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EPA and State Work Together on Stormwater Enforcement
A New Hampshire concrete producer will pay a $135,000 civil penalty and implement a compliance program to resolve numerous stormwater violations at its sand, gravel, and stone mining and ready-mix...
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Good Samaritans and NPDES Permits
The EPA has addressed this concern in several memoranda, the most recent issued in December 2012, which discussed conditions under which a Good Samaritan would not be required to obtain a National...
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Nutrient Trading: EPA and State Roles
The EPA has encouraged states to develop nutrient trading structures for years. When states apply nutrient trading in their CWA programs (e.g., NPDES permitting or total maximum daily loads...
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The golden rules for construction stormwater management
Sediment is usually the main pollutant of concern; according to the EPA, sediment runoff rates from construction sites are typically 10 to 20 times greater than the rates from agricultural lands, and...
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A Sustainability Planning Primer
But what does “sustainable” really encompass and how can a business get there from here? Sustainability, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is “based on a simple principle:...
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EPA Will Maintain Current Enforcement Initiatives for 2014-2016
According to the June 2013 announcement, the current, and now ongoing, initiatives are: Keeping raw sewage and contaminated stormwater out of waterways. The initiative focuses on combined sewer...
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Site practices and BMP solutions for stormwater management
Avoid the pitfalls. According to Willobee, there are common design concerns that SWPPPs frequently overlook. He sees the following problems in many construction SWPPPs: Failure to specify appropriate...
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EPA Provides Facility Guidance While Finalizing Industrial Stormwater Permit
This 2013 MSGP for stormwater activities associated with industrial activities covers facilities located in areas where the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the National Pollutant...
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Overburdened Communities Get a Voice in Permit Process
Because EPA-issued environmental permits often have the greatest impact on local and regional communities, the Agency’s regional offices have undertaken the role of helping “overburdened” communities...
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Green infrastructure and water rights
In some areas, water is a limited resource, and complex water laws have been established to define rights to water. Every state has different laws and policies in place, and some of these laws are...
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Watershed Restoration Initiatives May Spur Enforcement
One excellent example of this is the Chesapeake Bay, North America’s largest and most biologically diverse estuary. The Chesapeake Bay is 64,000 square miles in six states and the District of...
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Stormwater Permits Can Incorporate Green Infrastructure
Stormwater management is one of the most regulated areas of environmental compliance. Stormwater permits are required for businesses, but state and local agencies must also meet compliance objectives...
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Investing in Green Infrastructure for Stormwater Management
During the past decade, the use of green infrastructure and low-impact development measures to manage stormwater has helped to reduce pollutant loading in water bodies, recharge groundwater, and more...
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Understanding NPDES Permit Changes for Pesticide Applications
Recent changes to the regulation of pesticide applications may require National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for water pesticides. Today, we will look at the Final Rule and...
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Pesticide NPDES Permitting Clarifications
The 2013 changes to the NPDES Pesticide Rule encompass only two former exemptions but have required considerable explanation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to better define what...
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Inspection-Prep Tips for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers CAFOs to be inspection priorities in the war against water pollution. Although many CAFO inspections are routine, several other factors such as...
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Coal Mining Settlement Penalty Largest Ever
The EPA and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced a settlement with one of the nation’s largest coal companies that includes an estimated $200 million for pollution prevention and...
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Erie Canal Comes Out Ahead in Stormwater Enforcement Agreement
Under the Clean Water Act (CAA), large construction site operators are responsible for controlling stormwater runoff from their sites to nearby waterways. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)...
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Sufficiently Sensitive Testing Methods Rule—The Rationale
Sufficiently Sensitive Testing Methods Rule—The Rationale Under the Clean Water Act’s (CWA) NPDES program, the EPA established and required “sufficiently sensitive” analytical methods be used by...
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Sufficiently Sensitive Testing Methods Rule—The Definitions
Sufficiently Sensitive Testing Methods Rule—The Definitions One of the most subjective aspects of testing methods is the term “sufficiently sensitive.” To establish what is meant by the term, the...
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