1. High Impact Urban Partnership Opportunity for 32 Counties
NEEF
Brad D. Lee, PhD CPSS
Associate Extension Specialist
University of Kentucky

2. Objectives
Partner with your EPA stormwater regulated communities and assist them with their permit requirements:
Public Education and Outreach
Public Involvement

3. Stormwater
= Rainfall – (soil infiltration + evaporation) Transports sediment, pathogens, nutrients and other pollutants to Commonwealth waterways

4. Ag and Urban – Same Process
In agricultural environments  ag runoff
Concerns about impairment of nearby streams
Concerns about natural resource loss, nutrient loss and agricultural productivity loss (erosion)
In urban environments  stormwater
Concerns are impairment of nearby streams
Increases with abundance of impervious surfaces
Increases with population density

5. Carrots and Sticks
Ag gets a carrot – Feds use incentives protect water quality
BMP adoption subsidized through USDA programs (e.g.)
Cover crops
Buffer strips
Grass waterways
Urban gets a stick – Feds use regulations protect water quality
MS4 permits issued by EPA for communities larger than 10,000 in population

6. Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System
MS4 Communities
Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System
Owned by a state, city, town, village, or other public entity that discharges to waters of the U.S.
Used to collect or convey stormwater (including storm drains, pipes, ditches, etc.)
Not a combined sewer
Not part of a Publicly Owned Treatment Works (sewage treatment plant)

8. Regulatory requirements “MCMs to MEP”
Minimum Control Measures to Maximum Extent Practicable
MS4s need to meet EPA requirements to the best of their ability

9. Minimum Control Measures
Public Education & Outreach
Public Participation/Involvement
Illicit Discharge Detection & Elimination
Construction Site Runoff Control
Post-Construction Runoff Control
Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping

10. Maximum Extent Practicable
Communities are to do what they can with the resources available
E.g. MS4 reports their only Education and Outreach activity as a group of Scouts stenciling storm drains
This example under utilizes extension office
What could be done if they utilized their support network?

11. Public Education & Outreach
EPA: Distributing educational materials and performing outreach activities to inform citizens about the impacts polluted stormwater runoff discharges can have on water quality.

12. Public Participation/Involvement
EPA: Providing opportunities for citizens to participate in program development and implementation, including effectively publicizing public hearings and/or encouraging citizen representatives on a stormwater management panel.

13. Why is CES the best at meeting these MCMs?
CES has over 100 years of experience in public education & public involvement
You are already connected to the community
You have a network of resources available
You are already meeting many of the permit deliverables in these categories
No entity in MS4 communities is more qualified than the CES office to assist with public education and involvement

14. Why Should CES be Involved?
MS4s have limitations
Limited experience in public education and outreach
Limited connection to community
Only 5 years experience
In many communities the permit operator wears multiple hats
Limited staff available
Limited time available for addressing MCMs
Limited local support
DOW – manages blanket permit for state, reports to EPA
Kentucky Stormwater Association provides a forum for discussion

15. Why Should CES be Involved?
Strengthen CES relationship with urban clientele
Stormwater management is an unfunded mandate by the federal government
Ag minimally regulated (animal) and CES has been supporting this clientele base for a century
Cities (> 10,000 population) ARE REGULATED and need help meeting permit requirements
Communities must address stormwater utilizing local resources
Assess fees (Fayette Co. - $4.63/2500 ft2 of impervious surface)
Utilize community budget (taxes)

16. Why Should CES be Involved?
Increase CES relevance to urban audience
Rural population migrating to cities
Worldwide urban population expected to increase from 54% in to 63% by 2020 (World Health Organization)
65% of Kentuckians reside in 32 counties
Kentucky (~3% rural  urban migration 2000 to 2010)
Urban population losing connection to surrounding environment
< 30% of Kansas HS students could answer basic agricultural questions (Horn and Vining, 1986)
Rural/town children know more about agriculture and natural resources (ANR) than city children (Frick et al, 1995)

17. Why Should CES be Involved?
Increase environmental literacy
78% of Americans do not understand that runoff (both ag & urban) is now the most common source of water pollution (Coyle, 2005)
Almost half of all Americans believe industry accounts for most water pollution (Coyle, 2005)

18. How does CES get involved?
Develop a relationship with your MS4 permit operators
Discuss their educational needs
Ask to be included as a partner in their upcoming 5 year permit plan
YOU ARE ALREADY DOING GREAT WORK THAT HELPS MS4s MEET THEIR PERMIT REQUIREMENTS.
WHY NOT SHARE YOUR DATA AND GET CREDIT FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT?

19. How does CES get involved?
Share your experience and knowledge of the community – CES is connected to the community
Share your data… e.g.
Soil samples collected in your county
People educated via various transfer methods (for example)
Volunteer hours and activities
Number of people attending certification and training courses
Attitude surveys
People participating in workshops, meetings
Number of bulletins distributed
Share your impact statements related to water quality work

20. MS4s must establish Measurable Goals for each BMP
Measurable Goal – quantitative measure of progress in implementing a component of the stormwater management plan

21. Types of Measurable Goals
Tracking implementation over time
Permit term = 5 years
Next term 2016 – 2020 (permit under public review now)
Measuring progress implementing a BMP
Tracking number of BMPs implemented
Tracking effectiveness (change in behavior)
Tracking environmental improvement

22. What MS4s needed now for Permit Plan
Identify 3 or 4 CES activities that you know will occur within your county each year over the next 5 years (i.e.)
Pesticide certification and training
Master programs: Cattleman, Grazer, Gardener, etc.
Youth Environmental Camp
Soil testing program
Workshops/Meetings: Anything involving WQ BMPs
I.e. Pesticide training, weed control, rain barrels/gardens, native plants, proper planting techniques, soil test interpretations, proper nutrient/manure management, filter strips, grassed waterways, stream renovation, lawn and garden care

23. What MS4s will need annually
MS4s report annual against their 5-year permit plan (Due tax day – April 15th)
They need the following information
Date of presentation/workshop/event
Title of presentation/workshop/event + 1 or 2 sentence description
Type of audience: homeowner/ag. producer/business owner
Number of participants

24. Questions
What would keep you from partnering with the MS4 communities in your county?
How do County CES offices report MCM 1 & 2 activities to MS4s in the most time efficient manner?
Brad Lee, PhD CPSS Water Quality Extension Specialist Department of Plant and Soil Sciences University of Kentucky
NEEF

25. Reference Material
Measureable Goals Guidance for Phase II Small MS4s – EPA
Page 36 – 40 have examples of Measurable Goals for MCM 1 (Public Education and Outreach) and MCM 2 (Public Involvement)
These are just examples. I expect that 50 – 80% of your current and ongoing county office activities qualify as MS4 education programs.

26. References
Coyle, K., Environmental literacy in America. The National Environmental Education Training Foundation, Washington, DC. (online:
Frick, M.J., R.J. Birkenholz, H. Gardner and K. Machtmes Rural and urban inner-city high school student knowledge and perception of agriculture. J. Agric. Educ. DOI: /jae
Horn, J., B. Vining An assessment of students’ knowledge of agriculture. Manhattan, KS: Center of Extended Sevices and Studies, College of Education, Kansas State University.
US EPA. Measurable goals guidance for Phase II Small MS4s. (online: )