           Home > News > News Item |
||||||
 |
News Release RI Department of Environmental Management 235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908 (401) 222-2771 TDD/(401) 222-4462
DEM ISSUES DISCHARGE PERMIT FOR T.F. GREEN STATE AIRPORT PROVIDENCE -- The Department of Environmental Management has re-issued a RI Pollution Discharge Elimination System (RIPDES) permit to the RI Airport Corporation for T.F. Green State Airport. The permit goes into effect on January 1, 2005 and expires on January 1, 2010.The permit addresses stormwater drainage discharges associated with industrial activity from 18 perimeter outfalls at the facility. The outfalls receive stormwater flows from airport storm drains, catch basins, underground piping, and structural stormwater controls. The discharges flow into Tuscatucket Brook and several small tributaries leading to Warwick Pond and Buckeye Brook. The permit addresses water quality impacts pertaining to dissolved oxygen, aquatic toxicity, foaming, nuisance odors, and nuisance bacteria growths. DEM issued the permit to the Corporation after a thorough review of information submitted by the Corporation and comments received from the public. As part of the permit review process, DEM held a public hearing in April. The process provided an opportunity for the public to comment on the draft permit and for DEM to address all substantive comments. A number of minor changes to the terms and conditions of the final permit were made in response to the public comments. The conditions in the permit apply to the airport terminal and all airline carriers and establishments at the airport that are engaged in servicing, repairing, or maintaining aircraft and ground vehicles, equipment cleaning and maintenance, chemical/fuel storage, and deicing/anti-icing operations. The airport currently implements a best management practice (BMP) approach to stormwater management. The permit requires the airport to implement additional BMPs to reduce or eliminate the contamination of stormwater from industrial activities. For example, the airport is required to develop enhanced BMPs for airplane deicing to minimize contact and dilution with stormwater, prevent releases from accidental spills or leaks, and minimize releases from melting of deicer-contaminated snow. It also requires the airport to use available technology and controls to collect and dispose of contaminated stormwater, and prevent the dry weather discharge of deicing fluids. The permit requires dedicated drainage systems with automatic controls that detect and divert propylene glycol in each area where deicing occurs. The airport is also required to evaluate and implement pollution prevention strategies, such as choosing environmentally sensitive products and employing anti-icing application techniques to minimize the amount of fluids applied to aircraft. The permit requires the airport to continue to implement runway and pavement deicing BMPs that do not involve the use of urea or glycols. Further, the permit requires the airport to develop and submit an implementation schedule for modifications to its existing Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP), that include additional or enhanced BMPs. The permit also requires outfall and in-stream monitoring to evaluate the discharges and potential impacts to the receiving waters. The information will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the airport's SWPPP and the selected BMPs. The full text of the RIPDES permit, a fact sheet, and responses to all the public comments received on the permit application are available on DEM's website at www.dem.ri.gov by clicking on Programs, then Water, then Permitting, then RIPDES. The fact sheet and a copy of the permit may also be obtained by calling Aaron Mello at 222-4700 ext. 7405. -30- |
|||||
For General Information 222-6800 • After Hours Emergencies 222-3070 • Disclaimer