The Vermont DEC Municipal Roads General Permit (MRGP) Brown Bag Presentation

Jim Ryan, the MRGP Program Coordinator for VT DEC’s Watershed Management Division, will be holding a Brown Bag presentation on the forthcoming MRGP. Here’s a link for information about the brown bag series:  https://dec.vermont.gov/sites/dec/files/wsm/erp/docs/2016-2017BrownBagFlyerRevised.pdf. RSVP and live stream links are found in the first section of the pdf.

As a reminder, this general permit is intended to achieve significant reductions in stormwater-related erosion from municipal roads, both paved and unpaved. Municipalities are required by statute to implement a customized, multi-year plan to stabilize their road drainage system. The plan will include bringing road drainage systems up to basic maintenance standards, and additional corrective measure to reduce erosion as necessary to meet a TMDL or other water quality restoration effort. The permit is required by H.35/Act 64, the Vermont Clean Water Act, and the Lake Champlain Phase I TMDL.

The development of the MRGP was one of several new Vermont Clean Water Act (Act 64) requirements.

Towns will begin applying for MRGP coverage in the summer of 2018. The presentation will include a discussion of the new draft MRGP Framework document, the latest MRGP practice standards and implementation triggers, MRGP timelines, road erosion inventory, the implementation plan and schedules spreadsheet template, and semi-annual compliance reporting. Jim will also provide information of resources available to assist municipalities such as trainings, workshops, grant funding, and technical assistance.