The Salisbury Township Environmental Advisory Council could play a key role in educating residents about storm- water runoff.

David J. Tettemer, Salisbury Township consulting engineer of Keystone Consulting Engineers, recommended the STEAC could address the first component of a recent DEP directive; public education and outreach.

That was one of the take-aways from Tettemer's approximate one-hour presentation Aug. 28 during a board of commissioners' workshop following the regular meeting.

Also attending were Joseph Hebelka, Salisbury Township Planning Commission secretary and planners' STEAC representative and Kreg Ulery, STEAC chairperson.

A Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System is composed of drainage systems, including streets, catch basins, curbs, gutters, ditches, man-made channels and storm pipes owned by a municipality.

As part of the federal Clean Water Act, a municipality is required to have a MS4 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit to cover stormwater discharges and to maintain compliance with the permit.

In Pennsylvania, the MS4 program is administered by the Department of Environmental Protection, which has federal oversight from the Environmental Protection Agency.

Salisbury Township, along with other Lehigh Valley municipalities, received notice June 25 of a 30-day deadline to provide EPA with evidence of MS4 compliance.

"The township is in compliance with our current MS4," Tettemer said. Compliance was achieved in February. "There are rules that will be expanded," Tettemer continued, adding, "There are additional responsibilities coming down the road.

"The township got a letter. Most [area municipalities] got a visit because there was a lot missing," Tettemer said.

Municipalities' first MS4 target date is April 2015, with a timeline of expected outcomes until April 2019. An MS4 NPDES permit is good for five years.

Educating township residents, especially students, about clean water quality, has been supervised for 11 years by Salisbury Township Director of Public Works John Andreas.

"What John [Andreas] did was perfectly acceptable," Tettemer said.

Andreas noted Salisbury has been in MS4 compliance since 2003. "We were actually ahead of the curve," Andreas said, displaying brochures and handouts distributed through the Salisbury Township School District.

"A lot of our focus was on the kids. For years, we provided materials for schools," Andreas said.

"Now the web is a big part of that outreach," Andreas said.

Salisbury Township Manager Randy Soriano said the redesign of the township website is to include more MS4 information.

"Is this something we're going to have to have by 2015?" Township Commissioner Vice President Debra Brinton asked, who chaired the meeting in the absence of Commissioner President James A. Brown.

"They [DEP] want to see a plan," Tettemer responded.

Commissioner Robert Martucci, Jr., asked if any grant money would be available to which Tettemer replied no.

Soriano said this is part of the unfunded mandate. Soriano also said the township needs a written plan.

According to a one-sheet handout Tettemer distributed to commissioners, untreated or uncontrolled stormwater runoff is the number one cause of impairment in local waterways.

Polluted runoff is often transported through municipal drainage systems until it discharges into streams, lakes and rivers, according to the handout.

The MS4 program has six components, designated "Minimum Control Measures," that when implemented are said to reduce pollutants discharged in receiving waters.

The six control measures and actions required by DEP are:

1. Public Education and Outreach: Distribute education materials and hold outreach programs to inform residents about the impact of stormwater runoff on water quality.

2. Public Participation-Involvement: Provide residents opportunities to participate in stormwater management.

3. Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination: Develop and implement a plan to detect and eliminate stormwater discharges into the storm- water system, in addition to detailed mapping of storm sewer system.

4. Construction Site Runoff Control: Develop, implement and enforce erosion and sediment control for construction sites.

5. Post-Construction Runoff Control: Develop, implement and enforce discharges of post-construction stormwater runoff from new development or redevelopment.

6. Pollution Prevention: Develop and implement reduction or prevention of pollutant runoff from municipal operations.

The MS4 order is intended to prevent lawn pesticides, animal manure, residents' cars' used oil and automotive fluids, swimming pool chlorine, household detergents and the like from getting into stormwater systems and, therefore, streams and rivers supplying the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, which includes Lehigh and Delaware valleys.

The DEP could level a $35,000 per day fine against municipalities for noncompliance.