PNEAC Offers Industrial Stormwater Permit Guide
The Printer’s National Environmental Assistance Center (PNEAC) is one of EPA’s Compliance Assistance Centers and works to support various state and local environmental agencies as they help companies reduce pollution and understand their compliance requirements.
The PNEAC Web site now offers "The Industrial Stormwater Permit Guide" to assist businesses in complying with federal stormwater regulations.
Many industrial and commercial facilities that discharge wastewater are regulated under the Clean Water Act. Industrial stormwater permitting requirements are one of the provisions of the Clean Water Act. These provisions address discharges of contaminated stormwater to navigable waterways. These types of discharges fall under the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). Industrial and commercial facilities that discharge contaminated stormwater to a waterway may have to obtain a discharge permit.
Under certain circumstances, a No Exposure Certification Waiver can be obtained in lieu of a stormwater discharge permit. "No Exposure" means that there is no condition at an industrial facility where any industrial materials and activities are exposed to rain, snow, snowmelt, or runoff. A more detailed regulatory definition is found within the guide.
PNEAC has developed an easy to use on-line tutorial about the industrial stormwater permitting requirements. This program explains federal stormwater regulations for business, and the options available for compliance. It also provides detailed guidance on which states have permitting authority and links to state and/or federal forms that industrial facilities must submit to be in compliance with the regulations.
The tool walks the user through the regulations in order for the user to determine whether they must obtain a stormwater permit or is exempt from permitting requirements and then walks the user through the process of completing and submitting the "No Exposure Certification." It is an easy to use tool utilizing a lesson format that also provides a visual guide for understanding compliant vs. non-compliant stormwater situations.
This new tool was modeled after the EPA Hazardous Waste Manifest Compliance Assistance tool that PNEAC previously developed. Users can find the full compliment of compliance assistance tools at http://pneac.org/videotraining/.