Rainfall and melting snow from paved streets, parking lots, and building rooftops runs off these non-porous surfaces into culverts, ditches, drains, and other conveyances, ultimately leading to waterways. This stormwater (or runoff) contains pollutants that can harm rivers, streams, lakes, and coastal waters.
The United States Postal Service® (USPS®) has a Zero Discharge policy for stormwater. This means no pollutants (i.e., oil and grease, soaps, metals, acids/bases, or other chemicals) will be released or discharged into stormwater systems, by USPS or by USPS third-party contractors.
Under federal law, USPS vehicle maintenance facilities and other USPS sites with fueling operations are typically required to obtain a stormwater permit or, if eligible, apply for a special exclusion from permit requirements. Additionally, USPS sites are required to follow all applicable federal, state, and local regulations for herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers. Certain USPS facilities that store oil or fuel in bulk, such as storage tanks and large drums, are further subject to federal regulations on spill prevention and planning.
In response to federal regulatory requirements, the USPS Office of Sustainability (OoS) has developed a standardized national approach for water quality regulatory compliance. This includes targeted site visits at regulated facilities to review compliance with water quality environmental laws and gather information necessary to develop and update required permits or plans. Water quality site reviews include visual inspections of:
n Storage tanks,
n Drums,
n Kitchen grease collection containers and systems,
n Waste receptacles,
n Materials and equipment stored outside,
n Fueling operations,
n Vehicle washing areas,
n Spill response supplies, and
n Drainage systems.
The OoS maintains a listing of sites identified for water quality support (and other types of compliance support) for FY 2021 at blue.usps.gov/sustainability/environmental/planned-comp-support.htm.
The water quality support process may be conducted by professionals on the OoS East or West Regional Field Support teams or by an approved OoS Environmental Management Professional and Technical Support Services supplier.
Site visits follow a standard process:
n Virtual (Zoom) entrance meeting. The OoS will host a virtual meeting with facility personnel to discuss the purpose of the site visit and the data collection process.
n Self-certification/Data collection form. The site is expected to complete the form, which will provide information about equipment and operations at that location.
n Site visit. Site visits are limited to areas addressed in required permits and plans to minimize onsite time as well as interactions during the pandemic. The OoS will take photos to document material storage, stormwater drainage systems, and potential compliance issues. The OoS will also review records, including documents related to training, inspection and testing, and spill response.
n Virtual (Zoom) follow-up meeting. The OoS will host a follow-up meeting with facility personnel to discuss items identified during the site visit and to present draft versions of required permits and implementation plans. The OoS will also communicate the site’s ongoing compliance responsibilities, including conducting regular visual inspections, completing records and self-certifications, ensuring employees complete required training, and adhering to site-specific permit conditions.
n Permit documents and plans. The OoS will submit the required permits to the regulatory agency on behalf of the facility once the appropriate signatures have been obtained, and will forward final copies to the site via email. The OoS will also mail hard copies of implementation plans, which detail ongoing site-level compliance responsibilities.
For more information about water quality site visits and environmental concerns, see the following resources:
n Contact your designated USPS environmental contact at blue.usps.gov/sustainability/contact.htm.
n Visit the OoS Environmental Compliance website at blue.usps.gov/sustainability/environmental.htm.
n Review the following environmental compliance bulletins:
n Stormwater Management at blue.usps.gov/sustainability/environmental/_pdf/ecb-sw-management.pdf.
n Stormwater Permitting at blue.usps.gov/sustainability/environmental/_pdf/ecb-sw-permitting.pdf.
n Stormwater Retention and Detention Basins at blue.usps.gov/sustainability/environmental/_pdf/bp-sw-ret-det.pdf.
— Environmental Compliance and Risk Management,
Office of Sustainability, 5-6-21
