TMDL Eligibility
Document whether the water body that may receive your
storm water discharges has an EPA approved "Total
Maximum Daily Load" (TMDL) waste load allocation for
sediments and other construction-related pollutants, and
if so, describe the techniques and controls you will use to
stay within this "pollution budget."
What to do next
The SWPPP and How To Use It
^ Implement it, and maintain all controls (remove
sediment from traps and ponds when 50% full).
^ Keep it on-site during work hours.
^ Keep records in the plan of when major grading
occurs, when activities are suspended or cease, and
when stabilization starts.
^ Begin to stabilize soils within 14 days of temporarily
or permanantly ceasing disturbance.
^ Modify the SWPPP within 7 days of detecting a
problem.
Inspecting the Site
^ Inspect all areas and controls once every 7 days, OR
once every 14 days and within 24 hours of a 1/2-inch
storm
^ OR once a month if stabilized or frozen.
^ Keep inspection records: who, when, weather since
last inspection, findings, corrective action taken.
Finishing Up
^ Submit a Notice of Termination (NOT) within 30 days
after the site has been permanently stabilized, or
temporarily stabilized and transferred to a new owner.
Permanent stabilization = restore to 70% of whatever
level of cover was natural to the site.
Note: silt fence should be removed once a site is
permanently stabilized.
Best management and
compliance tips
Disturb the smallest area possible.
Leave as much original/natural vegetation as possible.
Stabilize disturbed areas as soon as possible.
Sequence activities carefully to minimize rework and
impacts from one portion of the site on another.
Avoid steep or unstable slopes and areas with soils
susceptible to erosion.
Time construction activities to limit the impact from
seasonal climate changes or severe weather.
Create as little new impervious (paved) surface as
possible.
Don't mix other waste streams (such as vehicle wash
water containing detergent) with storm water.
Incorporate all applicable local and state sediment
and erosion controls (storm water management) into
your pollution prevention plan.
This brochure outlines the federal permit and program
for construction activities. See Part 9 of the NPDES
Construct/on General Permit for Storm Water Discharges
from Construction Activities for additional Massachu-
setts and New Hampshire state permit conditions.
For construction projects in Connecticut, Maine, Rhode
Island and Vermont, please contact your state environ-
mental agency to find out how they are implementing
the federal program.
Contacts & Information
EPA
Abby Swaine, EPA New England
Assistance Program
617.918.1841
swaine.abby@epa.gov
Chris Jendras, EPA New England
Assistance Program
617.918.1845
jendras.chris@epa.gov
Thelma Murphy, EPA New England
Storm Water Coordinator
617.918.1615
murphy.thelma@epa.gov
http://cfpub 1 .epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/cgp.cfm
Connecticut
Chris Stone, CT Dept. of Environmental Protection
860.424.3850
http://dep.state.ct.us/pao/
download.htm#StormwaterConstructionGP (scroll down
to General Permit for the Discharge of Stormwater and
Dewatering Wastewaters from Construction Activities)
Maine
David Ladd, ME Dept. of Environmental Protection
2072875404
http://www.state.me.us/dep/blwq/docstand/
stormwater/construction.htm
Rhode Island
Greg Goblick, Rl Dept. of Environmental Management
401.222.4700, ext. 7265
http://www.state.ri.us/dem/programs/benviron/
water/permits/ripdes/stwater/pdfs/consfact.pdf
Vermont
Stephanie Lanphear, VT Dept. of Environmental
Conservation
802.241.3770
http://www.anr.state.vt.us/dec/waterq/
permits.htm#cgp (scroll down to Construction ...)
This brochure provides highlights of U. S. EPA's storm water
requirements for construction activity. It is not intended to
be a comprehensive list of all requirements that pertain to
construction activity.
vvEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency New England
Storm Water at
Construction
Sites
A Guide to the
Federal Requirements
901-F-03-005
November 3,2003
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What is the problem
with storm water?
When rain falls or snow melts, the water that runs
off construction sites can wash sediment, chemicals and
other pollutants into adjacent properties, storm drains, and
nearby streams, ponds and rivers. Erosion from a one-acre
construction site can discharge as much as 20 to 150 tons
of sediment in one year if not
properly managed. Sedi-
ments reduce the storage
capacity of drains and wa-
terways, causing flooding
and stream bank scouring.
Sediments and the chemi-
cals that cling to them can
also reduce fish popula-
tions, contaminate shellfish
beds, close swimming
beaches and foster algae and
weed growth. Construction site erosion can also mean loss
of valuable top soil, rework to reduce damage to slopes
and structures, and complaints from neighbors and local
officials.
The Permit
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has developed
a General Permit for Storm Water Discharges from
Construction Activities that outlines the steps that construc-
tion site operators must take to help prevent these prob-
lems. Permit coverage is required for storm water dis-
charges from construction activity (including clearing, grad-
ing, and excavating) that disturbs at least 1 acre of soil.
In New England, this permit applies in Massachusetts
and New Hampshire. However, CT, ME, Rl, and VT
have adopted the EPA program and issued their own per-
mits with some additional requirements.
Does my construction site
need permit coverage?
It does if you answer "yes" to all of the following questions.
^ Will the project disturb (through clearing, grading,
excavating, etc.) one or more acres of land, either by
itself or as part of a larger project?
Could storm water from the site collect and travel
through a pipe, ditch, swale, road, or storm-created
channel (like a gully dug in a bare slope)?
Could storm water from the site be discharged to a
"water of the U.S." (stream, pond, river, ocean, or
wetland) or to a separate storm drain system that
itself discharges to a surface water?
Other Permits
This permit is a separate requirement from other federal,
state or local programs or permits. For example, you may
also need approval from state or local agencies (conser-
vation commissions, soil and erosion control agencies or
districts, etc.) to discharge to, or perform construction
activities near a waterway, wetland, floodplain or
municipal storm sewer (storm drain).
Who should apply
for a permit?
Any "operator" having control over construction plans and
specifications, or control over day-to- day site work, should
apply for permit coverage. Operators needing permit
coverage can include the property owner, developer,
general contractor, construction manager, etc. Each
operator (there may be more than one for a site) should
submit a Notice of Intent (NOI) to be covered by the
permit. Owners who have no control over the plans and
specs and have no control over day-to-day site work are
not operators, and therefore are not required to apply for
permit coverage. Subcontractors whose activities are di-
rected by another operator do not need to apply for per-
mit coverage.
How do I get
permit coverage?
The first thing you should do is to get a copy of the permit. The EPA
permit—N PDES General Permitfor Storm Water Discharges from
Construction Activities—and all forms and directions are on EPA's
web site at http://cfpubl.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/
cgp.cfm. (Call one of the EPA contacts listed on the back
panel if you do not have internet access.) Use this permit
for MA and NH projects.
Here's how to get coverage under the EPA general permit.
^ Determine if your activity is covered (see "Eligibility"
section of the permit).
^ Develop a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan
(SWPPP) as outlined in the permit.
*• Keep the SWPPP on site. Do not submit it to EPA! Make
sure it's being followed and be prepared to show it to EPA
inspectors who may visit your site.
^ Submitto EPA a Notice of Intent (NOI) to be covered by the
permit.
^ Afteryou submityour NOI (electronically or by
regular mail) to EPA, EPA will post your NOI at
http://cfpub 1 .epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/
noi/noisearch.cfm
^ You are authorized under the permit once your NOI
is shown in "Active" status. NOIs listed as "Active"
have been posted on the EPA web site for 7 days (the
"Waiting" period), and are not "On Hold" due to
eligibility concerns (like impact on impaired surface
waters or endangered species).
^ EPA will attempt to contact you regarding any
problems or delays, but you must ensure you are
authorized before starting work by checking the
web site or calling EPA's NOI Processing Center
at 866.352.7755.
^ Within 30 days after the project is done and fully
stabilized, you must file a Notice of Termination (NOT).
Staying in compliance with the general permit includes:
making sure that your storm water pollution prevention plan
addresses all the permit requirements; maintaining the plan on
site; recording when major earth disturbing and stabilization
work occurs; inspecting the site; logging all self-inspection
findings and results (see the permit for more information); and
updating the plan as necessary.
The Storm Water Pollution
Prevention Plan (SWPPP)
Here are some highlights of what to include in your SWPPP.
Please read the construction general permitforthe complete
list of requirements.
Site Information
^ Identify all operators for the project site and the
portions over which each operator has control.
^ Describe the project (e.g., housing, shopping mall,
highway, etc.).
^ Describe the sequence and timing of activities that will
disturb soil at the site.
^ Estimate the total area expected to be disturbed,
including off-site borrow and fill areas.
^ Include a general location map with enough detail to
identify the location of the construction site and water
bodies within one mile of the site.
^ Develop a site map showing
• storm water flow directions and slope grades
• areas of soil disturbance
• locations of major structural and
non-structural storm water controls
• offsite storage areas for materials, wastes,
equipments and borrow/fill
• surface waters
• discharge locations
Controls to reduce pollutants
In this section of the plan describe
^ Erosion and sediment controls and storm water
management methods and devices that will be used,
when and where they will go in, and who will install
and maintain them.
^ Temporary and permanent stabilization measures and
when they will be used.
^ How discharges of construction-related pollutants other
than sediments—such as trash, fuels and oils from
vehicles and chemicals from stored products like
fertilizer—will be prevented by storing them out of the
weather, preventing and cleaning up spills, etc.
^ How pollution from dedicated industrial operations
(concrete & asphalt plants, etc.) will be minimized.
^ Measures to minimize dust and vehicle tracking of
sediments off-site.
Endangered Species Eligibility
Document how you determined whether federally-listed
endangered species or critical habitat could be affected
by your construction activity and discharges, and if so,
how you will prevent harm.
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