Summary

Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) new rule on National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System--regulations for revision of the Water Pollution Control Program addressing storm water discharges. GAO noted that: (1) the rule would expand the existing National Pollution Discharge Elimination System storm water program to address storm water discharges from small municipal separate storm sewer systems (those serving less than 100,000 persons) and construction sites that disturb one to five acres; and (2) EPA complied with the applicable requirements in promulgating the rule.