The Salisbury Township Environmental Advisory Council reviewed its proposed public education plan for 2017 at its Nov. 16 meeting.

STEAC members also discussed progress on the stormwater detention basin at the township municipal building, 2900 S. Pike Ave.

Volunteers helped with plantings at the detention basin scheduled the weekend of Nov. 19.

“Most of the plants are in,” Salisbury Township Director of Planning and Zoning Cynthia Sopka said.

The education plan is to be presented to Sandy Nicolo, Salisbury Township assistant zoning officer, code enforcement officer and MS4 coordinator.

Kreg Ulery, STEAC chair, outlined several projects to be included in the educational plan, including three to five events where the STEAC would have a table and materials available; publications, including articles in the Salisbury Press and the annual Walking Purchase Park cleanup.

Commissioners appointed Nicolo as MS4 coordinator Oct. 8, 2015.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources lauded the township MS4 program in its Sept. 21 review.

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 Storm Water Management Program Protocol requires Minimum Control Measures to enforce the MS4 program, mandated by United States Environmental Protection Agency and enforced by the DEP.

The township has 87 Best Management Practice items listed under Minimum Control Measures categories. Most have been completed, according to the “2016 MS4 Report Update” report Nicolo presented to commissioners and the STEAC.

The three-page report lists projects, programs and procedures completed or not completed. The goals are to be completed by the end of 2016.

The DEP review is part of the township’s recertification for its five-year National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit, issued in 2014 and expiring in 2018.

Under the federal Clean Water Act, a municipality must have a NPDES permit for stormwater discharges and must maintain compliance with the permit.

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.

Nicolo is tasked to address all MCMs, but specifically numbers 3 through 6.

The STEAC is tasked by township commissioners to implement the first two of the six MCMs.