Industrial Activities Associated with Stormwater Discharges

Industrial Stormwater General Permit Reissued

The Department has issued as final the Industrial Stormwater General Permit (SCR000000) on May 26, 2022. Please find below a link to the permit, fact sheet, and the response to public comments. A recertification Notice of Intent (NOI) will be required of all existing coverage holders under the permit but will be due no later than 90 days after the reissued permit’s effective date July 1, 2022. The recertification NOI must be submitted through ePermitting no later than Wednesday, September 28, 2022 to maintain NPDES stormwater coverage.

Stormwater discharges associated with industrial activity are required to be covered under an NPDES permit. You can view a description of Stormwater discharges associated with Industrial Activities to see if your facility requires a permit. The Department may also designate other facilities as requiring a permit, particularly where there is a potential for stormwater contamination.

Associated Documents

The Industrial Stormwater General Permit

Many facilities are eligible for coverage under the general permit (PDF). The current general permit is applicable through June 30, 2027.

Notice of Intent (NOI)

If your facility requires an industrial stormwater permit, you will need to complete and submit a NOI form. The 2022 Industrial General Permit (IGP) requires all permittees to submit NOI applications electronically. All electronic applications must be submitted through ePermitting for stormwater coverage. Previous versions or “.pdf” versions of the NOI form will not be accepted starting July 1, 2022. You must have an ePermitting account and have an original Certifier Agreement on file with DHEC to submit the request electronically. If you have not set up an account and submitted an original Certifier Agreement, please do so now. An ePermitting account is necessary before submittal of the Certifier Agreement. Your ePermitting account must be linked to your site to access the electronic forms.

No Exposure Exemption

If industrial materials or activities are not exposed to stormwater, an exemption from the permit can be requested. As stated above for the NOI, the “no exposure" exclusion must be requested thorough ePermitting starting July 1, 2022. You must have an ePermitting account and have an original Certifier Agreement on file with DHEC to submit the request electronically. Additionally, this exemption does not apply to construction activities.

The condition of no exposure must be maintained by keeping all industrial materials or activities protected at all times. If "no exposure" conditions are not maintained, the operator must immediately apply for an NPDES stormwater permit as noted above. The no exposure exemption is good for five years.

Notice of Termination

Completion and submittal of a Notice of Termination (NOT) is required when any of the following occurs:

  • The property is sold
  • Activities are no longer present that would require a stormwater NPDES permit.

Starting July 1, 2022, NOTs must be requested through ePermitting.

Applications & Forms

Looking for the Notice of Intent or the Recertification Notice of Intent? Find these documents and other Industrial Forms within your ePermitting account. See the ePermitting web page for additional details.

Industrial Documents

A list of industrial related documents that may aid in the completion of the Industrial NOI and SWPPP.

Industrial Links

Links that may provide aid while preparing your Industrial NOI or SWPPP, along with other industrial references.

Standard Industrial Classification

The SIC code system is maintained by the US Department of Labor, Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) and is available for searching at www.osha.gov/oshstats/sicser.html.

Construction activities associated with industrial stormwater are covered under a separate permit and do not require an industrial stormwater permit. Once construction is completed, a facility which is an industrial activity (except construction) would require additional coverage under the industrial stormwater general NPDES permit.

Fees and Renewals

There is an annual fee of $75 for coverage under the general permit. The fee must accompany the NOI. Fees are based on the fiscal year of July 1st through June 30th. There is no prorating of the fee for coverage for a portion of the year. The annual fee is billed about the middle of August each year, for continuing coverage.

Coverage under the general permit is automatically granted seventeen (17) days after the postmark of the NOI unless the Department notifies the applicant differently. The Department has the authority to request the submission of the SWPPP for review and approval before granting general permit coverage, or at other times . Alternately, the Department has the authority to require an individual permit application be submitted for issuance of an individual permit in lieu of granting general permit coverage.

No Exposure Certification

There is a $350.00 fee due with the no exposure certification form. Once approved, no exposure certification is good for five years. At that time, resubmittal of the form and fee will be required.

Tags

Environment Stormwater