The Port Authority of NY & NJ
Phase II Stormwater Information

The Port Authority has developed a Phase II Stormwater Management Program for its facilities. The objective of the program is to manage stormwater runoff discharges to waters of the United States. This program is in accordance with the requirements of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Phase II stormwater regulations, which were promulgated under the federal Clean Water Act. Port Authority facilities where all discharges are sent to the municipal sewer system are not subject to this regulation.

The aim of the Phase II stormwater regulations is to reduce the potential of pollutants to enter the stormwater system through stormwater runoff. Stormwater / nonpoint sources are the largest major source of pollutants in waters of the United States. The EPA's 1996 National Water Quality Inventory reported that urban runoff was a leading cause of water quality problems in the country, causing impairment in 469 of the nations estuaries, 21 percent of the lakes, ponds and reservoirs, and 13 percent of the rivers and streams. The sources of pollutants in runoff are varied and include streets, parking lots, gas stations, construction sites, sand/salt storage, and maintenance yards.

Under the regulations, employees are prohibited from spilling, dumping or disposing of materials other than stormwater into the storm sewer system at any facility. This includes materials like automotive fluids, used motor oil, paints and solvents, which can directly impact receiving water bodies.

Uncontrolled pollutants can travel into storm drains, which often discharge directly into nearby water bodies. Methods of control include employee education, construction site controls, pollution prevention, hazardous waste management, roadway clean-up and good housekeeping of the operations, and maintenance of the stormwater system.