Highways Celebrating World Oceans Day 2022
By: Rodney Gerard
All divisions’ MS4s are regulated under the Hawaii Administrative Rules, Chapter 11-55, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit. The State of Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) issues MS4 NPDES Permits to authorize the discharge of storm water runoff and certain non-storm water discharges from permittees into state waters in and around the islands.
World Oceans Day, annually celebrated on June 8th, is a day to raise global awareness of the benefits humankind derives from the ocean and our individual and collective duty to use its resources sustainably. The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) plays a critical role in the protection of our ocean environment. All three divisions of HDOT (Airports, Harbors and Highways) own and operate a municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4), which conveys storm water runoff from our transportation infrastructure and into the nearest stream or ocean. As this runoff travels through the storm drain system, it has the potential to carry oil, sediment, and other pollutants, negatively impacting our water quality. HDOT implements storm water management initiatives across the state to help reduce the potential for pollutants to be discharged from HDOT’s storm drains.
The development of a Storm Water Management Program is one of the main requirements of an MS4 NPDES Permit. HDOT’s Storm Water Management Programs all share the following six components, known as Minimum Control Measures: • Public Education and Outreach • Public Involvement/Participation • Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination • Construction Site Runoff Control • Post-Construction Storm Water Management • Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping For more information about HDOT’s Storm Water Management Programs, please visit here. HDOT is proud of its environmental stewardship efforts and the role it plays in preserving Hawaii’s ocean resources. World Oceans Day is a reminder of the collective action that is required to restore and revitalize this priceless global resource. To explore more World Oceans Day events, visit here.
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