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Storm Water Permits in the Southeast

Stormwater discharges are caused when rainwater or snowmelt does not percolate through the soil flows over land or impervious surfaces such as paved streets, parking lots, and building rooftops. These discharges often contain pollutants in quantities that could adversely affect water quality. Most stormwater discharges are considered point sources and require coverage by a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. Region 4 Stormwater Contacts are listed below.

NPDES Construction General Permit (CGP)

EPA Region 4 Final NPDES General Permit for Stormwater Discharges from Construction Activities on Indian Lands

EPA Region 4's final NPDES general permit authorizing the discharge of stormwater from construction activities on Tribal Lands became effective on September 1, 2009.  The Region issued the permit with an expiration date of August 31, 2011, with the understanding that a new National permit would be in effect by that time which would cover stormwater discharges from construction activities on Indian Lands within Region 4.  (Note: As described below, EPA has proposed a new National permit for public review and comment, and a final permit has not yet been issued.)  To ensure there was no lapse in coverage, EPA revised the permit to extend the expiration date from August 31, 2011, to September 1, 2012.  The coverage area for the permit includes Federally recognized Indian Lands within the States of Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, and North Carolina. This general permit authorizes eligible discharges of stormwater from small and large construction activities that result in a total land disturbance equal or greater than 1 acre, and from small sites that are part of a larger, common plan of development. This permit requires operators of such construction sites to implement stormwater controls and develop stormwater pollution prevention plans (SWPPPs) to prevent sediment and other pollutants associated with construction sites from being discharged in stormwater runoff. This general construction permit is effective for a three-year time period and applies only to new projects and unpermitted ongoing projects. To view the federal register notices, permit or fact sheet please see the links below:

Federal Register Notice of Permit Issuance (PDF) (4pp, 71.48KB, About PDF)
New! Federal Register Notice of Revision to the Permit Expiration Date
Final Construction General Permit (PDF) (59pp, 756.94KB, About PDF)
Final Permit Fact Sheet (PDF) (56pp, 686.31KB, About PDF)

Proposed New National CGP

EPA Region 4 and other EPA Regions are proposing to issue a new National CGP. The new National permit would provide coverage to eligible existing and new construction projects in Federally recognized Indian Lands within the States of Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, and North Carolina as well as all other areas of the country where EPA is the NPDES permitting authority (i.e., other Indian Lands, Idaho, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Puerto Rico, Washington, DC and U.S. territories and protectorates). The proposed National CGP will incorporate for the first time new effluent limitations guidelines and new source performance standards, which EPA promulgated in December 2009. Once the new National CGP is effective, eligible existing and new construction projects on Tribal Lands within Region 4 will be regulated under the new National CGP. Public comment period on the proposed CGP closed on July 11, 2011. The Proposed CGP and federal register notice can be found at: http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/cgp.cfm#final2008cgp.

Training Opportunities

The Region 4 NPDES Permitting program offers training courses and workshops to explain the regulatory framework and technical considerations of the NPDES Stormwater program. These courses are designed for permit writers, dischargers, elected officials, and other interested parties. EPA will post training opportunities as they become available.

For more information regarding availability of training presentations, please contact Michael Mitchell (mitchell.michael@epa.gov) at (404) 562-9303.

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Phase I and Phase II

The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Stormwater Program was created by the October 1990 amendments to the federal NPDES regulations. These amendments are also know as the Phase I Stormwater NPDES regulations.

The federal NPDES regulations were amended again for stormwater discharges in December 1999. These amendments formed the basis for the Phase II Program. The amendments lower the acreage when an NPDES permit is required for construction or land clearing to one acre while allowing a case-by-case determination for sites that are less than one acre.

Implementation

In Region 4, the following States have full authority for implementing the NPDES stormwater program: Alabama Exit EPA Disclaimer Florida Exit EPA Disclaimer, Georgia Exit EPA Disclaimer , Kentucky Exit EPA Disclaimer , Mississippi Exit EPA Disclaimer , North Carolina Exit EPA Disclaimer , South Carolina Exit EPA Disclaimer, and Tennessee Exit EPA Disclaimer. EPA retains responsibility for issuing NPDES stormwater permits for activities on Indian Lands.

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Related Resources

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Forms



Contacts


Name and Email Telephone Responsibilities
Michael Mitchell
mitchell.michael@epa.gov 		(404) 562-9303 Regional Stormwater Expert/State program overview Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina
Mary Kuo
kuo.mary@epa.gov		 (404) 562-9847 State program overview Mississippi, Kentucky;
construction general permit for Tribes
Alanna Conley
conley.alanna@epa.gov 		(404) 562-9443 State program overview Florida, Tennessee; construction general permit for Tribes
Darryl Williams
williams.darryl@epa.gov		 (404) 562-9297 State program overview Georgia

 

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Additional Information

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For information about the contents of this page please contact Mike Mitchell (mitchell.michael@epa.gov).

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