Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1972 established the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into the waters of the United States and regulating quality standards for surface waters. National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) is the division of the CWA which prohibits discharge of pollutants into water of the United States unless a permit is issued.
What is storm water, and what are the possible pollutants?
Storm water is rainfall runoff, snowmelt runoff, or surface runoff created by a storm event.
Pollutants can include, but are not limited to the following: dredged spoil, solid waste, sewage, chemicals, biological materials, heat, discarded equipment, rock, sand, sediment, silt, dirt, and industrial or municipal waste.
Who is required to obtain a stormwater permit?
SIC codes are used to evaluate facilities to determine if they are engaging in affected industrial activities. SIC codes engaging in “industrial activity” can be found in the following link (click here).
If the SIC code is present in the above-referenced list, potential storm water discharges need to be identified. This includes but is not limited to the following:
- Industrial plant sites
- Material handling sites
- Outdoor storage areas (tank farms)
If the above activities are not present at the facility and there are no exposed materials that can contaminate storm water, the facility may qualify for a No Exposure Certification.
If the above activities are present, the facility is required to obtain an Industrial Stormwater Permit or General Permit.
What are requirements of the Industrial Stormwater (General) Permit?
The permit requires the facility to develop a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP). The SWPPP includes the following: exposed materials, pollutants, good housekeeping, best management practices, spill prevention, spill response and reporting, monthly inspections and sampling, annual evaluation, annual employee training, etc.
For questions about submission requirements, or if you need assistance with reporting or updating your plan, contact Environmental Compliance & Safety at:
- Phone: (662) 840 5945
- Website: https://envirocomp.net/contact/
