City of Cambridge, MA | 2016 Annual Report | NPDES Phase II Small
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Municipality/Organization: City of Cambridge EPA NPDES Permit Number: MAR041076 MaDEP Transmittal Number: W-040464 Annual Report Number & Reporting Period: No. 13: March 15-March 16 NPDES PII Small MS4 General Permit Annual Report Part I. General Information Contact Person: Owen O'Riordan Title: Commissioner, Dept. of Public Works Telephone#: (617) 349-4845 Email: [email protected] Ce1tification: I certify under penalty oflaw that this document and all attachments were prepared under my direction or supervision in accordance with a system designed to assure that qualified personnel properly gather and evaluate the information submitted. Based on my inquiry ofthe person or persons who manage the system, or those persons directly responsible for gathering the information, the information submitted is, to the best ofmy knowledge and belief, true, accurate, and complete. I am aware that there are significant penalties for submitting false information, including the possibility offine and imprisonment for knowing violations. Signature ~ (! ~-_,, Printed Name: Richard C. Rossi Title: City Manager Date: May 2, 2016 Part II. Self-Assessment The City of Cambridge has completed the required self-assessment and has determined that our municipality is in compliance with all permit conditions. 2 of 42 City of Cambridge NPDES Phase II 13th Annual Report May 2, 2016 Part III. Summary of Minimum Control Measures (MCM) MCM #1. Public Education and Outreach BMP BMP Responsible Measurable Progress on Goal(s) – Planned Activities ID # Description Dept./Person Goal(s) Permit Year 13 Permit Year 14 Name (Reliance on non-municipal partners indicated, if any) (i )Develop 3 Information was developed on the following and included in the following city Continue to 1.a Develop Commissioner/ brochures or publications: develop Educational and DPW fact sheets Brochure: Stormwater Management & Green Infrastructure – Information Guide relevant Outreach (completed information Material for under year 1 Cambridge Life 2015-2016 Edition: Cambridge Life 2015-2016 on Residents and activities) The Path to “Net Zero” Cambridge (p. 10) stormwater Businesses Continue the Compost Curbside (p.13) management development of for residents relevant City View (Winter 2015) (p.1) and materials. The Citywide Plan businesses. Copies of the above are provided in Appendix 1.Electronic copies of CityView and The Cambridge Life, can be found on the following website: www.cambridgema.gov/citynewsandpublications/publications.aspx The DPW also distributes flyers and e-mails to residents near and adjacent to active and proposed construction sites which briefly describes the scope and purpose of these design and construction activities. An example of project that has a stormwater benefit includes: Alewife Sewer Separation Construction Update (September/October 2015) Alewife Sewer Separation Construction Update (March 2016) Copies of these notices are included in Appendix 1. Construction notices are also posted on the DPW website, www.cambridgema.gov/theworks/ourservices/engineering/cityconstructionproject s.aspx Revised Expanded 1.a BMP element cont in Year 3 3 of 42 City of Cambridge NPDES Phase II 13th Annual Report May 2, 2016 (ii) Post DPW continued to update its website and make information more readily Continue to update Commissioner/ information on accessible to the public. and expand DPW the web information on our Updates included during Year 13 include: web site that is The NPDES Phase II Annual Report Year 12, relevant to the Stormwater Management Program Phase II NPDES Public Meeting 2015 implementation of presentation, our stormwater Joint Public Notice (April 2015) for the Alewife Brook CSO Progress Update, management and program. An EPA press release regarding water quality grading system for the Mystic River For examples of some of the content updates made to the web page see Appendix 1 and on the Public Works website at: www.cambridgema.gov/theworks and the Stormwater Management website at: www.cambridgema.gov/theworks/ourservices/stormwatermanagement.aspx The Cambridge Water Department (CWD) also provides information on its website regarding projects related to protection of Fresh Pond Reservoir. An example of projects during Year 13 at Fresh Pond includes: Drainage & Community Gardens Project: Conceptual Design Presentation The Drainage and Community Gardens restoration project will seek to improve existing conditions to be consistent with the Fresh Pond Master Plan vision of better drinking water quality, universal accessibility, and enhanced habitat and user experience. Existing conditions to be addressed by the project include flooding, pooling, and icing along the perimeter road, poor drainage, lack of accessibility and poor plot definition in gardens, and debris and invasive species along the rail corridor. The project design includes elements of corridor naturalization, visual buffering from the parkway, plantings, storm water treatment and improved pond visibility. Glaken Slope Improvement Project Phase V Presentation February 25, 2016 A high priority in the Fresh Pond Reservation Master Plan, the focus of Glacken Slope Restoration is to stabilize the slope, improve soil infiltration, control storm water runoff, and enhance habitat quality. A phased restoration approach, this project involves slope stabilization and gully repair, community-based restoration plantings, improving drainage to the Perimeter Road, and integrating the Upper Slope with the Glacken Field re-design. More CWD project information can be found at: http://www.cambridgema.gov/Water/Projects/freshpondreservation (iii) Distribute The CityView newsletter referenced in BMP 1.a (i) above is distributed to over Distribute 1.a Commissioner/ materials 50,000 households in Cambridge actively receiving mail. CityView is a information on cont DPW publication of the City of Cambridge. In addition, copies of CityView are Stormwater 4 of 42 City of Cambridge NPDES Phase II 13th Annual Report May 2, 2016 available at various municipal buildings, on-line and are provided in Appendix 1, /Watersheds to referenced above under BMP 1.a (i). The Cambridge Life also referenced in every household Revised Expanded BMP 1.a (i) above is another publication of the City of Cambridge. This free actively receiving BMP element magazine is distributed throughout Cambridge through 5 news boxes located in mail in Cambridge in Year 3 the major squares, and racks within City Hall and other municipal offices, and and/or through placed with other groups such as realtors, senior centers, university offices and electronic media. others. Copies of all of these publications are available on-line and are provided in Appendix 1, referenced above under BMP 1.a (i). DPW also distributed stormwater management materials/brochures at the Rain Barrel distribution events May 21st) and at other public meetings and the annual Stormwater meeting. DPW also distributes information electronically (e-mails, e-line, web site, Facebook and Twitter) and in hard copies, as well as, posting notices in local newspapers and hand deliveries to individual homes/businesses. (iv) Assess The Cambridge Science Festival is a multi-day public celebration offering a wide Participate in the Commissioner/ local/regional array of science and technology related activities including tours, displays, and 2016 Cambridge DPW mass media hands-on experiments including water related events sponsored by the City of Science Festival or marketing Cambridge, MIT and others. Water and sustainability related events at the 2015 other public event. campaigns Science Festival included: Marine Science Center Rocky Shore Field Study & Tour, Dive into Ocean Science, Restoring Ecosystems, and other events at the Science Carnival and Robot Zoo including Charles River Watershed Association Revised Revised in info on restoring the Charles. A copy of the program guide for the 10 day event is Year 3– new included in Appendix 1 BMP element Develop Include school This activity was completed in Year 2. Outreach activities to children continue in Schoolchildren will 1.b Outreach Commissioner/ children in general including the Cambridge Science Festival discussed in BMP 1.a (iv) be included in Revised Materials/Activit DPW stormwater above and: stormwater outreach ies for Children outreach DPW Vehicle Road Show held on May 18, 2015 which featured activities activities in general. activities explaining how DPW keeps Cambridge Clean, including a hands on demonstration using the EnviroScape model to explain how local waters can Revised in become polluted. Pictures from the DPW Road Show are attached in Year 5 – Appendix 1. [formerly 1.b The Cambridge Water Department sponsors weeklong activities that highlight (i) and (ii)] watershed protection, water treatment and other water related activities. DPW was on hand to demonstrate the EnviroScape medel. A copy of the Fresh Pond Day May 30, 2015 flyer and activities schedule is attached in Appendix 1. As part of the Alewife Sewer Separation project DPW hosted a “Touch-A- Truck/Movie Night” on August 6, 2015 to engage local youth living through the major construction project. Develop a (i) Develop a DPW’s Stormwater Management web pages can be viewed at Completed 1.c Stormwater Web Commissioner/ stormwater web www.cambridgema.gov/theworks/ourservices/stormwatermanagement.aspx Page DPW page Also refer to BMP 1.a (ii) above. 5 of 42 City of Cambridge NPDES Phase II 13th Annual Report May 2, 2016 (ii) Update See 1.a. (ii) above.