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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">DEM SEEKS INPUT ON DRAFT DISCHARGE PERMITS FOR
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">TWO RHODE ISLAND WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITIES<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is
</span><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">soliciting public comment on draft discharge permits for the Narragansett Bay Commission's (NBC) Bucklin Point and Field's Point Wastewater Treatment Facilities. The comment period runs through January
31, 2017. DEM will also hold a public hearing to review the permits next month.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">WHAT:</span></b><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"> Public hearing on draft discharge
<a href="http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/water/permits/ripdes/">permits</a> for NBC Bucklin Point and Field’s Point Facilities<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">WHEN:</span></b><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"> Thursday, January 26, 2017 // 5:00 p.m.
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">WHERE:</span></b><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"> DEM Headquarters, 235 Promenade Street, Providence // Room 300<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">The Bucklin Point facility serves Central Falls, Cumberland, Pawtucket, and portions of Lincoln, East Providence, and Smithfield. The Field’s Point facility serves Johnston, Providence,
North Providence, and portions of Lincoln and Cranston. The <a href="http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/water/permits/ripdes/">
draft Rhode Island Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (RIPDES) permits</a> authorize the discharge of treated domestic/industrial sewage from these facilities, stormwater that enters the combined sewer systems, and the Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) associated
with the collection systems. The permits set discharge limits to protect water quality and ensure compliance with technology-based caps.
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">Under the new permit requirements, NBC must develop a program to reduce the amount of stormwater discharged to its combined sewer systems, provide web-based notification to the public
on CSO occurrences; and submit regular monitoring data electronically. The current RIPDES permits for these facilities were issued in 2001 and modified in 2005 to include nitrogen limits. They will remain in effect until the new permits are issued.
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">From 2004 to 2015, compliance with the RIPDES permits resulted in a 75 percent reduction in the total nitrogen discharged into local waters from these facilities. So far in 2016, as
a result of Phases I and II of NBC’s CSO plan, over seven billion gallons of sewage has been captured and treated at the Fields Point facility. Previously the industrial and sanitary wastewater and stormwater combination would have been discharged untreated,
with only a small portion receiving primary treatment. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">Oral comments will be accepted at the public hearing in January. Written comments should be submitted to DEM by 4:00 p.m. on January 31, 2017 per the
<a href="http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/benviron/water/permits/ripdes/pdfs/nbcrip16.pdf">
public notice</a>. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.dem.ri.gov">www.dem.ri.gov</a>. Follow DEM on Facebook at
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/RhodeIslandDEM" target="_blank">www.facebook.com/RhodeIslandDEM</a> or on Twitter (@RhodeIslandDEM) for timely updates.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">-30-<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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