Stormwater Coordinator and Employee Annual Training

The Gloucester County Stormwater Management Program will provide employee training to address the topics required by the NJDEP Stormwater permits for municipal and Highway Division employees. The NJPDES permits require that Tier A municipalities and the County Highway Division provide annual employee training for appropriate employees on appropriate topics. The topics must, at a minimum, include the following, as described by the NJDEP Guidance Manual.

Waste Disposal Education – Training will include how to respond to inquires regarding proper waste disposal.

Municipal Ordinances –Training will include an overview of the Pet Waste Ordinance, Litter Ordinance, Illicit Connection Ordinance and Improper Waste Disposal Ordinance, Wildlife Feeding Ordinance, and Yard Waste Ordinance (if applicable) and the requirements, enforcement policy, and hazards associated with improper waste disposal.

Yard Waste Collection Program (if applicable) – Training will include frequency of yard waste pick ups and schedule, policy for when yard waste can be placed curbside, and alternatives such as composting and recycling.

Illicit Connection Elimination and Outfall Pipe Mapping – Training will include information regarding the hazards associated with illicit connections and details of the program including investigation techniques, physical observations, field sampling, and mapping procedures.

Street Sweeping – Training will include sweeping schedules and record keeping requirements.

Stormwater Facility Maintenance – Training will include catch basin cleaning schedules and record keeping requirements.

Road Erosion Control and Outfall Pipe Stream Scouring Remediation – Training will include identifying road erosion and outfall pipe scouring and repairs.

Maintenance Yard Operations (including Ancillary Operations) – Training will include de-icing material storage, fueling, vehicle maintenance, equipment/vehicle washing and good housekeeping standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Construction Activity / Post-Construction Stormwater Management in New Development and Redevelopment – Training will include information regarding the requirement to obtain a NJPDES Construction Activity Stormwater Permit (see Part I, Section A.5.a and A.5.b of the Tier A Permit) and requirements for Post-Construction Stormwater Management in New Development and Redevelopment (see Part I, Section F.3 of the Tier A Permit) for the municipality’s (and highway department’s own construction activities and projects that disturb one acre or more.

Why train employees? The NJDEP believes that “in many ways, education and training may be considered the most important aspect of this [stormwater permit] program. It is widely recognized that education is the key to providing people with the knowledge, awareness, attitudes and values that will help them play their part in sustaining the environment, not only while they are at work but also throughout life.”

“Employee training has two purposes. The first is to familiarize the workers with the permit requirements, and what specifically will be required of them…..The second is to give the employees an overview of the stormwater program, why it is being done, and why their participation is important.” The NJDEP guidance Manual quotes philosopher Baba Dium:

We only conserve what we love, we only love what we understand, we only understand what we know and we only know what we are taught.”

The materials, agendas and dates for employee training will be announced by the County Stormwater Program in the near future. The initial annual employee training sessions will be scheduled for times between January 1 and April 1, 2006.