EPA Green Infrastructure Program_Letter of InterestMasterpiece on the Mississippi
TO Michael C Van Milligen, City Manager
FROM Gus Psihoyos, City Engineer
DATE March 23, 2012
SUBJECT EPA Green Infrastructure Program Letter of Interest
Dubuque
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All-America City
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2007
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this memorandum is to request the City Council to approve and authorize the Mayor to sign the attached
cover letter The letter requests that the City of Dubuque be included in the EPA Green Infrastructure Program, if approved, it
will be submitted with supporting documentation to the EPA by April 6, 2012
BACKGROUND
Green infrastructure uses infiltration, evapotranspiration, and rainwater harvesting to reduce and manage stormwater at its
source By retaining rainwater on site, green infrastructure reduces the quantity of untreated stormwater discharged to
surface waters, and adds capacity to combined and separate sewer systems by subtracting demand Green infrastructure
can also provide a variety of community benefits, including improved air quality, increased property values, energy savings,
reduced urban heat island effect, and green jobs Given the multiple benefits associated with green infrastructure, EPA
encourages the use of green approaches to stormwater runoff and sewer overflow management to the maximum extent
possible
Through the Green Infrastructure Program (GIP), the EPA is offering direct assistance (through EPA contract support) for
projects that facilitate the use of green infrastructure to protect water quality Direct assistance will result in one or more of
the following outcomes
• A quantitative assessment of the water quality and other environmental benefits associated with green infrastructure
scenarios,
• A qualitative assessment of the barriers posed by local codes and ordinances to green infrastructure approaches,
• Development of design guidance that identifies an appropriate suite of green infrastructure practices for a particular
site or context,
• Evaluation of opportunities to use green infrastructure to address multiple wet weather programs (e g MS4, SSO,
CSO)
The total EPA assistance available is approximately $950,000, which will be split among 10 -20 projects nationwide The
value of the assistance available to each project will be approximately $50800- $100,000 The project duration will be up to
18 months
DISCUSSION
In 2009, five areas of the city were identified as contributing the largest portion of inflow and infiltration (I &I) into the city's
sanitary sewer collection system The Engineering Department has since targeted these areas and requested that property
owners eliminate improper sump pump, driveway drain, and downspout connections
Due to the City's topography and soil types, however, it is not always practical for property owners to discharge these
sources to their yards or nearby storm sewer Therefore, the proposal requests the EPAto study one or more of the priority
sewersheds and develop concept designs for green infrastructure that residents can use to keep rain where it falls instead of
putting it in a pipe Conceptual designs for residential rain gardens or cisterns (to use water for irrigation) may be developed
along with design spreadsheets to allow for easy sizing by a property owner City staff will share the EPA concepts with
property owners and advise that some practices are eligible for City cost -share 0 e rain gardens)
An additional consideration is that four of the five priority areas (excluding Sewershed 12) are located within the Bee Branch
Watershed The City has invested nearly $60 million to reduce flooding and improve water quality in the watershed For the
most part, these projects have addressed stormwater management on a regional scale - after runoff has already been
increased due to development With the GIP, stormwater can be managed at the site, when rainfall hits the ground rather
than sending it to a pipe
RECOMMENDATION
I recommend that the City Council approve and authorize the Mayor to sign the attached cover letter for the EPA Green
Infrastructure Program
PROJECT COST - BUDGET IMPACT
EPA will provide assistance through an Agency contract, not through a grant The assistance provided will be entirely in the
form of work from contractors paid by the EPA City staff time for communication and coordination with the EPA will be re-
charged to existing I &I- related CIPs
ACTION TO BE TAKEN
I recommend that the City Council approve and authorize the Mayor to sign the attached cover letter for the EPA Green
Infrastructure Program
Prepared by
cc
Todd Shoemaker, Environmental Engineer
Deron Muehring, Civil Engineer II
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: EPA Green Infrastructure Program Letter of Interest
DATE: March 23, 2012
Dubuque
bierd
All-America City
1
2007
City Engineer Gus Psihoyos recommends City Council approval for the Mayor to
execute a letter for the EPA Green Infrastructure Program. The letter requests that the
City of Dubuque be included in the EPA Green Infrastructure Program.
Green infrastructure uses infiltration, evapotranspiration, and rainwater harvesting to
reduce and manage stormwater at its source. By retaining rainwater on site, green
infrastructure reduces the quantity of untreated stormwater discharged to surface
waters, and adds capacity to combined and separate sewer systems by subtracting
demand. Green infrastructure can also provide a variety of community benefits,
including improved air quality, increased property values, energy savings, reduced
urban heat island effect, and green jobs. Given the multiple benefits associated with
green infrastructure, EPA encourages the use of green approaches to stormwater runoff
and sewer overflow management to the maximum extent possible.
Through the Green Infrastructure Program (GIP), the EPA is offering direct assistance
(through EPA contract support) for projects that facilitate the use of green infrastructure
to protect water quality. Direct assistance will result in one or more of the following
outcomes:
• A quantitative assessment of the water quality and other environmental benefits
associated with green infrastructure scenarios;
• A qualitative assessment of the barriers posed by local codes and ordinances to
green infrastructure approaches;
• Development of design guidance that identifies an appropriate suite of green
infrastructure practices for a particular site or context;
• Evaluation of opportunities to use green infrastructure to address multiple wet
weather programs.
The total EPA assistance available is approximately $950,000, which will be split among
10 -20 projects nationwide. The value of the assistance available to each project will be
approximately $50,000 - $100,000.
In 2009, five areas of the City were identified as contributing the largest portion of inflow
and infiltration (I &I) into the city's sanitary sewer collection system. The Engineering
Department has since targeted these areas and requested that property owners
eliminate improper sump pump, driveway drain, and downspout connections.
Due to the City's topography and soil types, however, it is not always practical for
property owners to discharge these sources to their yards or nearby storm sewer.
Therefore, the proposal requests the EPA to study one or more of the priority
sewersheds and develop concept designs for green infrastructure that residents can
use to keep rain where it falls instead of putting it in a pipe. Conceptual designs for
residential rain gardens or cisterns (to use water for irrigation) may be developed along
with design spreadsheets to allow for easy sizing by a property owner. City staff will
share the EPA concepts with property owners and advise that some practices are
eligible for City cost -share (i.e. rain gardens).
An additional consideration is that four of the five priority areas (excluding Sewershed
12) are located within the Bee Branch Watershed. The City has invested nearly $60
million to reduce flooding and improve water quality in the watershed. For the most
part, these projects have addressed stormwater management on a regional scale - after
runoff has already been increased due to development. With the GIP, stormwater can
be managed at the site, when rainfall hits the ground rather than sending it to a pipe.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
Michael C. Van Milligen
MCVM:jh
Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Gus Psihoyos, City Engineer
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Masterpiece on the Mississippi
March 21, 2012
Mr. Christopher Kloss
USEPA Headquarters
Ariel Rios Building
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Mail Code: 4203M
Washington, D.C. 20460
Dear Mr. Kloss:
Dubuque
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All- America City
2007 .
0/6.2
Office of the Mayor
City Hall
50 West 13th Street
Dubuque, Iowa 52001 -4805
www.cityofdubuque.org
As Mayor and on behalf of my City Council colleagues, I respectfully submit the attached
proposal outlining our request to include the City of Dubuque, Iowa in the EPA Green
Infrastructure Program. Having recently established an Inflow and Infiltration (I &I) Program to
eliminate sanitary sewer overflows, the Green Infrastructure Program will be the perfect vehicle
to maximize the effectiveness of the City's I &I Program by combining EPA's green infrastructure
expertise with our existing staff and local resources.
In 2009, five areas of the city were identified as contributing the largest portion of l&I in the city.
We have since targeted these areas to eliminate improper sump pump, driveway drain, and
downspout connections to the sanitary sewer collection system. Located in the "Driftless Area"
of the Midwest and on the banks of the Mississippi River, disconnection of these l &I sources is
not always easy because of our topography and soils. Therefore, we propose that EPA studies
one or more of our five priority areas and develop concept designs for green infrastructure that
our residents can use to keep rain where it falls instead of in pipes.
The attached proposal further describes our interest in the Green Infrastructure Program, a
project description, anticipated results, and community partnerships. The City of Dubuque and
its partners have a proven record of sustainability, leadership, and the ability to implement
successful flood reduction and water quality improvement projects.
Since 2006, the Dubuque City Council has identified becoming_a_more Sustainable City as one
of our top priorities for our community. "Sustainable Dubuque" is a community that values water
as a source of life and seeks to preserve and manage it in all forms. Through the Green
Infrastructure Program, the City of Dubuque and EPA can expand our sustainability efforts and
improve the lives of Dubuque residents.
Sincerel
dL„,
Roy Dv Buol
Mayor
Service People Integrity Responsibility Innovation Teamwork
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EPA Green Infrastructure Program
Request for Letters of Interest
OVERVIEW
This request for letters of interest (RLI) announces the availability of direct assistance (through EPA
contract support) for projects that facilitate the use of green infrastructure to protect water
quality. Technical assistance will be directed to watersheds /sewersheds with significant water
quality degradation associated with urban stormwater. Assistance may be offered to communities
with any level of green infrastructure implementation. Direct assistance will result in one or more
of the following outcomes:
• A quantitative assessment of the water quality and other environmental benefits
associated with green infrastructure scenarios;
• A qualitative assessment of the barriers posed by local codes and ordinances to green
infrastructure approaches;
• Development of design guidance that identifies an appropriate suite of green infrastructure
practices for a particular site or context;
• Evaluation of opportunities to use green infrastructure to address multiple wet weather
programs (e.g. MS4, SSO, CSO).
The total EPA assistance available through this RLI is approximately $950,000. EPA anticipates
selecting 10 -20 projects to receive assistance. The value of the assistance available to each project
will be approximately $50,000 - $100,000. Each applicant may submit only one letter of interest,
and may apply for project periods of up to 18 months. Letters should be submitted by email to
Kloss.Christopher @epa.gov. Letters of interest must be received by April 6, 2012, 5:00 p.m.
Eastern Time (ET).
DESCRIPTION OF AVAILABLE ASSISTANCE
Why is EPA offering this assistance?
Stormwater discharges from separate or combined sewer systems can lead to significant water
quality impairment and habitat degradation. While current practice emphasizes the use of end -of-
pipe stormwater controls (e.g. extended detention ponds) to treat urban stormwater discharges
and reduce peak flows, research and experience have shown that end -of -pipe controls alone offer
limited treatment capacity and limited mitigation of habitat degradation.
Green infrastructure uses infiltration, evapotranspiration, and rainwater harvesting to reduce and
manage stormwater at its source. By retaining rainwater on site, green infrastructure reduces the
quantity of untreated stormwater discharged to surface waters, and adds capacity to combined
and separate sewer systems by subtracting demand. Green infrastructure can also provide a
variety of community benefits, including improved air quality, increased property values, energy
savings, reduced urban heat island effect, and green jobs. Given the multiple benefits associated
with green infrastructure, EPA encourages the use of green approaches to stormwater runoff and
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sewer overflow management to the maximum extent possible. For more information on EPA's
green infrastructure program, see www .epa.gov /greeninfrastructure.
Stormwater experts have developed an extensive knowledge base on the evaluation and
implementation of green infrastructure approaches, but current practice lags behind the state of
the science. Many tools are available to assist communities in developing green infrastructure
strategies that meet community goals as well as Clean Water Act requirements. Available tools
include:
• Hydrologic and hydraulic models that predict the water quantity and quality impacts of
green infrastructure scenarios (e.g. SWMM LID);
• Methodologies for quantifying the range of benefits associated with green infrastructure
approaches (e.g. The Value of Green Infrastructure);
• Tools for identifying the barriers posed by local codes and ordinances (e.g. EPA's Water
Quality Scorecard); and
• Design guides for integrating appropriate green infrastructure controls into site designs
(e.g. EPA's Stormwater Guidelines for Green, Dense Redevelopment)
Many communities, however, lack the resources to take advantage of these tools. EPA is offering
this assistance to help communities interested in implementing green infrastructure apply these
and similar tools to their particular context and develop a strategy for implementing green
infrastructure. EPA hopes that this assistance will ultimately result in models that other
communities can follow.
How will this assistance be provided?
EPA will provide assistance through an Agency contract, not through a grant. The assistance
provided will be entirely in the form of work from contractors paid by EPA.
What types of projects will this assistance support?
This assistance will support a range of projects that facilitate the use of green infrastructure to
protect water quality. Though EPA expects proposed projects to be tailored to the communities
requesting assistance, proposed projects should include one or more of the following elements:
• A quantitative assessment of the water quality and other environmental benefits associated
with green infrastructure scenarios: Though many communities recognize the wide range
of benefits associated with green infrastructure, community leaders may be uncertain of
the magnitude of the benefits provided and may be reluctant to act in the absence of
quantitative data. EPA will assist communities in developing hydrologic and hydraulic
models to quantify the water quality benefits of green infrastructure, as well as
complementary models to quantify other environmental benefits (e.g. improved air
quality). Models applied may include but are not limited to SWMM, SUSTAIN, and The
Value of Green Infrastructure.
• A qualitative assessment of the barriers posed by local codes and permitting processes to
green infrastructure approaches: State and local codes and permitting processes often
pose the most significant barrier to the implementation of green infrastructure by
discouraging non- structural stormwater controls and restricting the use of stormwater. EPA
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will provide assistance to communities interested in conducting tailored reviews of
relevant codes and ordinances to identify barriers to green infrastructure and appropriate
revisions. Relevant codes and ordinances may include building codes, plumbing codes,
zoning rules, subdivision rules, and local stormwater ordinances. Audit tools that may be
applied include the Center for Watershed Protection's Code and Ordinance Worksheet or
EPA's Water Quality Scorecard.
• Development of design guidance that identifies an appropriate suite of green infrastructure
practices for a particular site or context: Unfamiliarity with green infrastructure concepts
and a lack of appropriate "off- the - shelf" design guides may impede the adoption of green
infrastructure in communities with limited experience. EPA will provide assistance to
communities interested in developing conceptual designs for a particular site or context.
Design assistance may range from the development of 50% conceptual designs for a
demonstration project, to the development of a design guide addressing local physical
constraints. For example, EPA's Stormwater Guidelines for Green, Dense Redevelopment
assessed local physical constraints and their design implications in the city of Emeryville,
California, and described a suite of appropriate green infrastructure solutions. Similarly,
EPA's Conceptual Guide to Effective Green Streets Design Solutions assessed space and
safety constraints for a range of street types and described a set of appropriate green
solutions for each type.
• Evaluation of opportunities to use green infrastructure to address multiple wet weather
programs (e.g. MS4, SSO, CSO): Wet weather compliance programs often focus on each
CWA requirement individually without full consideration of all CWA obligations. This
approach may have the unintended consequence of constraining a municipality from
addressing, in a cost - effective manner, its most serious water quality issues first. In
October 2011, EPA released a memo indicating its intent to work with communities to
develop an integrated planning and permitting process. EPA is also developing a
framework for the principles and components of an integrated plan. An integrated
planning process has the potential to identify a prioritized critical path to achieving the
water quality objectives of the CWA by identifying efficiencies in implementing multiple
requirements that arise from separate wastewater and stormwater projects, including
capital investments and operation and maintenance requirements. EPA will provide
assistance to communities interested in developing an integrated stormwater and
wastewater plan that uses green infrastructure solutions to address prioritized water
quality objectives.
APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY
Any combination of local government department, office, agency or non - profit may submit a letter
of interest. Note that only one letter of interest should be submitted per applicant. While
applicants are not required to demonstrate community partnerships, EPA recognizes that strong
community partnerships are important in implementing green infrastructure approaches.
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PROPOSAL SUBMISSION
When are letters of interest due?
Applicants must submit their letters of interest via email to Kloss.Christopher @epa.gov by April 6,
2012, 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET).
What information should letters of interest provide?
Letters of interest must provide all of the information detailed in this section. Any letters that do
not provide all of this information will not be reviewed.
1) Cover Page
• Applicant Identification: Provide the name and full address of the entity applying for EPA
assistance.
• Location: Provide city, county, and state of the area where the proposed project is located.
• Wet Weather Programs: Briefly describe whether the applicant is a permitted stormwater
Phase 1 /11 MS4, has combined sewer systems, or has sanitary sewer overflows.
• Contacts:
i) Project Director: Provide the name, phone number, email address, and mailing address
of the project director assigned to the proposed project. This person will be responsible
for working with EPA staff to answer questions and provide additional information as
the application process proceeds.
ii) Chief Executive /Highest Ranking Official: Provide the name, phone number, email
address, and mailing address of the applicant's Chief Executive (e.g., mayor of a city,
executive director of a nonprofit, etc.). This person may be contacted if further
information is needed.
iii) Key Project Partners: Provide names and phone numbers of key individuals and
organizations that have agreed to participate in the proposed project.
2) Community Need
• Provide a broad overview of the community in which the proposed project is located and a
summary of the water resource concerns that the proposed project would address.
3) Project Description
• Summarize your overall vision and approach for promoting the use of green infrastructure
to protect water quality in your community.
• Describe any efforts to promote green infrastructure to date. How will EPA assistance be
used to support existing efforts?
• Outline the tasks required to complete the proposed project and the anticipated time and
materials (for example, hours and any travel costs) you estimate the EPA contractor would
require for each task. Specifically identify the tasks that you expect EPA's contractor to
perform, and tasks that the applicant will perform.
• Describe any innovative components of the proposed project, particularly any components
that advance sustainable or equitable development principles.
• Describe the project period (maximum recommended project period is 18 months)
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4) Anticipated Results
• Describe the short -term and long -term benefits to the community that are anticipated to
result from the proposed project.
• Describe how you anticipate building upon the project to continue to advance the
implementation of green infrastructure in your community.
• Describe the level of political and public support for the project and for advancing green
infrastructure in your community.
How should letters of interest be formatted?
To facilitate EPA review, letters should be organized according to the four sections described
above. Letters should be no more than 4 pages, single -sided (or 2 pages, double- sided).
Supplemental materials such as maps and site plans can also be submitted, but are not to exceed 4
pages, single -sided (or 2 pages, double- sided). The total application should be no more than 8
pages, single -sided (or 4 pages, double- sided).
PROPOSAL REVIEW
Letters of interest will be evaluated based on the potential impact of the project. EPA reviewers
will gauge the potential impact of the project based on:
• The extent to which the proposed project addresses a pressing community need,
• The extent to which the proposed project builds upon existing efforts and support and the
metrics proposed to determine progress,
• The likelihood that the proposed tasks can be completed with available resources within
the available time,
• The availability of contributions from the applicant and project partners,
• The likelihood that the applicant will be able to sustain sufficient momentum and support
to build upon the completed project, AND
• The extent to which the project represents a unique application of green infrastructure
that can serve as a demonstration project for future applications.
A small group of applicants will be asked to participate in a follow -up phone interview with EPA.
These calls will be used to further evaluate how well the applicant meets the criteria. Applicants
may also be asked to provide additional information and details on the assistance requested. EPA
will make final selections following completion of the interviews by May 6, 2012.
EPA CONTACT
Please contact Christopher Klass (Kloss.Christopher @epa.gov) for questions or clarifications.
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