspection and procedures directly
targeted as maintaining cleanliness. All of these aspects are addressed in the BMPs used by A-State in
this section and other sections of the stormwater management plan.
5.6.1 Rationale
Training, inspections and cleaning procedures are the critical components of a good housekeeping
program, thus it is appropriate to address all three of these areas with best management practices.
Training on good housekeeping (along with other aspects of stormwater management) is included as a
best management practices in other sections of this plan; to include it as a BMP in this section would be
redundant. Inspection of areas at Facilities Management (the primary area of municipal activities) that
have the potential to pollute stormwater and inspection of fuel storage areas all over campus are vital to
ensure that these areas are well-maintained. Regular inspections are counted as a BMP. Efforts made to
keep the campus clean also contribute to reducing stormwater pollution therefore these items are
included as BMPs as well.
5.6.2 Implementation and Measurable Goals
Street sweeping, trash/litter collection and recycling are ongoing BMPs from previous SWMPs.
Inspection of municipal operations has been occurring for many years as well, but has not been listed as
a BMP in the stormwater management plan until now. Inspection of oil storage areas is a part of another
environmental plan, but has not been included in this plan until now. The best management practices
for pollution prevention and good housekeeping for are listed in the table below.
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Figure 7: Best Management Practices for Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping in Facilities
Chapter 6: Recordkeeping
All records regarding stormwater management are kept and maintained by Arkansas State University
Environmental Health and Safety department. The records kept include annual reports, inspection
reports, email communications (when necessary), testing results (when sampling is performed),
stormwater advisory committee meeting minutes and any communication between the state (ADEQ)
and the university regarding stormwater. Details on how the records are kept and how long they are
maintained is given in section 6.3
6.1 SWMP Updating
By permit requirement, the SWMP must be reviewed annually to see if updates are necessary. A
standing item on the fall SWAC meeting agenda is review of the SWMP. Review of the plan will be
documented in Appendix A. Changes will also be documented here. If a change requires resubmission of
the SWMP to the state, this will be documented in this appendix and the appendix will be transferred to
the new SWMP.
6.2 Monitoring
Requires monitoring of stormwater for the A-State MS4 includes inspection of outfalls during dry
weather. All outfalls are inspected annually and some outfalls that have the highest risk of having illicit
discharge are monitored quarterly. While sampling and testing are not required within the A-State MS4
because of the lack of activities require sampling, EHS reserves the right to sample stormwater when
illicit discharge is expected or if there is suspicion of some impact to the environment.
6.3 Recordkeeping
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Records for stormwater are kept in two ways: most records for the current year are kept in a notebook
with sections for each type of record. Records kept this way include: construction site inspections,
municipal activities inspections, monthly stormwater checklists for Facilities Management, annual
reports to ADEQ and stormwater advisory committee meeting minutes. Notices of coverage and
stormwater pollution prevention plans for construction sites are kept in a filing cabinet in the EHS
Director’s office.
All records are kept for a minimum of three years. Many records are kept beyond this because the
records are used for historical purposes. Notices of coverage for ongoing project are posted on the
construction site and are available to the public for viewing. These NOCs are removed once the notice of
termination has been accepted by the state.
6.4 SWMP Annual Reports
A-State must complete an annual report to ADEQ each year. According to the permit, the following
items must be included in the report:
The status of compliance with permit conditions;
An assessment of the appropriateness of the identified best management practices and the
progress towards achieving the measureable goal for each of the minimum control measures;
Results of information collected and analyzed, if any, during the reporting period, including
monitoring data used to assess the success of the program at reducing the discharge of
pollutants;
A summary of the stormwater activities A-State plans to undertake during the next reporting
cycle (including an implementation schedule);
Proposed changes to the stormwater management program, including changes to any BMPs or
any identified measurable goals that apply to the program elements;
Description and schedule for implementation of additional BMPs that may be necessary, based
on monitoring results, to ensure compliance with applicable TMDLs and implementation plans
and
Notice that A-State is relying on another government entity to satisfy some of the permit
obligations (if applicable).
The last two bullet points do not currently apply to A-State, but they are listed here since they appear in
the permit. The annual report is completed using a template downloaded from the ADEQ website. The
annual report is completed and submitted by March 31 of each year.
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Chapter 7: Enforcement of Stormwater Rules
To ensure that the campus community, including contractors that are on campus, comply with the
stormwater regulations, and enforcement mechanism is necessary. Previously, A-State had used the
Jonesboro City ordinance as the enforcement procedure for stormwater violations. However, A-State
has now developed a separate procedure that is similar to the city ordinance, but is adapted to meet the
unique needs of the university community.
7.1 Illicit Discharges
Illicit discharges are any discharges other than stormwater to the waters of the state. A-State has best
management practices in place to help prevent illicit discharges; however, unforeseen events,
carelessness or purposeful action can lead to illicit discharges that cannot be controlled by any BMPs.
Thus, A-State has a SOP that specifically outlines the process for escalating and enforcing the
stormwater rules, which includes the prohibition on illicit discharges. The enforcement procedure for
illicit discharges is explained in SOP SW-002 Enforcement of Stormwater Requirements on Campus and is
attached as Appendix G to this plan.
7.2 Construction Site Stormwater
Construction sites have the highest probability of contaminating stormwater and thus need more
regular attention. Inspections are performed on construction sites at least monthly. A clearly defined
enforcement procedure is necessary to ensure that any non-compliant issues found as a result of
inspections are corrected in a timely manner. The enforcement procedure for construction site
stormwater is explained in SOP SW-001 Enforcement of Stormwater Requirements on Construction Sites
and is attached as Appendix H to this plan