In November 2023, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division issued an update to the permit for stormwater discharges associated with Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems. The Robins Air Force Base MS4 generally includes apartments, housing, restaurants and recreational areas in the southern portion of the base between Third Street and Fourteenth Street. The MS4 permit became effective January 15, 2024, and is one of several permits that Robins AFB must comply with under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. The NPDES permit program addresses water pollution by regulating point sources that discharge pollutants to our creeks, streams, rivers and lakes.
Robins AFB has updated the Stormwater Management Program to comply with the new permit requirements. The SWMP is designed to reduce the discharge of pollutants from the MS4 to the maximum extent practicable using best management practices. The SWMP consists of six major BMPs for stormwater management, which include:
– Public outreach through educational articles, like this one, on the Robins AFB website and Splash Page.
– Public involvement and participation through community recycling events and lake cleanups.
– Illicit discharge inspections, detection, elimination and education.
– Construction site stormwater runoff control through erosion and sedimentation control plan review, inspection, complaint response and erosion control certifications.
– Post-construction and green infrastructure stormwater management features such as retention ponds and biofiltration basins through inventories, mapping, inspections and maintenance.
– Pollution prevention and good housekeeping through inventories, mapping, inspections, maintenance, street sweeping, employee training, waste disposal tracking, and review of retention/detention ponds.
For each BMP, measurable goals have been developed, which allow the state to monitor permit compliance. The base is required to submit annual reports demonstrating compliance with each of the BMPs in an annual report to the GA EPD.
For more information, please contact Environmental Management at 478-327-9283.