Oakland storm water measures

The port said that the measure, adopted by the Board of Port Commissioners in January, will help it to prepare enforcement guidelines to keep rubbish and other contaminants from entering storm drains in or around or the bay.

Richard Sinkoff, the port’s director of environmental programs and planning, said: “We have a public responsibility to protect the waterways near our operations. This new ordinance gives port staff the authority needed to meet Clean Water Act requirements.”

He added that the new rule, which is similar to those in effect at other airports, seaports and municipalities throughout California, should have far-reaching impacts.

Port of Oakland property including the seaport, Oakland International Airport and commercial real estate, covers more than 4,000 acres. More than 80 storm water outfalls from port property deposit thousands of gallons of runoff into the San Francisco Bay or adjacent Oakland Estuary.

The port’s goal is simple, to keep it all clean. It said tenants and contractors will be required to comply with the Storm Water Ordinance and that to enforce the new rule it will examine runoff for contaminants and investigate violations.

Oakland’s Storm Water Ordinance further aligns the port with recent federal Clean Water Act requirements for storm water management.

The federal Clean Water Act requires that all municipal, industrial and commercial facilities that discharge wastewater or storm water into US waters must obtain a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit to assure water quality standards are attained.