Weissport is in compliance with Department of Environmental Protection requirements for storm water management.

Weissport Council President Gene Kershner and Mayor Jonathan Troutman met Tuesday with Paul Grella of DEP to discuss the MS4 Compliance Inspection Report.Grella said there were two communities in the state that gave him trouble and that the community of Weissport was one of them. He said that he works with 180 communities within the state.He said that DEP works hard to help communities who do not have a lot of financial resources with filling out applications and will only begin enforcement proceedings with communities who defy the mandate.Weissport had been out of compliance for two years from 2008 to 2010. In 2011, Troutman began working with DEP toward compliance.The hearing, which was held Tuesday, is part of the continuing commitment to maintaining compliance.Grella said that the community must comply with reporting requirements by updating applications every five years and then submitting reports on a regular basis within the five-year period.Grella said that in addition to the more serious consequences there are very good reasons to comply with DEP reporting requirements."You may be refused grant funds," said Grella. "If your grant application is under review and they see that you are a non-compliance community, it may cost you the grant."Weissport had complied with the reporting process up to 2008.Troutman said that he feared the repercussions of not complying and began attending meetings with DEP after the borough was notified.At that time, Troutman feared that he would be held personally accountable because the enforcement letter was addressed to him.Grella said that while the enforcement is at the state level, it is actually a federal mandate."It could be as long as six, seven or eight years until the next full inspection," said Grella, who worked closely with Kershner and Troutman to bring the community back into compliance.Grella said that MS4 Compliance Inspection Report looks at six issues within a community.He went over each section of the report to ensure that officials understood what was required within the community to remain in compliance.He noted that one section involves informing and educating the community as to how to protect the ground water from contamination.Grella suggested that the borough work with local Lions Clubs or other community members to continue community education.He also suggested that the borough have a written plan and adopt an ordinance within 12 months, which would protect the borough if there are non-compliance issues with ground water."We have sample ordinances on our website," he said.Grella also suggested logging inspections of the waste water system to be part of the official record.Grella also noted one section of the report requires the community to report detection of illicit discharge."You can work with the Carbon County Conservation District as part of the reporting process," he added.Grella said that Weissport does have little area to develop, but that the community must comply with the federal mandate.He also noted that the borough should do an inventory of municipal facilities and land uses that contribute to storm water runoff.He also noted that written records must be maintained for an employee training program.Weissport must update the report by June 1, 2014.