Last Thursday, EPA released its general permit for stormwater discharges from construction sites, replacing the just-expired 2008 general permit. The new permit takes effect immediately and covers activities such as grading, excavating, and other construction activities on sites of at least one acre.
While many states have their own permits, states to which NPDES authority is delegated may choose to adopt EPA’s permit. EPA’s permit is in effect in non-delegated states—Idaho, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New Mexico—as well as the District of Columbia and US territories and tribal lands. It also applies to certain areas subject to federal contracts in some other states, to construction sites in Oklahoma associated with oil and gas exploration and drilling, and to construction sites in Texas associated with oil, gas, and geothermal exploration.
The new general permit does not include numeric discharge limits for construction sites. In early January, EPA published a notice in the Federal Register soliciting more information on technologies available to allow construction sites to meet numeric limits and on related issues. The agency earlier withdrew its limit of 280 nephelometric turbidity units for construction sites, which was included in an earlier draft of the numeric discharge guidelines, citing errors in the way that number had been calculated. EPA is accepting comments regarding numeric limits and technologies until March 5.
The 2012 general permit for stormwater discharges from construction sites is available at http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/cgp.cfm.
************************
Upcoming Forester University Webinars
February 23rd, 2012
Stormwater Pond BMP Management: Design, Operation & Maintenance
Stormwater ponds are one of the most common urban rainwater runoff BMPs thanks to their reliability and predictability, but performance is design and maintenance dependent. Join Shahram (Shane) Missaghi of the University of Minnesota to explore stormwater pond design, operation and maintenance presented in an integrated stormwater pond management plan that effectively manages your stormwater and protects the water quality of your natural resources. Read more…
March 8th, 2012
Reducing Water, Energy, and Tax Bills for Facilities
Are you overpaying on your facility’s three largest variable costs: water, energy, and taxes? Join Fraser Allport, CEO, to explore how to reduce your facility’s utility and tax bills and future-proof for sustained performance by combing green technologies (green hardware and smart software) with government tax incentives in a cost-reduction action plan designed to obtain, quantifiable and sustainable resource and cost-savings results. Read more…
March 22nd, 2012
5 Proven Social Media Tactics to Engage Your Audience
Extend your outreach and campaign effectiveness with social media. Join Erica Hooper, Strategic Director at S. Groner Associates, to explore social media's (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, etc.) opportunities, myths, and real-world tested and proven social media tactics designed to engage your audience. Read more…