March 2024 Update: Residual Designation Authority (RDA) Activities Underway for the Charles, Neponset, and Mystic River Watersheds

Permit Update

EPA continues to work on developing the draft RDA permit. EPA is currently seeking feedback on permit implementation strategies such as whether the permit should be phased, BMP implementation challenges (types, siting challenges, timing of requirements), overlaps with other local, state and federal regulatory programs, the impact to funding mechanisms such as stormwater utilities, and a variety of other issues (as highlighted in the posted presentations on the EPA website). If you have ideas on these permit strategies that you want to share with EPA, please contact [email protected].

Stakeholder Outreach

EPA continues to reach out to stakeholders to provide background information on the regulatory and technical basis for the RDA permit. To conduct this stakeholder outreach, the RDA team is again working with the Consensus Building Institute, which was involved in the initial stages of RDA stakeholder outreach which began in 2020.

Recent presentations include:

• Charles River Watershed Association RDA Presentation (pdf) (2.5 MB): March 7th 2024
• Mystic River Watershed Association RDA Presentation (pdf) (2.5 MB): March 14th 2024
• NAIOP/495 Partnership RDA Presentation (pdf) (1.6 MB): March 22nd 2024
• Association of Independent Colleges and Universities Massachusetts and Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association RDA Presentation (pdf) (1.5 MB): April 1st 2024

EPA is now developing the next phase of its outreach plan and is seeking feedback on specific questions related to permit implementation. If you have ideas that you want to share with EPA, please contact [email protected].

Technical Assistance and Tools

EPA has posted a RDA Permit Frequently Asked Questions (pdf) (185 KB) document that answers questions it has been receiving about this new RDA permitting program from stakeholders. EPA will update this document regularly as new relevant questions arise.

In its ongoing technical assistance designed to look at streamlined operations and management of stormwater controls on March 12, 2024, EPA met with municipal officials from Milford, Stoughton, and Somerville for the third of five meetings. At this meeting municipalities shared updates from one-on-one sit visits with the UNH Stormwater Center and set goals for what specific needs each community has that is being addressed as part of this project. The group is reconvening for a fourth group meeting in April where a guest speaker will describe a successful self-certification program for private stormwater controls.