BASWG Regional Plan to Address Stormwater Pollution of Regional Significance
Chloride Pollution Outreach Plan for 2015-2018
Purpose
Chlorides pose a threat to water in a cold weather state like Maine, with public safety balanced against
the environmental threat of salinization to Maine’s streams and groundwater. Because existing data
shows increasing chloride concentrations in Maine’s streams, and because of the impact chloride is
having in impaired streams in the region, the need for Chloride BMPs was an obvious choice.
Coverage Area
This plan has been developed for joint implementation with the BASWG 2015-2018 Regional
Stormwater Management Plan by the regulated MS4 municipalities within the Bangor Urbanized Area
of Maine. These entities include: City of Bangor, City of Brewer, Town of Hampden, Town of Milford,
City of Old Town, Town of Orono, Town of Veazie, as well as the nested Maine Air National Guard
Bangor Base and Eastern Maine Community College.
Objective
This Chloride outreach plan will address the MS4 permit requirements to address a stormwater
pollutant issue of regional or statewide significance with the goal of reducing chloride pollution in the
MS4s within the Greater Bangor Urbanized Area. This 4th outreach plan has been designed to build
understanding of the impacts of chlorides and ways to reduce chloride pollution from MS4 operations.
As a result of this plan:
 By the end of PY2, decision makers in each of BASWG’s MS4 (public works directors, managers
and other key MS4 decision-makers) will understand the reasons for and the need to adopt
winter maintenance environmental BMPs and develop an individual MS4 plan identifying which
BMPs they plan to adopt, with details on who will accomplish this work, how, with what planned
outcomes and what measures to determine the success of these efforts.
 In PY3-5, each MS4 will implement these plans, adapting the plans as needed to incorporate
new information and changing MS4 needs. Any changes will be documented and
communicated to DEP for approval prior to being formally adopted.
Activities
a) The target audience for this chloride outreach plan:
 In PY2 the target audience is MS4 decision makers who make decisions about winter
maintenance activities, plans, processes and budgets.
 In PY3-5 the target audience is on-the-ground winter maintenance implementation staff who
will implement changes in practices.
b) Activities in PY3-5 will include, but not necessarily rely solely on, the statewide Maine Winter
Maintenance Environmental Best Management Practices Manual, which has been developed
through a five year process with a large statewide stakeholder group.
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a. In PY2, the manual’s information about impacts and solutions will be used as the foundation
for discussions and planning decisions for with MS4 winter maintenance decision makers.
b. In PY3-5, selected BMPs from the manual identified in each MS4 plan will be used to train
on-the-ground staff and implement operational changes.
The timeline and Implementation Schedule is as Follows:
Implementation of the BASWG’s Chloride Outreach Plan will begin on January 1, 2015.
Permit Year 2
- BASWG will develop a regional training for municipal decision makers.
- BASWG will host a meeting for municipal decision-makers sharing the sources and impacts of
chloride pollution in the region and best practices for reducing these impacts through changes in
municipal practices.
- BASWG will support each MS4 as needed to develop an individual plan for chloride BMP
adoption. Each plan will include:
o BMPs currently in use
o BMPs to be adopted
o Salt use for previous years if possible and tracking future salt use
o Target audience for each BMP training effort
o Plans for BMP adoption
o Timeline for BMP adoption
o Expected outcomes from implementation of BMPs
o Planned measures of change and how these changes will be evaluated over time
o EVALUATION will include polling decision makers to determine if they understand the
need for chloride reduction
- Individual MS4s will submit their chloride outreach plan to Maine DEP (Kathy Hoppe) by June 30,
2015.
- At the end of PY2, each MS4 will have a chloride outreach plan for implementation beginning in
PY3.
Permit Year 3
 Each MS4 will begin implementation of their chloride outreach plan by winter 2015-16.
 Implementation of plans will include:
o Providing MS4 leadership support to implement selected BMPs (including securing the
funding, staff time, political support, policy changes and other resources to make
changes)
o Training winter maintenance on-the-ground staff in selected environmental best
practices and ensuring follow-through on implementation of BMPs.
o EVALUATION will include a survey of winter maintenance managers to track progress on
implementation of new BMPs, elimination of old practices, changes to previous
methods used, quantity of salt used, areas of special interest targeted for salt reduction,
how realistic they view the suggested chloride BMPs, and suggestions on how the BMP
manual can be improved and tailored for their town operations.
Permit Year 4
 Continued Implementation of plans will include:
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o
o
o
o
Providing MS4 leadership support to implement selected BMPs (including securing the
funding, staff time, political support, policy changes and other resources to make
changes)
Training winter maintenance on-the-ground staff in selected environmental best
practices and ensuring follow-through on implementation of BMPs.
Individual MS4s will adapt their plans to respond to current conditions, lessons learned
and feasibility. All changes to plans must be submitted in writing to Maine DEP’s Kathy
Hoppe for approval.
EVALUATION will include a survey of winter maintenance managers to track
modification of BMPS to fit individual MS4s, progress on implementation of new BMPs,
elimination of old practices, changes to previous methods used, quantity of salt used,
areas of special interest targeted for salt reduction, how realistic they view the
suggested chloride BMPs, cost savings or cost increases associated with BMP
implementation, and suggestions on how the BMP manual can be improved and tailored
for their operations.
Permit Year 5
 Continued Implementation of plans will include:
o Providing MS4 leadership support to implement selected BMPs (including securing the
funding, staff time, political support, policy changes and other resources to make
changes)
o Training winter maintenance on-the-ground staff in selected environmental best
practices and ensuring follow-through on implementation of BMPs.
o Individual MS4s will adapt their plans to respond to current conditions, lessons learned
and feasibility. All changes to plans must be submitted in writing to Maine DEP’s Kathy
Hoppe for approval.
o EVALUATION will include a survey of winter maintenance managers to track
modification of BMPS to fit individual MS4s, progress on implementation of new BMPs,
elimination of old practices, changes to previous methods used, quantity of salt used,
areas of special interest targeted for salt reduction, how realistic they view the
suggested chloride BMPs, cost savings or cost increases associated with BMP
implementation, and suggestions on how the BMP manual can be improved and tailored
for their town operations.
The goal of this permit period is to reinforce the good behavior changes developed during the last
permit cycle and promote their work to encourage additional individuals to adopt good practices during
this permit cycle and of reducing chloride pollution in the MS4s within the Greater Bangor Urbanized
Area. This 4th outreach plan has been designed to build understanding of the impacts of chlorides and
ways to reduce chloride pollution from MS4 operations. The reduction of chloride pollution is a
necessary part of statewide, regional and local efforts to reduce impacts to waters and remove barriers
to success of other stormwater pollution control efforts.
c) Working though the BASWG’s Education and Outreach Committee, the Bangor Area Storm Water
Group’s Executive Committee is responsible for coordinating implementation of this regional
chloride outreach plan. The BASWG Executive Committee consists of:
Robert Osborne (Town of Hampden), Chair
Robert Yerxa (Town of Orono), Vice Chair
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Scott Wilkerson (University of Maine), Second Vice Chair
Major Philip Winchester (Maine Air National Guard Bangor Base), Secretary
Patrick Decker (University of Maine Augusta), Treasurer
The cost of the implementing this behavior change plan will be shared among the MS4 members of
the Bangor Area Stormwater Group. Maine DEP will be notified in writing if there is any change to
these lead contacts.
d) Evaluation Protocol: Annual reports will include a review of the Chloride Outreach Plan, including
process and output/outcome indicators, which will be tracked and include polling decision makers
to determine if they understand the need for chloride reduction, a survey of winter maintenance
managers to track modification of BMPS to fit individual MS4s, progress on implementation of new
BMPs, elimination of old practices, changes to previous methods used, estimated quantity of salt
used, areas of special interest targeted for salt reduction, how realistic they view the suggested
chloride BMPs, cost savings or cost increases associated with BMP implementation, and
suggestions on how the BMP manual can be improved and tailored for their town operations.
e) Plan Modification: This plan represents a specific set of activities designed to increase the use of
winter maintenance best practices in the Greater Bangor Urbanized Area. Additional activities may
be conducted by individual MS4s or groups of MS4s as resources permit. For this plan to be
otherwise modified, the full membership of the BASWG will revise the plan if evaluation data show
that efforts are not working. A new plan will be developed and submitted to the Maine DEP
responds in writing or verbally otherwise, the plan will be considered approved within one month
of submission to DEP.
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