GEMSTONE FOODS-HOLLY Stormwater Outfall, Decatur, Alabama

GEMSTONE FOODS-HOLLY is a stormwater outfall located at 641 Holly Street in Decatur, Alabama, United States. It serves an industrial facility in the food processing sector, managing stormwater runoff from the site. The outfall is operational and falls under the regulatory oversight of the US EPA's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program. As an industrial stormwater outfall, this facility is subject to the Clean Water Act and likely operates under an NPDES Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP) for the food and kindred products sector. The permit requires implementation of stormwater pollution prevention measures, including best management practices (BMPs) to control pollutants in runoff. The outfall discharges to a receiving water body, which may be the Tennessee River or a tributary, given Decatur's location along the Tennessee River. The environmental significance of this outfall lies in its role in managing stormwater from an industrial food processing site. Proper stormwater management is critical to prevent pollutants such as organic matter, nutrients, and chemicals from entering local waterways. The facility's compliance with NPDES permit conditions helps protect water quality in the Tennessee River watershed, which supports diverse aquatic life and provides drinking water and recreation for the region.

Decatur, Alabama, is located in the Tennessee River Valley, a region with a humid subtropical climate and significant industrial activity. The Tennessee River is a major waterway that supports ecosystems, drinking water supplies, and recreation. Stormwater runoff from industrial facilities like GEMSTONE FOODS-HOLLY can carry pollutants such as sediment, nutrients, and chemicals, potentially impacting water quality. Regulatory oversight under the Clean Water Act and NPDES permits aims to mitigate these impacts through stormwater pollution prevention plans and best management practices.