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Logan International Airport Receives Draft Water Permit - EPA Seeks Community Input

Release Date: 07/25/2006
Contact Information: Dave Deegan, 617-918-1017

(Boston, Mass. – June 25, 2006) – A draft permit for storm and wastewater at Logan International Airport has been released by EPA for public review and comment.

EPA’s Draft “National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System” (NPDES) permit for the Massport-owned and operated airport is designed to meet requirements of the federal Clean Water Act. The draft permit would replace an expired NPDES permit covering the discharge of storm water from four main outfalls, the Northwest Outfall, and 44 smaller outfalls that drain the runways and the perimeter area of the airport into Boston Inner Harbor, Boston Harbor, and Winthrop Bay.

“The proposed permits will bring a new level of environmental protection to storm water discharges at Logan Airport,” said Robert W. Varney, regional administrator of EPA’s New England office. “We look forward to working with Massport and the public to do all we can to protect water quality in the waterways around the airport.”

The proposed draft permit will now undergo a 45-day public comment period, which will close on September 8. Additionally, an informational meeting and public hearing will be held at the East Boston High School on 86 White Street in East Boston on August 24 at 7 p.m. EPA anticipates that it will address all comments and determine a final action by the end of Oct. 2006.

The proposed permit draft requires Massport to sample, analyze and report a representative portion of the storm water outfalls and the Northwest Outfall for some conventional pollutants and specific toxic pollutants related to deicing of runways. Further, the proposed draft permit requires Massport and the companies at Logan that perform maintenance on aircraft and other equipment, apply deicing fluids on aircraft or runways, and maintain aircraft lavatories to implement a comprehensive “Best Management Practices Plan.”

EPA believes that the effluent limitations, conditions, and monitoring requirements contained in the draft permit are protective of federal and state water quality standards.

More information on reviewing the draft NPDES permit, submitting comments on the proposal, and other detail (epa.gov/region1/npdes/draft_permits_listing_ma.html).

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