&ER&
State Innovation Grant
Program
Arizona:
Developing an Automated Permitting Process
The EPA State Innovation Grant Program was established in 2002 to help strengthen EPA's innovation partnerships with States
and Tribes and is a direct result of the Agency's innovation strategy, Innovating for Better Environmental Results: A Strategy to Guide
the Next Generation of Innovation at EPA (http: / /www.epa.gov/innovation /strategy). To support the Innovation Strategy, the 2002
grant program focused its efforts on projects that related to one of four priority issues: reducing greenhouse gases, reducing
smog, improving water quality, and reducing the cost of drinking water or wastewater infrastructure. In addition, EPA sought
projects that test incentives that motivate "beyond-compliance" environmental performance, or move whole sectors toward
improved environmental performance. This series of fact sheets features the State projects selected for funding under the
Grant Program.
Contacts:
Wayne Hood
Arizona Department of Environmental
Quality, Phoenix, AZ, 602-771-4427,
Hood.Wayne@ev.state.az.us
John Tinger
US EPA Region 9, San Francisco, CA,
415-972-3518, tinger.john@epa.gov
Gerald (Jerry) Filbin
US EPA National Center for Environmental
Innovation, Washington, DC, 202-566-2182,
filbin.gerald@epa.gov
Smart NOI Website
http://az.gov/adeq/noi
Background
Arizona has a Construction Stormwater General Permit, designed
to cover most construction activities, to protect the quality and
beneficial uses of the State's surface water resources from polluted
stormwater runoff. The permit requires operators to plan and
implement appropriate pollution prevention and control practices
for stormwater runoff during the construction period. These Best
Management Practices (BMPs) are aimed primarily at controlling
erosion and sediment transport, but also include controls, like good
housekeeping practices, aimed at containing other pollutants such
as construction chemicals and solid waste (e.g., litter). A key step
in obtaining coverage under the general permit is submitting a
Notice of Intent (NOI) to discharge storm water with specific
project-related information. The NOI also serves as the operator's
promise that they will comply with the permit conditions
throughout the duration of the project.
NCEI
NATIONAL CENTER FOR
ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION
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AZ Smart NOIs—Project
Description
The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
(ADEQ) is developing "A Smart NOT" project, the goal
of which is to create an automated decision matrix for
managing the Arizona pollutant discharge elimination
system (AZPDES). This Web-based system is known
as the "Smart NOT," for notice of intent, which will
help ease the challenge caused by a recent change to
federal regulations that greatly expanded the number
of construction projects that require permit coverage
as part of an effort to reduce stormwater runoff
pollution. The regulation, which took effect in March,
requires operators of construction projects that disturb
an acre or more of land to obtain prior authorization
to discharging stormwater, increasing the number of
permit applications in Arizona from about 2,000 to
10,000 per year. The goal is to reduce red tape and make
this new federal permit requirement as user friendly as
possible while protecting Arizona's environment. This
"smart" Internet application is expected to reduce
regulated community compliance costs through a more
efficient permitting process. ADEQ officials believe this
system will lead to improved water quality because the
user-friendly system will increase industry compliance with
State clean water regulations.
The NOT application process takes users through a
series of questions that enables both applicants and
Arizona DEQ officials to determine the level of
attention each project needs. This online service
provides an easy-to-use, GIS mapping and analysis tool
to help applicants establish the latitude and longitude
of proposed construction sites and their proximity to
surface waters, including sensitive or impaired areas, by:
• allowing applicants to file for coverage, waiver, or
terminate coverage under ADEQ's General Permit
for stormwater discharges from construction sites;
• analyzing applicants' responses to rapidly identify
those applicants who need to submit their
Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPPs)
to ADEQ for detailed project review;
• generating online records and receipts for applicants
confirming transactions and determinations; and
• automatically store data, enabling ADEQ officials
to track permit type, frequency, and project location.
This online application process automatically
determines what level of permit coverage is needed.
If more detailed review is necessary, the system will
advise applicants of a delay in coverage and/or the
need to submit a SWPPP to ADEQ.
Benefits of AZ Smart NOIs
The "Smart NOT" system enables permitees to more
easily navigate the permit process by reducing
paperwork and accelerating NOT review. The step-by-
step, plain-language format ensures that applicants
consider all pertinent information, which increases the
accuracy of Agency records and reduces time needed
to correct or amend applications. The electronic data
management system (including the GIS-based analysis
tool) provides preliminary answers to questions
applicants might have about the timing and
requirements for permit coverage required for a specific
project. The GIS system ultimately serves as an analysis
that improves water quality through a smarter, faster,
permitting system.
Overall, Agency performance and productivity will
significantly improve due to automated permitting at
the customer level, reduced labor demands, increased
accuracy of results, and improved availability of
information. Further, this dramatic improvement in
customer service makes the process less burdensome,
resulting in an increased number of applicants. Those
applicants will be more aware of their regulatory storm
water requirements and better educated about issues
related to erosion and sediment control at their job sites.
Project Plan for AZ Smart NOIs
ADEQ staff will prepare a detailed project plan and
documents on requirements analysis and design,
programming and equipment configurations, Web
module testing, and deployment. The project runs from
September 1, 2002 to September 30, 2003.
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Policy,
Economics and Innovation
(1807T)
June 2003
EPA-100-F-03-027
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