5252
&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
                         July 1980
Office of Water Enforcement  EN-335
Agricultural
Activities
and
Consolidated
Permitting
         800R80912
   U.C, Environmental Protect'JH Agency.
   Region V, Library
   230 South Dearborn Street
   Chicago, lliir.ois  60504

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                     Prelection
    The recently  published Consolidated
Permit  Regulations will  have an  impact  dVi
persons  involved in  farming,  ranching,
and forestry  activities.   This pamphlet
summarizes  the activities  subject  to the
permit  requirements  of these  regulations.

    Generally,  farming,  forestry,  and
ranching activities do  not require
permits issued by EPA.  In the  following
pages,  there  is  a list of  those  instances
when p'ermits  are required  under each
permit program  included in the Consoli.-
dated  Permit  Regulations.   Consolidated
Permit  Regulations cover National   Pollu-
tant Discharge Elimination  System  (NPDES)
permits,   Resource,  Conservation  and
Recovery (RCRA)  permits,  Dredge of Fill
(404)  permits,  and Prevention of Signifi-
cant Deterioration (PSD)  permits.

WHEN DO  I  NEED A PERMIT COVERED  BY THE
SECTION 404 PROGRAM?

    A section 404 permit is  needed when
dredge or  fill  material   is  discharged
into waters of the U.S.   These  discharges
are currently regulated by the Corps  of
Engineers under the "Section 404  program".
In  the near  future  it is likely that
certain States will  be  authorized  by EPA
under  Section 404  to manage  their own
dredge  or fill permit  programs which will
replace the Corps of Engineers  program  in
certain waters  within that State.  Some
agricultural  activities have been exempted
from the  program.   The dredge or fill
(Section  404)  office in EPA will soon  be
coming  out  with  a booklet on  this  program
as  it  relates to  agricultural  activities.

WHEN DO I  NEED A PERMIT UNDER  THE NATIONAL
POLLUTANT  DISCHARGE  ELIMINATION   SYSTEM
(NPDES) PROGRAM?

    NPDES  permits are  required  for the
discharge  of pollutants from  any point
source  into  waters  of  the U.S. Permits
are required  for the following agricul-
tural  activities:

•   The discharge  of  pollutants into
    waters  of the  U.S.  through  a man-
    made ditch,  flushing  system or  other
    similar device from  a  concentrated
    animal  feeding  operation  (e.g.,  1,000
    head of cattle);  or  feedlots with  300
    or more animal  units  which  discharge
    pollutants into waters passing  through
    or  coming into  direct  contact with
    animals  in the confined area.

•   The discharge  of  pollutants into
    waters  of  the  U.S.,  at  least  30 days
    per  year,  from a concentrated  aquatic
    animal  production  facility (e.g.
    production of  more than  20,000 pounds
    of trout).

•   Aquaculture projects which use
    discharges   of  pollutants   into  a
    designated water  area  for the main-
    tenance  or  production of  harvestable
    freshwater,  estuarine,  or  marine
    plants or  animals.

•   Discharges  into  waters of the U.S.
    from  si 1 vicultural  point  source
    activities  such  as  rock  crushing,
    gravel  washing,  log  sorting,  or  log
    storage  facilities.

WHEN DO  I NEED A PERMIT UNDER THE RESOURCE
CONSERVATION AND RECOVERY ACT (RCRA)?

    Permits  are required for  the treat-
    ment, storage and disposal of hazar-
    dous wastes.   Some agricultural
    activities may require a  RCRA permit.
    The  following are the most likely to
    occur  in agriculture:
t   Discharges of waste oil  into waters
    of the U.S.

e   Disposal of waste pesticide con-
    tainers unless they are  triple
    rinsed, using a solvent  capable of
    removing the chemical  product, and
    the rinse water is disposed on the
    farm, in accordance with the label.

•   Disposal of pesticide  residues unless
    they are disposed on the farm in a
    manner consistent with the instructions
    on the pesticide label.

WHEN DO I NEED A PERMIT FOR  A WELL
INJECTION COVERED  BY THE UNDERGROUND
INJECTION CONTROL (UIC) PROGRAM?

    There are  presently no permit require-
ments  for  the  regulation  of  injection
wells  that  are used  typically in  agri-
culture.   When  a UIC program  becomes
effective in  a  State,  the permitting
authority will  conduct an inventory and
may seek information  on wells  in  a State.

WHEN  DO  I  NEED A  PERMIT UNDER THE  PRE-
VENTION OF SIGNIFICANT DETERIORATION
(PSD)  PROGRAM?

    Permits are  needed  for significant
discharges resulting from a large  grain
elevator operation or  a similar  new
facility which  emits  air pollutants
(more than  250 tons  per  year)  in  an area
which  has  met all  national  ambient  sir
quality standards.

WHERE DO I GO  TO OBTAIN  A PERMIT AND ANY
ADDITIONAL  INFORMATION?

    Contact  your * Regional  EPA  office for
information  on permit  coverage.   The
District Engineer of  the  U.S.  Army  Corps
of  Engineers   will  be able  to give you
information  relating  to  the  discharge  of
dredge  or fill material  from agricultural

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 activities.    Your  county  extension  agent
 or  the  Soil  Conservation  Service  will   be
 available   for  technical   assistance  needed
 to  complete an  application  for  a   permit.

     States  are encouraged  to  operate  their
 own  permit  program  or  programs.    Your
 Regional  EPA  office  will  be   able  to  tell
you  if  there  are  programs  operating   in
your State.

     On  the  back   cover  of  this  pamphlet
there   is  a   list  of  the  Regional   EPA
offices and  the  States  covered  by  each
Region.     If  you   wish  further  information
and/or  to   be  put  on  an   EPA  mailing  list,
you  may write or call  your  EPA  Regional
office.
If you have suggestions, questions
or requests for further information, they
may be directed to your nearest
EPA Regional public information office
EPA Region 1 .JFK
Federal Bldg « Boston
MA 02203 « Connec-
ticut, Maine, Massachu-
setts New Hampshire,
Rhode Island, Vermont •
617 223 7223

EPA Region 2 « 26
Federal Plaza • New
York NY 10007. New
Jersey, New York. Puer-
to Rico, Virgin Islands •
212 264-2515

EPA Region 3* 6th
and Walnut Streets «
Philadelphia PA 19106
• Delaware, Maryland,
Pennsylvania, Virginia,
West Virginia, District of
Columbia •
215-597-4081
EPA Region 4 • 345
Courtland Street NE «
Atlanta GA 30308 .
Alabama, Georgia
Florida, Mississippi
North Carolina, South
Carolina, Tennessee,
Kentucky •
404-881 3004

EPA Region 5 • 230 S
Dearborn * Chicago IL
6O604. Illinois, Indiana
Ohio, Michigan. Wiscon
sin Minnesota •
312-353-2072

EPA Region 6. 1201
Elm Street* Dallas TX
75270 « Arkansas, Loui
siana Oklahoma, Texas,
New Mexico •
214-767-2630
EPA Region 7 . 324
East 11th Street »
Kansas City MO
64106 * Iowa Kansas
Missouri Nebraska «
816 374-6201

EPA Region 8 . 1860
Lincoln Street «
Denver CO 80295 • Col
orado, Utah, Wyoming,
Montana North Dakota,
South Dakota •
303-837-3878

EPA Region 9. 215
Fremont Street • San
Francisco CA 94105 •
Arizona California, Hawaii,
Nevada, Pacific Islands
« 415-556-1840

EPA Region 10. 1200
Sixth Avenue • Seattle
WA98101 .Alaska.
Idaho. Oregon Washing-
ton • 206-442-1203

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