United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Wasterwater Management EPA-833-F-08-006 September 2008 Final National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP) for Stormwater Discharges Associated with Industrial Sources EPA Regions 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, and 10 issued a new Stormwater Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP). The MSGP, which became effective on September 29, 2008, requires industrial facilities to implement and maintain site-specific Stormwater control measures and to develop Stormwater pollution prevention plans (SWPPP). The MSGP regulates the discharge of Stormwater from an estimated 4100 industrial facilities in 29 different industrial sectors. The new permit offers several changes from its predecessor, including: easier to understand discharge requirements; fast and easy electronic filing of Notices of Intent (NOIs) and monitoring reports; web-based tools for locating waterbodies and determining impairment status; and updated monitoring, inspection, and corrective action schedules. The new permit replaces the MSGP 2000 that expired on October 30, 2005. Background Section 405 of the Water Quality Act of 1987 (WQA) added section 402(p) of the Clean Water Act (CWA), which directed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop a phased approach to regulate Stormwater discharges under the NPDES program. EPA published a final regulation on the first phase on this program on November 16, 1990, establishing permit application requirements for "stormwater discharges associated with industrial activity." See 55 FR 48063. EPA defined the term "Stormwater discharge associated with industrial activity" in a comprehensive manner to cover a wide variety of facilities. See 40 CFR 122.26(b)(14). Under this authority, EPA Regions 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, and 10 have issued the new MSGP covering 29 industrial sectors. The previous version of the MSGP, the MSGP 2000, expired on October 30, 2005. Dischargers that were previously covered by the MSGP 2000 have been covered by an administrative continuance, and will continue to be covered in this manner, until their authorization under the new permit. These dischargers will need to submit an NOT to be covered under the new MSGP by no later than January 5, 2009. The MSGP provides specific requirements for preventing contamination of stormwater discharges from industrial facilities listed in the sectors shown below: Sector A - Timber Products Sector B - Paper and Allied Products Manufacturing Sector C - Chemical and Allied Products Manufacturing Sector D - Asphalt Paving and Roofing Materials Manufactures and Lubricant Manufacturers Sector E - Glass, Clay, Cement, Concrete, and Gypsum Product Manufacturing Sector P Sector Q Sector R Yards Sector S Sector T - Land Transportation - Water Transportation - Ship and Boat Building or Repairing - Air Transportation Facilities - Treatment Works ------- Sector F - Primary Metals Sector G - Metal Mining (Ore Mining and Dressing) Sector H - Coal Mines and Coal Mining-Related Facilities Sector I - Oil and Gas Extraction and Refining Sector J - Mineral Mining and Dressing Sector K - Hazardous Waste Treatment Storage or Disposal Sector L - Landfills and Land Application Sites Sector M - Automobile Salvage Yards Sector N - Scrap Recycling Facilities Sector O - Steam Electric Generating Facilities Sector U - Food and Kindred Products Sector V - Textile Mills, Apparel, and other Fabric Products Manufacturing Sector W - Furniture and Fixtures Sector X - Printing and Publishing Sector Y - Rubber, Miscellaneous Plastic Products, and Miscellaneous Manufacturing Industries Sector Z - Leather Tanning and Finishing Sector AA - Fabricated Metal Products Sector AB - Transportation Equipment, Industrial or Commercial Machinery Sector AC - Electronic, Electrical, Photographic and Optical Goods Sector AD - Reserved for Facilities Not Covered Under Other Sectors and Designated by the Director About this Permit The final permit offers several changes from the MSGP 2000, including: • Reorganized permit that clearly spells out: (1) requirements affecting the installation of stormwater controls to meet technology-based and water quality-based effluent limits, (2) inspection and effluent monitoring requirements, and (3) the development of the stormwater pollution prevention plans (SWPPPs). • New requirements to annually report inspection findings and the results of corrective actions to EPA. • Improved tools for identifying receiving waters and notifying EPA of the location of impaired waterbodies and the pollutants of concern. • Fast and easy electronic submission of NOIs through the e-NOI system operated by Headquarters, with automated email explanations and reminders of monitoring requirements. • Electronic submission of monitoring results under the e-NOI system. As part of the Agency's commitment to providing compliance assistance and reducing the burden on permittees, EPA is also publishing sector-specific fact sheets and a new monitoring guide, which will be available shortly. Additional Information For further information, visit the Office of Wastewater Management web page at: www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/msgp, contact Greg Schaner at (202) 564-0721, or send questions via email to EPA's stormwater permit mailbox: SWpermit@epa.gov. ------- |