The Town of Auburn has enacted stormwater bylaws in order to comply with state and federal regulation and to manage stormwater in a responsible and sustainable manner. The Town of Auburn is the permitting authority for all land disturbing activities and requires the land owner to maintain all on-site stormwater control facilities and all open space areas (e.g. parks or “green” areas) required by the approved stormwater control plan. The Town of Auburn, under the NPDES program, also has the authority to inspect properties for noncompliance and can issue a notice of violation (NOV) for any deficiency or infraction onsite. Property owners are responsible for the maintenance of any stormwater facilities or practices located on the property. The Town of Auburn has the authority to inspect stormwater facilities and practices in order to ascertain that they properly maintained and functioning.
(1) Applicability:
(A) No person may undertake Land Disturbing Activities regulated by this By-law without a Land Disturbance Permit from the Authorized Enforcement Agency pursuant to this By-law and regulations promulgated hereunder.
(B) Permit procedures shall be defined and included as part of any rules and regulations promulgated as permitted under this By-law.
(3) Fees
(A) The Authorized Enforcement Agency shall establish fees to cover expenses connected with application review and monitoring permit compliance. The fees shall be sufficient to cover the costs of Town administrative and professional staff time for the review, processing, and monitoring an application and permit. Any changes to the fee schedule shall require a duly noticed and advertised public hearing.
(B)The Authorized Enforcement Agency may require the Owner to pay reasonable costs to be incurred by the Authorized Enforcement Agency for the employment of outside consultants pursuant to regulations as authorized M.G.L.c. 44, § 53G.
In 1996, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (the “Department” or “MassDEP”) issued the Stormwater Policy that established Stormwater Management Standards aimed at encouraging recharge and preventing stormwater discharges from causing or contributing to the pollution of the surface waters and ground waters of the Commonwealth. In 1997, MA DEP published the Massachusetts Stormwater Handbook as guidance on the Stormwater Policy. In 2008, MA DEP revised the Stormwater Management Standards and Massachusetts Stormwater Handbook to promote increased stormwater recharge, the treatment of more runoff from polluting land uses, low impact development (LID) techniques, pollution prevention, and the removal of illicit discharges to stormwater management systems, and improved operation and maintenance of stormwater best management practices (BMPs).
The Stormwater Management Standards address water quality (pollutants) and water quantity (flooding, base flow and recharge) by establishing standards that require the implementation of a wide variety of stormwater management strategies. These strategies include environmentally sensitive site design and LID techniques to minimize impervious surface and land disturbance, source control, and the long-term operation and maintenance of stormwater management systems.
Massachusetts Stormwater Handbook
Auburn Stormwater Management Page