[Adopted 6-10-2019, effective 7-11-2019]
The purpose of this article is to provide for the health, safety,
and general welfare of the citizens of Mansfield through the regulation
of nonstormwater discharges to the storm drainage system to the maximum
extent practicable as required by federal and state law. This article
establishes methods for controlling the introduction of pollutants
into the storm drainage system in order to comply with requirements
of the National Pollutants Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit
process. The objectives of this article are to:
A.Â
Regulate the contribution of pollutants to the storm drainage system
through stormwater discharges by any user.
B.Â
Prohibit illicit connections and discharges to the storm drainage
system.
C.Â
Establish legal authority to carry out all inspection, surveillance
and monitoring procedures necessary to ensure compliance with this
article.
For the purposes of this article, the following shall mean:
Schedules of activities, prohibition of practices, general
good housekeeping practices, pollution prevention and educational
practices, maintenance procedures, and other management practices
to prevent or reduce the discharge of pollutants directly or indirectly
to stormwater, receiving waters, or stormwater conveyance systems.
BMPs also include treatment practices, operating procedures, and practices
to control site runoff, spillage or leaks, sludge or water disposal,
or drainage from raw materials storage.
The federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C § 1251
et seq.), and any subsequent amendments thereto.
Activities subject to NPDES construction permits. NPDES stormwater
phase II permits are currently required for construction projects
resulting in land disturbance of one acre or more. Such activities
include but are not limited to clearing and grubbing, grading, excavating,
and demolition.
Any building, lot, parcel of land, or portion of land, whether
improved or unimproved, including adjacent sidewalks and parking strips.
Any material, including any substance, waste, or combination
thereof, which because of its quantity, concentration, or physical,
chemical, or infectious characteristics may cause, or significantly
contribute to, a substantial present or potential hazard to human
health, safety, property, or the environment when improperly treated,
stored, transported, disposed of, or otherwise managed.
The person designated from time to time by the Town Manager to hear appeals in accordance with § 159-59 herein.
Any direct or indirect nonstormwater discharge to the storm drain system, except as exempted in § 159-51 of this article.
Either of the following:
Any drain or conveyance, whether on the surface or subsurface,
which allows an illegal discharge to enter the storm drain system,
including, but not limited to, any conveyances which allow any nonstormwater
discharge, including sewage, process wastewater, and wash water to
enter the storm drain system and any connections to the storm drain
system from indoor drains and sinks, regardless of whether said drain
or connection had been previously allowed, permitted, or approved
by the Town;
Any drain or conveyance connected from a commercial or industrial
land use to the storm drain system which has not been documented in
plans, maps, or equivalent records and approved by the Town Manager.
Activities subject to NPDES industrial permits as defined
in 40 CFR 122.26(b)(14), as it may be amended from time to time.
A permit issued by EPA [or by a state under authority delegated
pursuant to 33 USC § 1342(b)] that authorizes the discharge
of pollutants to waters of the United States, whether the permit is
applicable on an individual, group, or general area-wide basis.
Any discharge to the storm drain system that is not composed
entirely of stormwater.
Any individual, association, organization, partnership, firm,
corporation or other entity recognized by law and acting as either
the owner or as the owner's agent.
Anything which causes or contributes to pollution. Pollutants
may include, but are not limited to, paints, varnishes, and solvents;
oil and other automotive fluids; nonhazardous liquid and solid wastes
and yard wastes; refuse, rubbish, garbage, litter, or other discarded
or abandoned objects, ordinances, and accumulations, so that same
may cause or contribute to pollution; floatables; pesticides, herbicides,
and fertilizers; hazardous substances and wastes; sewage, fecal coliform
and pathogens; dissolved and particulate metals; animal wastes; wastes
and residues that result from construction activities; and noxious
or offensive matter of any kind.
The municipally owned facilities by which stormwater is collected
and/or conveyed, including but not limited to any roads with drainage
systems, municipal streets, gutters, curbs, inlets, piped storm drains,
pumping facilities, retention and detention basins, natural and human-made
or altered drainage channels, reservoirs, and other drainage structures.
Any surface flow, runoff, and drainage consisting entirely
of water from any form of natural precipitation, and resulting from
such precipitation.
A document that describes the best management practices and
activities to be implemented by a person or business to identify sources
of pollution or contamination at a site and the actions to eliminate
or reduce pollutant discharges to stormwater, stormwater conveyance
systems, and/or receiving waters to the maximum extent practicable.
The Mansfield Town Manager or his/her authorized designee.
Any water or other liquid, other than uncontaminated stormwater,
discharged from a facility.
A permanent or intermittent stream or other body of water,
either natural or man-made, which gathers or carries surface water.
This includes but is not limited to lakes, ponds, rivers, streams
and any other surface water defined as a watercourse by the Town's
inland wetland regulations.
This article shall apply to all water entering the storm drain
system generated on any developed and undeveloped lands unless explicitly
exempted by the Town Manager.
The Town Manager shall administer, implement, and enforce the
provisions of this article. The Town Manager may delegate his/her
powers and duties under this article to an authorized designee.
The provisions of this article are hereby declared to be severable.
If any provision, clause, sentence, or paragraph of this article or
the application thereof to any person, establishment, or circumstances
shall be held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect the other
provisions or application of this article.
The standards set forth herein and promulgated pursuant to this
article are minimum standards; therefore this article does not intend
nor imply that compliance by any person will ensure that there will
be no contamination, pollution, nor unauthorized discharge of pollutants.
A.Â
Prohibition of illegal discharges. No person shall discharge or cause
to be discharged into the storm drainage system any materials, including
but not limited to, pollutants or waters containing any pollutants
that cause or contribute to a violation of applicable water quality
standards, other than stormwater. The commencement, conduct or continuance
of any illegal discharge to the storm drainage system is prohibited
except as described as follows:
(1)Â
The following discharges are exempt from discharge prohibitions established
by this article: water-line flushing or other potable water sources,
landscape irrigation or lawn watering, diverted stream flows, rising
groundwater, groundwater infiltration to storm drains, uncontaminated
pumped groundwater, foundation or footing drains (not including active
groundwater dewatering systems), crawl space pumps, airconditioning
condensation, springs, natural riparian habitat or wetland flows,
firefighting activities, and any other water source not containing
pollutants.
(2)Â
Discharges specified in writing by the Town Manager as being necessary
to protect public health and safety.
(3)Â
Dye testing is an allowable discharge, but requires a written notification
to the Town Manager prior to the time of the test. Said written notification
may be in the form of electronic mail, facsimile transmission or hard-copy
letter format.
B.Â
The prohibition shall not apply to any nonstormwater discharge permitted
under an NPDES permit, waiver, or waste discharge order issued to
the discharger and administered under the authority of the Federal
Environmental Protection Agency, provided that the discharger is in
full compliance with all requirements of the permit, waiver, or order
and other applicable laws and regulations, and provided that written
approval has been granted for any discharge to the storm drain system.
C.Â
Prohibition of illicit connections.
(1)Â
The construction, use, maintenance or continued existence of illicit
connections to the storm drain system is prohibited.
(2)Â
This prohibition expressly includes, without limitation, illicit
connections made in the past, regardless of whether the connection
was permissible under law or practices applicable or prevailing at
the time of connection.
(3)Â
A person is considered to be in violation of this article if the
person connects a line conveying sewage to the storm drainage system,
or allows such a connection to continue.
A.Â
Suspension due to illicit discharges in emergency situations. The
Town Manager may, without prior notice, suspend storm drainage system
discharge access to a person when such suspension is necessary to
stop an actual or threatened discharge which presents or may present
imminent and substantial danger to the environment, or to the health
or welfare of persons, or to the storm drainage system or waters of
the United States. If the violator fails to comply with a suspension
order issued in an emergency, the Town Manager may take such steps
as deemed necessary to prevent or minimize damage to the storm drainage
system or waters of the United States, or to minimize danger to persons.
B.Â
Suspension due to the detection of illicit discharge. Any person
discharging to the storm drainage system in violation of this article
may have their storm drainage system access terminated if such termination
would abate or reduce an illicit discharge. The Town Manager will
notify a violator of the proposed termination of its storm drainage
system access. The violator may petition the Town Manager for reconsideration
and hearing.
C.Â
A person commits an offense if the person reinstates storm drainage
system access to premises terminated pursuant to this section, without
the prior approval of the Town Manager.
Any person subject to an industrial or construction activity
NPDES stormwater discharge permit shall comply with all provisions
of such permit. Proof of compliance with said permit may be required
in a form acceptable to the Town Manager prior to the allowing of
discharges to the storm drainage system.
A.Â
Applicability. This section applies to all facilities that have stormwater
discharges associated with industrial or construction activity, and
any other commercial or residential facilities that discharge stormwater
to the storm drainage system.
B.Â
Access to facilities.
(1)Â
The Town Manager shall be permitted to enter and inspect facilities
subject to regulation under this article as often as may be necessary
to determine compliance with this article. If a discharger has security
measures in force which require proper identification and clearance
before entry into its premises, the discharger shall make the necessary
arrangements to allow access to representatives of the Town Manager.
(2)Â
Facility operators shall allow the Town Manager ready access to all
parts of the facility for the purposes of inspection, sampling, examination
and copying of records that must be kept under the conditions of a
town, state or federal NPDES permit to discharge stormwater, and the
performance of any additional duties as defined by state and federal
law.
(3)Â
The Town Manager shall have the right to set up on any NPDES permitted
facilities such devices as are necessary in the opinion of the Town
Manager to conduct monitoring and/or sampling of the facility's
stormwater discharge.
(4)Â
The Town Manager has the right to require the installation of sampling
and monitoring equipment on any NPDES permitted facility by the discharger
at its own expense. The facility's sampling and monitoring equipment
shall be maintained at all times in a safe and proper operating condition
by the discharger at its own expense. All devices used to measure
stormwater flow and quality shall be calibrated to ensure their accuracy.
(5)Â
Any temporary or permanent obstruction to safe and easy access to
the facility to be inspected and/or sampled shall be promptly removed
by the operator at the written or oral request of the Town Manager
and shall not be replaced. The costs of clearing such access shall
be borne by the operator.
(6)Â
Unreasonable delays in allowing the Town Manager access to a permitted
facility is a violation of a stormwater discharge permit and of this
article. A person who is the operator of a facility with a NPDES permit
to discharge stormwater associated with industrial activity commits
an offense if the person denies the Town Manager reasonable access
to the permitted facility for the purpose of conducting any activity
authorized or required by this article.
(7)Â
If the Town Manager has been refused access to any part of the facility
from which stormwater is discharged, and he/she is able to demonstrate
probable cause to believe that there may be a violation of this article,
or that there is a need to inspect and/or sample as part of a routine
inspection and sampling program designed to verify compliance with
this article or any order issued hereunder, or to protect the overall
public health, safety, and welfare of the community, then the Town
Manager may seek issuance of a search warrant from any court of competent
jurisdiction.
(8)Â
While performing the necessary work on private properties referred
to in subsections (2)(a) through (e) of this section, the Town Manager
shall observe all safety rules applicable to the premises established
by the facility.
The Town Manager will adopt requirements identifying best management
practices for any activity, operation, or facility which may cause
or contribute to pollution or contamination of stormwater, the storm
drainage system, or waters of the United States. The owner or operator
of a commercial or industrial establishment shall provide, at their
own expense, reasonable protection from accidental discharge of prohibited
materials or other wastes into the storm drainage system or watercourses
through the use of these structural and nonstructural BMPs. Further,
any person responsible for a property or facility which is, or may
be, the source of an illicit discharge may be required to implement,
at said person's expense, additional structural and nonstructural
BMPs to prevent the further discharge of pollutants to the storm drainage
system as directed by the Town Manager. Compliance with all terms
and conditions of a valid NPDES permit authorizing the discharge of
stormwater associated with industrial or construction activity, to
the extent practicable, shall be deemed compliance with the provisions
of this section. These BMPs shall be part of a stormwater pollution
prevention plan (SWPP) as necessary for compliance with requirements
of the NPDES permit.
Every person owning property through which a watercourse passes,
or such person's lessee, shall keep and maintain that part of
the watercourse within the property free of trash, debris, excessive
vegetation, and other obstacles that would pollute, contaminate, or
significantly retard the flow of water through the watercourse. In
addition, the owner or lessee shall maintain existing privately owned
structures within or adjacent to a watercourse, so that such structures
will not become a hazard to the use, function, or physical integrity
of the watercourse.
Notwithstanding other requirements of law, as soon as any person
responsible for a facility or operation, or responsible for emergency
response for a facility or operation, has information of any known
or suspected release of materials which are resulting or may result
in illegal discharges or pollutants discharging into stormwater, the
storm drainage system, or water of the United States, said person
shall take all necessary steps to ensure the discovery, containment,
and cleanup of such release. In the event of such a release of hazardous
materials, said person shall immediately notify emergency response
agencies of the occurrence via emergency dispatch services. In the
event of a release of nonhazardous materials, said person shall notify
the Town Manager in person or by phone, electronic mail or facsimile
no later than the next business day. Notifications in person or by
phone shall be confirmed by written notice addressed and mailed to
the Town Manager within three business days of the phone notice. If
the discharge of prohibited materials emanates from a commercial or
industrial establishment, the owner or operator of such establishment
shall also retain an on-site written record of the discharge and the
actions taken to prevent its recurrence. Such records shall be retained
for at least three years.
A.Â
Notice of violation. Whenever the Town Manager finds that a person
has violated a prohibition or failed to meet a requirement of this
article, he/she shall order compliance by written notice of violation
to the responsible person. Such notice may require, without limitation:
(1)Â
The performance of monitoring, analyses, and reporting;
(2)Â
The elimination of illicit discharges or connections;
(3)Â
That violating discharges, practices, or operations shall cease and
desist;
(4)Â
The abatement or remediation of stormwater pollution or contamination
hazards and the restoration of any affected property;
(5)Â
Suspension of any discharge to the storm drain system consistent with § 159-52 of this ordinance; and
(6)Â
The implementation of source control or treatment BMPs.
(7)Â
If abatement of a violation and/or restoration of affected property are required, the notice shall set forth a deadline within which such remediation or restoration must be completed. Said notice shall further advise that, should the violator fail to remediate or restore within the established deadline, the Town Manager may order the work be done by a designated governmental agency or a contractor and the violator fined an amount equal to the expense thereof in addition to any fines imposed in Subsection B or C of this section.
B.Â
Procedure for issuance of citations.
(1)Â
The Town Manager shall issue a written notice to any person who violates
any provision of this article. No written notice may be issued against
the state or any state official or state employee acting within the
scope of his employment. Such written notice shall explain the nature
of the violation and the steps required for compliance, and shall
allow a seventy-two-hour period within which to correct the violation
or within which a written plan for correction shall be submitted to
the Town Manager, setting forth a reasonable time period for correction
of the violation as agreed upon by the Town Manager. A written notice
issued pursuant to this subsection shall be served:
(2)Â
Within two business days after the period for correction established in Subsection B(1) expires, the Town Manager shall reinspect the subject property to determine compliance.
(3)Â
If the violations set forth in the written notice have not been corrected
at the time of reinspection, the Town Manager, in his/her capacity
as chief executive officer, may issue a citation and fine of up to
$250 for each violation by hand, by certified return receipt requested,
by leaving a true and attested copy of the citation at the usual place
of abode or residence of the person in violation or, in the case of
a corporate or business entity, delivery to the business address or
the address of the statutory agent of said entity. No such fine shall
be levied against the state or any state official or state employee
acting within the scope of his employment. All citations issued pursuant
to this section shall state the violation for which the citation is
being issued, the fine imposed for the violation, the time period
within which the fine must be paid, and an address for remittance
of the fine.
C.Â
Compliance periods after citation.
(1)Â
Any violation for which a citation is issued and which is not corrected within the time period specified in Subsection B(2) of this section shall be a new violation of this article, and every twenty-four-hour period thereafter in which the violation is not corrected shall constitute a new violation. The citation shall include a notice to the alleged violator that each twenty-four-hour period of noncompliance after the time period specified in § 159-58B shall constitute a new violation and a new fine of up to $250.
(2)Â
The Town Manager shall not be responsible for a daily reinspection.
Rather, the person to whom the citation has been issued shall be responsible
for reporting subsequent compliance by way of written report to the
Town Manager. The Town Manager shall reinspect to confirm compliance
within one business day of receipt of such report.
D.Â
Payment of fines. All fines imposed under this article which are
uncontested shall be made payable to the Town of Mansfield and shall
be received by the Town Manager within 10 calendar days from date
of notice of the citation. All fines collected by the Town Manager
shall be deposited into the Town of Mansfield General Fund.
A.Â
If the Town Manager issues a notice of violation, the Town Manager
shall send written notice of action and a statement of the right to
an appeal to the facility operator or facility owner.
B.Â
The facility operator or facility owner may appeal a notice of violation
to the Town Manager by setting forth in writing the reasons for the
appeal within 15 calendar days after the date of the notice of violation.
C.Â
The facility operator or facility owner may appeal the decision of
the Town Manager to the hearing officer as follows:
(1)Â
The facility operator or facility owner may file a written request
for a review by paying an appeal fee of $25 and setting forth the
reasons for the appeal within 20 calendar days after the date of notification
of the decision from the Town Manager. Appeal fees shall be returned
to the appealing facility operator or facility owner if the appeal
is upheld.
(2)Â
The hearing officer shall conduct a hearing within 30 calendar days
of the receipt of the request. The hearing shall be informal in nature.
The person requesting the hearing may testify concerning the facts,
circumstances and nature of his/her appeal and may present supporting
documentation.
(3)Â
The hearing officer shall render a written decision within 15 calendar
days of the hearing. The decision will affirm or reverse the decision
of the Town Manager.
D.Â
Filing of a request for appeal shall stay the action by the Town
Manager requiring payment of a surcharge until the hearing officer
has completed his review. If a request for appeal is not made within
the twenty-calendar-day period, the action of the Town Manager is
final.
It shall be unlawful for any person to violate any provision
or fail to comply with any of the requirements of this article. If
a person has violated or continues to violate the provisions of this
article, the Town Manager may petition for a preliminary or permanent
injunction restraining the person from activities which would create
further violations or compelling the person to perform abatement or
remediation of the violation.
In addition to the enforcement processes and penalties provided,
any condition caused or permitted to exist in violation of any of
the provisions of this article is a threat to public health, safety,
and welfare, and is declared and deemed a nuisance, and may be summarily
abated or restored at the violator's expense, and/or a civil
action to abate, enjoin, or otherwise compel the cessation of such
nuisance may be taken.
Any person that has violated or continues to violate this article
shall be liable to criminal prosecution to the fullest extent of the
law.
The Town Manager may recover all attorneys fees, court costs,
and other expenses associated with enforcement of this article, including
sampling and monitoring expenses.
The remedies listed in this article are not exclusive of any
other remedies available under any applicable federal, state or local
law, and it is within the discretion of the Town Manager to seek cumulative
remedies.
This article shall be in full force and effect 21 days after
publication. All prior ordinances and parts of ordinances in conflict
with this article are hereby repealed.
