Washington State Department of Ecology
12/02/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 12/02/2024 12:18
Industrial sites have new requirements to protect water quality
Department of Ecology News Release - December 2, 2024
Industrial sites have new requirements to protect water quality
Updated stormwater permit includes sampling for PFAS, 6PPD-quinone
Without proper stormwater management, industrial activities can cause pollution.
OLYMPIA -
Washington's Industrial Stormwater General Permit, which covers nearly 1,200 facilities, has new requirements to ensure cleaner stormwater is flowing into local waterways. The permit covers industrial facilities like log yards, tank farms, rail yards, trucking facilities, auto recyclers, marine cargo handling facilities, and manufacturing facilities.
Specifically, the updated permit adds sampling requirements at certain facilities for PFAS, the group of toxic chemicals known to have contaminated drinking water at many sites across Washington, and 6PPD-quinone, a chemical found in vehicle tire dust that is linked to salmon mortality.
The Washington Department of Ecology updates this permit on a five-year cycle to ensure the permit is protective of water quality and practical for the businesses. The day-to-day activities at industrial facilities have the potential to pollute when rain picks up contaminants or toxic chemicals on the property and flows into local waterbodies. The wastewater generated at these facilities from cleaning equipment, processing materials or manufacturing that is discharged through a pipe is regulated through separate water quality permits.
Ecology's stormwater permit has detailed requirements for industrial facilities. The permit includes developing a stormwater pollution prevention plan, incorporating best management practices in the facility's daily operations, sampling at regular intervals for certain pollutants, planning for emergencies, and reporting results to Ecology. The updated permit builds on the previous permit and includes important updates, summarized below.
New sampling requirements for specific pollutants
Facilities that are more likely to have PFAS contamination in their stormwater, such as airports and waste management facilities, are now required to sample for these chemicals. PFAS is a family of chemicals known as 'forever chemicals' that persist in the environment and can be found in firefighting foams, along with other industrial and consumer materials. Learn more about PFAS.
Three types of facilities, transportation, waste management, and hazardous waste, are required to sample for 6PPD-quinone in their stormwater. This toxic chemical comes from tire wear particles and is lethal to coho salmon. The types of activities common at these facilities, such as maneuvering heavy-duty vehicles in tight spaces, means 6PPD-quinone could be more of a concern at these sites. Concerns over 6PPD are still relatively new, and there are a limited number of laboratories that with the ability to test and sample for the chemical. Because of this, Ecology postponed the 6PPD-quinone sampling requirement until 2028. Learn more about 6PPD-quinone.
These sampling requirements will help permittees and Ecology better understand if these pollutants are present and moving through existing stormwater treatment infrastructure into nearby waterbodies.
Clarifying protections at transportation facilities
Nearly 300 transportation facilities are covered under the permit. This includes ports, railroads, bus barns, trucking facilities, airports and bulk petroleum facilities. Since 2010, Ecology has required transportation facilities to manage and monitor stormwater in all areas of their industrial operations. Despite this, not all facilities have applied the permit facility-wide. In 2024, the Washington State Court of Appeals supported Ecology's interpretation, so the new permit clarifies that the permit requirements apply to all areas of industrial operations - such as loading and unloading cargo onto or off ships, trucks and rail.
The permit has an updated definition of "industrial activity", to further clarify that it includes areas at intermodal transportation facilities where material handling occurs. Material handling includes heavy equipment operating on paved surfaces and can generate pollution, including zinc, copper, 6PPD-quinone, and sediment that without proper stormwater management could drain into local waters. The permit includes a six-month compliance schedule for existing transportation facilities to update their stormwater plans and begin sampling materials handling areas, if they haven't done so already.
Flexibility at qualifying wharves and piers
Recognizing that the stormwater sampling for material handling areas at some wharves and piers may not be possible, Ecology added a new sampling point waiver process for facilities concerned about this type of stormwater sampling. The process includes a proposed permit modification with public notice and requires Ecology review and approval. Waiver decisions and other modifications are subject to appeal.
The current Industrial Stormwater General Permit expires on Dec. 31, 2024, and the new permit is effective on Jan. 1, 2025.