Salisbury Township is well on the way to fulfilling the federally-mandated MS4 program.

Sandy Nicolo, Salisbury Township assistant zoning officer, code enforcement officer and MS4 coordinator, updated the Salisbury Township Environmental Advisory Council at the July 20 meeting.

Nicolo’s detailed three-page “2016 MS4 Report Update,” which he presented to the township board of commissioners at the July 14 meeting, lists projects, programs and procedures completed or not completed. The goal is to have goals completed by the end of 2016.

“There are just a few outstanding matters to wrap up,” Nicolo told the STEAC.

Most of the 87 best management practice items, which are listed under minimum control measures categories, have been completed in the township, according to the report.

“There are just a few outstanding matters to wrap up,” Nicolo said.

Only six BMP items have not been completed in the township, according to the report:

Under MCM No., 1, public education and outreach BMP No. 1, written public education and outreach program, has not been completed by the STEAC.

According to the STEAC July 20 agenda, the STEAC’s responsibility under the written public education and outreach program involves the need to “identify specific plans and goals for public education and outreach” for 2016 and 2017. There’s a need to “coordinate a program with the school districts [Salisbury School District and The Swain School].” Also needed are “specific plans for publication of stormwater materials” for 2017.

“We would like to do something more formal with the school district and Swain,” STEAC Chair Kreg Ulery said.

Under MCM No. 3, illicit discharge detection and elimination BMP No. 4, dry weather outfall screening log and reports, have not been completed by Nicolo.

Under MCM No. 5, post-construction stormwater management in new development and redevelopment, BMP No. 5, subdivision and land development, measures to encourage and expand use of low-impact design has not been completed by Salisbury Township Director of Planning and Zoning Cynthia Sopka, and BMP No. 6, post-construction stormwater management property maintenance reports have not been completed by Nicolo.

Discussion centered on the inclusion of low impact development in township ordinances. STEAC members talked about the possibility of assisting with LID research.

“It would be best if it was low impact by design. We don’t have that in our [township] SALDO,” Sopka said.

“That came back as comments from DEP [Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection]. That’s one of the things they want to see.”

Nicolo said he expected to have the post-construction reports completed by the end of summer.

Under MCM No. 6, pollution prevention-good housekeeping, BMP No. 1, list of municipal-owned properties with potential for generating stormwater runoff to the small MS4, and BMP No. 2, operation and maintenance manual, have not been completed by Salisbury Township Director of Public Works John Andreas.

Nicolo suggested revisions to MCM 1 and 2 for 2017. Robert Agonis, STEAC task force member, volunteered to do that.

“You do a great job,” Nicolo praised Agonis.

“That was a huge relief when you took over as MS4 coordinator,” Ulery said of Nicolo.

Under the federal Clean Water Act, a municipality must have a MS4 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit to cover stormwater discharges and to maintain compliance with the permit. The township’s five-year NPDES permit, issued in 2014, is good until 2019.

MS4 is an acronym for Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System, with the “M” standing for “Municipal” and the numeral “4” representing the four “S” first letters of each word in “Separate Storm Sewer System.”

MS4 stormwater management program protocol requires Minimum Control Measures to enforce the MS4 program, mandated by United States Environmental Protection Agency and enforced by the DEP.

Municipalities are required to fulfill six MCMs: 1. public education, 2. public participation, 3. illicit discharge detection and elimination, 4. construction site runoff control, 5. post-construction stormwater management, and 6. pollution prevention for municipal operations and maintenance.

The STEAC is charged with fulfilling MCMs one and two.