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As of January 1, 2020, certain industrial facilities in California must provide the cities or counties in which they are located with proof that they are enrolled in the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) governing stormwater discharges before they can obtain or renew a business license. The cities/counties must then confirm on the business […]
During the first half of 2019, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) enforcement record has proven that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Despite shifting priorities and upheaval regarding the scope of the Agency’s jurisdiction over waters of the United States (WOTUS), the EPA has quietly continued to issue hefty fines […]
In a 2016 settlement agreement with 10 environmental groups, the EPA committed to providing funds to the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NAS) to convene a committee to study the effectiveness of the Agency’s Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP). The NAS has now published its final report, which includes recommendations to put the MSGP […]
With all of the high-tech and innovative stormwater control gadgets on the market these days, facilities often overlook one of the most fundamental and affordable best management practices (BMPs): employee training. Most industrial stormwater permits require at least annual employee training, and it has become one of the most common and costly permit violations. In […]
With several states’ deadlines for discharge monitoring reports (DMRs) looming, it’s a good time of year to get back to basics and evaluate your industrial facility’s stormwater monitoring practices. Forgetting to monitor or improperly monitoring can lead to a number of costly violations for facilities operating under industrial stormwater permits, so it pays to make […]
Q. How do I know if my site has any post-construction stormwater regulations?
Q. How do I find out if the EPA or the State is the regulatory authority for controlling stormwater runoff at my construction site?
In the world of stormwater, certain “qualified” professionals have hefty responsibilities, such as conducting facility inspections, monitoring, and developing and certifying the stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP). But, what does it really mean to be a qualified professional? Often, in National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) stormwater permits, there is language referring to a qualified […]
Q. Throughout our construction project, we have amended our SWPPP several times. What are our obligations now that we have altered our SWPPP?
Q. We recently purchased an existing building, but renovations need to be completed prior to moving into the building. What types of indoor/outdoor activities would trigger the need for a permit?