40 CFR §122.26(c)
(c) Application requirements for storm water
discharges associated with industrial activity -- (1) Individual application. Dischargers
of storm water associated with industrial activity are required to apply for an individual
permit, apply for a permit through a group application, or seek coverage under a
promulgated storm water general permit. Facilities that are required to obtain an
individual permit, or any discharge of storm water which the Director is evaluating for
designation (see 40 CFR §124.52(c)) under paragraph (a)(1)(v) of this section and is not
a municipal separate storm sewer, and which is not part of a group application described
under paragraph (c)(2) of this section, shall submit an NPDES application in accordance
with the requirements of §122.21 as modified and supplemented by the provisions of the
remainder of this paragraph. Applicants for discharges composed entirely of storm water
shall submit Form 1 and Form 2F. Applicants for discharges composed of storm water and
non-storm water shall submit Form 1, Form 2C, and Form 2F. Applicants for new sources or
new discharges (as defined in 122.2 of this part) composed of storm water and non-storm
water shall submit Form 1, Form 2D, and Form 2F.
(i) Except as provided in §122.26(c)(1) (ii)-(iv), the operator of a storm water
discharge associated with industrial activity subject to this section shall provide:
(A) A site map showing topography (or indicating the outline of drainage areas served by
the outfall(s) covered in the application if a topographic map is unavailable) of the
facility including: each of its drainage and discharge structures; the drainage area of
each storm water outfall; paved areas and buildings within the drainage area of each storm
water outfall, each past or present area used for outdoor storage or disposal of
significant materials, each existing structural control measure to reduce pollutants in
storm water runoff, materials loading and access areas, areas where pesticides,
herbicides, soil conditioners and fertilizers are applied, each of its waste treatment,
storage or disposal facilities (including each area not required to have a RCRA permit
which is used for accumulating hazardous waste under 40 CFR §262.34); each well where
fluids from the facility are injected underground; springs, and other surface water bodies
which receive storm water discharges from the facility;
(B) An estimate of the area of impervious surfaces (including paved areas and building
roofs) and the total area drained by each outfall (within a mile radius of the facility)
and a narrative description of the following: Significant materials that in the three
years prior to the submittal of this application have been treated, stored or disposed in
a manner to allow exposure to storm water; method of treatment, storage or disposal of
such materials; materials management practices employed, in the three years prior to the
submittal of this application, to minimize contact by these materials with storm water
runoff; materials loading and access areas; the location, manner and frequency in which
pesticides, herbicides, soil conditioners and fertilizers are applied; the location and a
description of existing structural and non-structural control measures to reduce
pollutants in storm water runoff; and a description of the treatment the storm water
receives, including the ultimate disposal of any solid or fluid wastes other than by
discharge;
(C) A certification that all outfalls that should contain storm water discharges
associated with industrial activity have been tested or evaluated for the presence of
non-storm water discharges which are not covered by a NPDES permit; tests for such
non-storm water discharges may include smoke tests, fluorometric dye tests, analysis of
accurate schematics, as well as other appropriate tests. The certification shall include a
description of the method used, the date of any testing, and the on-site drainage points
that were directly observed during a test;
(D) Existing information regarding significant leaks or spills of toxic or hazardous
pollutants at the facility that have taken place within the three years prior to the
submittal of this application;
(E) Quantitative data based on samples collected during storm events and collected in
accordance with §122.21 of this part from all outfalls containing a storm water discharge
associated with industrial for the following parameters:
(1) Any pollutant limited in an effluent guideline to which the facility is subject;
(2) Any pollutant listed in the facility's NPDES permit for its process wastewater (if the
facility is operating under an existing NPDES permit);
(3) Oil and grease, pH, BOD5, COD, TSS, total phosphorus, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, and
nitrate plus nitrite nitrogen;
(4) Any information on the discharge required under paragraph §122.21(g)(7) (iii) and
(iv) of this part;
(5) Flow measurements or estimates of the flow rate, and the total amount of discharge for
the storm event(s) sampled, and the method of flow measurement or estimation; and
(6) The date and duration (in hours) of the storm event(s) sampled, rainfall measurements
or estimates of the storm event (in inches) which generated the sampled runoff and the
duration between the storm event sampled and the end of the previous measurable (greater
than 0.1 inch rainfall) storm event (in hours);
(F) Operators of a discharge which is composed entirely of storm water are exempt from the
requirements of §§122.21 (g)(2), (g)(3), (g)(4), (g)(5), (g)(7)(i), (g)(7)(ii), and
(g)(7)(v); and
(G) Operators of new sources or new discharges (as defined in §122.2 of this part) which
are composed in part or entirely of storm water must include estimates for the pollutants
or parameters listed in paragraph (c)(1)(i)(E) of this section instead of actual sampling
data, along with the source of each estimate. Operators of new sources or new discharges
composed in part or entirely of storm water must provide quantitative data for the
parameters listed in paragraph (c)(1)(i)(E) of this section within two years after
commencement of discharge, unless such data has already been reported under the monitoring
requirements of the NPDES permit for the discharge. Operators of a new source or new
discharge which is composed entirely of storm water are exempt from the requirements of
§§122.21 (k)(3)(ii), (k)(3)(iii), and (k)(5).
(ii) The operator of an existing or new storm water discharge that is associated with
industrial activity solely under paragraph (b)(14)(x) of this section, is exempt from the
requirements of §122.21(g) and paragraph (c)(1)(i) of this section. Such operator shall
provide a narrative description of:
(A) The location (including a map) and the nature of the construction activity;
(B) The total area of the site and the area of the site that is expected to undergo
excavation during the life of the permit;
(C) Proposed measures, including best management practices, to control pollutants in storm
water discharges during construction, including a brief description of applicable State
and local erosion and sediment control requirements;
(D) Proposed measures to control pollutants in storm water discharges that will occur
after construction operations have been completed, including a brief description of
applicable State or local erosion and sediment control requirements;
(E) An estimate of the runoff coefficient of the site and the increase in impervious area
after the construction addressed in the permit application is completed, the nature of
fill material and existing data describing the soil or the quality of the discharge; and
(F) The name of the receiving water.
(iii) The operator of an existing or new discharge composed entirely of storm water from
an oil or gas exploration, production, processing, or treatment operation, or transmission
facility is not required to submit a permit application in accordance with paragraph
(c)(1)(i) of this section, unless the facility:
(A) Has had a discharge of storm water resulting in the discharge of a reportable quantity
for which notification is or was required pursuant to 40 CFR §117.21 or 40 CFR 302.6 at
anytime since November 16, 1987; or
(B) Has had a discharge of storm water resulting in the discharge of a reportable quantity
for which notification is or was required pursuant to 40 CFR §110.6 at any time since
November 16, 1987; or
(C) Contributes to a violation of a water quality standard.
(iv) The operator of an existing or new discharge composed entirely of storm water from a
mining operation is not required to submit a permit application unless the discharge has
come into contact with, any overburden, raw material, intermediate products, finished
product, byproduct or waste products located on the site of such operations.
(v) Applicants shall provide such other information the Director may reasonably require
under §122.21(g)(13) of this part to determine whether to issue a permit and may require
any facility subject to paragraph (c)(1)(ii) of this section to comply with paragraph
(c)(1)(i) of this section.
(2) Group application for discharges associated with industrial activity. In lieu of
individual applications or notice of intent to be covered by a general permit for storm
water discharges associated with industrial activity, a group application may be filed by
an entity representing a group of applicants (except facilities that have existing
individual NPDES permits for storm water) that are part of the same subcategory (see 40
CFR subchapter N, Parts 405 to 471) or, where such grouping is inapplicable, are
sufficiently similar as to be appropriate for general permit coverage under §122.28 of
this part. The Part 1 application shall be submitted to the Office of Water Enforcement
and Permits, U.S. EPA, 401 M Street, SW., Washington, DC 20460 (EN-336) for approval. Once
a Part 1 application is approved, group applicants are to submit Part 2 of the group
application to the Office of Water Enforcement and Permits. A group application shall
consist of:
(i) Part 1. Part 1 of a group application shall:
(A) Identify the participants in the group application by name and location. Facilities
participating in the group application shall be listed in nine subdivisions, based on the
facility location relative to the nine precipitation zones indicated in appendix E to this
part.
(B) Include a narrative description summarizing the industrial activities of participants
of the group application and explaining why the participants, as a whole, are sufficiently
similar to be a covered by a general permit;
(C) Include a list of significant materials stored exposed to precipitation by
participants in the group application and materials management practices employed to
diminish contact by these materials with precipitation and storm water runoff;
(D) For groups of more than 1,000 members, identify at least 100 dischargers participating
in the group application from which quantitative data will be submitted. For groups of 100
or more members, identify a minimum of ten percent of the dischargers participating in the
group application from which quantitative data will be submitted. For groups of between 21
and 99 members identify a of ten dischargers participating in the group application from
which quantitative data will be submitted. For groups of 4 to 20 members, identify a
minimum of 50 percent of the dischargers participating in the group application from which
quantitative data will be submitted. For groups with more than 10 members, either a
minimum of two dischargers from each precipitation zone indicated in appendix E of this
part in which ten or more members of the group are located, or one discharger from each
precipitation zone indicated in appendix E of this part in which nine or fewer members of
the group are located, must be identified to submit quantitative data. For groups of 4 to
10 members, at least one facility in each precipitation zone indicated in appendix E of
this part in which members of the group are located must be identifed to submit
quantitative data. A description of why the facilities selected to perform sampling and
analysis are representative of the group as a whole in terms of the information provided
in paragraphs (c)(1)(i)(B) and (c)(1)(i)(C) of this section, shall accompany this section.
Different factors impacting the nature of the storm water discharges, such as the
processes used and material management, shall be represented, to the extent feasible, in a
manner roughly equivalent to their proportion in the group.
(ii) Part 2. Part 2 of a group application shall contain quantitative data (NPDES Form
2F), as modified by paragraph (c)(1) of this section, so that when Part 1 and Part 2 of
the group application are taken together, a complete NPDES application (Form 1, Form 2C,
and Form 2F) can be evaluated for each discharger identified in paragraph (c)(2)(i)(D) of
this section.
(d) Application requirements for large and medium municipal separate storm sewer
discharges. The operator of a discharge from a large or medium municipal separate storm
sewer or a municipal separate storm sewer that is designated by the Director under
paragraph (a)(1)(v) of this section, may submit a jurisdiction-wide or system-wide permit
application. Where more than one public entity owns or operates a municipal separate storm
sewer within a geographic area (including adjacent or interconnected municipal separate
storm sewer systems), such operators may be a coapplicant to the same application. Permit
applications for discharges from large and medium storm sewers or municipal storm sewers
designated under paragraph (a)(1)(v) of this section shall include;
(1) Part 1. Part 1 of the application shall consist of;
(i) General information. The applicants' name, address, telephone number of contact
person, ownership status and status as a State or local government entity.
(ii) Legal authority. A description of existing legal authority to control discharges to
the municipal separate storm sewer system. When existing legal authority is not sufficient
to meet the criteria provided in paragraph (d)(2)(i) of this section, the description
shall list additional authorities as will be necessary to meet the criteria and shall
include a schedule and commitment to seek such additional authority that will be needed to
meet the criteria.
(iii) Source identification. (A) A description of the historic use of ordinances, guidance
or other controls which limited the discharge of non-storm water discharges to any
Publicly Owned Treatment Works serving the same area as the municipal separate storm sewer
system.
(B) A USGS 7.5 minute topographic map (or equivalent topographic map with a scale between
1:10,000 and 1:24,000 if cost effective) extending one mile beyond the service boundaries
of the municipal storm sewer system covered by the permit application. The following
information shall be provided:
(1) The location of known municipal storm sewer system outfalls discharging to waters of
the United States;
(2) A description of the land use activities (e.g. divisions indicating undeveloped,
residential, commercial, agricultural and industrial uses) accompanied with estimates of
population densities and projected growth for a ten year period within the drainage area
served by the separate storm sewer. For each land use type, an estimate of an average
runoff coefficient shall be provided;
(3) The location and a description of the activities of the facility of each currently
operating or closed municipal landfill or other treatment, storage or disposal facility
for municipal waste;
(4) The location and the permit number of any known discharge to the municipal storm sewer
that has been issued a NPDES permit;
(5) The location of major structural controls for storm water discharge (retention basins,
detention basins, major infiltration devices, etc.); and
(6) The identification of publicly owned parks, recreational areas, and other open lands.
(iv) Discharge characterization. (A) Monthly mean rain and snow fall estimates (or summary
of weather bureau data) and the monthly average number of storm events.
(B) Existing quantitative data describing the volume and quality of discharges from the
municipal storm sewer, including a description of the outfalls sampled, sampling
procedures and analytical methods used.
(C) A list of water bodies that receive discharges from the municipal separate storm sewer
system, including downstream segments, lakes and estuaries, where pollutants from the
system discharges may accumulate and cause water degradation and a brief description of
known water quality impacts. At a minimum, the description of impacts shall include a
description of whether the water bodies receiving such discharges have been:
(1) Assessed and reported in section 305(b) reports submitted by the State, the basis for
the assessment (evaluated or monitored), a summary of designated use support and
attainment of Clean Water Act (CWA) goals (fishable and swimmable waters), and causes of
nonsupport of designated uses;
(2) Listed under section 304(l)(1)(A)(i), section 304(l)(1)(A)(ii), or section
304(l)(1)(B) of the CWA that is not expected to meet water quality standards or water
quality goals;
(3) Listed in State Nonpoint Source Assessments required by section 319(a) of the CWA
that, without additional action to control nonpoint sources of pollution, cannot
reasonably be expected to attain or maintain water quality standards due to storm sewers,
construction, highway maintenance and runoff from municipal landfills and municipal sludge
adding significant pollution (or contributing to a violation of water quality standards);
(4) Identified and classified according to eutrophic condition of publicly owned lakes
listed in State reports required under section 314(a) of the CWA (include the following: A
description of those publicly owned lakes for which uses are known to be impaired; a
description of procedures, processes and methods to control the discharge of pollutants
from municipal separate storm sewers into such lakes; and a description of methods and
procedures to restore the quality of such lakes);
(5) Areas of concern of the Great Lakes identified by the International Joint Commission;
(6) Designated estuaries under the National Estuary Program under section 320 of the CWA;
(7) Recognized by the applicant as highly valued or sensitive waters;
(8) Defined by the State or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services's National Wetlands Inventory
as wetlands; and
(9) Found to have pollutants in bottom sediments, fish tissue or biosurvey data.
(D) Field screening. Results of a field screening analysis for illicit connections and
illegal dumping for either selected field screening points or major outfalls covered in
the permit application. At a minimum, a screening analysis shall include a narrative
description, for either each field screening point or major outfall, of visual
observations made during dry weather periods. If any flow is observed, two grab samples
shall be collected during a 24 hour period with a minimum period of four hours between
samples. For all such samples, a narrative description of the color, odor, turbidity, the
presence of an oil sheen or surface scum as well as any other relevant observations
regarding the potential presence of non-storm water discharges or illegal dumping shall be
provided. In addition, a narrative description of the results of a field analysis using
suitable methods to estimate pH, total chlorine, total copper, total phenol, and
detergents (or surfactants) shall be provided along with a description of the flow rate.
Where the field analysis does not involve analytical methods approved under 40 CFR Part
136, the applicant shall provide a description of the method used including the name of
the manufacturer of the test method along with the range and accuracy of the test. Field
screening points shall be either major outfalls or other outfall points (or any other
point of access such as randomly located throughout the storm sewer system by placing a
grid over a drainage system map and identifying those cells of the grid which contain a
segment of the storm sewer system or major outfall. The field screening points shall be
established using the following guidelines and criteria:
(1) A grid system consisting of perpendicular north-south and east-west lines spaced 1/4
mile apart shall be overlayed on a map of the municipal storm sewer system, creating a
series of cells;
(2) All cells that contain a segment of the storm sewer system shall be identified; one
field screening point shall be selected in each cell; major outfalls may be used as field
screening points;
(3) Field screening points should be located downstream of any sources of suspected
illegal or illicit activity;
(4) Field screening points shall be located to the degree practicable at the farthest
manhole or other accessible location downstream in the system, within each cell; however,
safety of personnel and accessibility of the location should be considered in making this
determination;
(5) Hydrological conditions; total drainage area of the site; population density of the
site; traffic density; age of the structures or buildings in the area; history of the
area; and land use types;
(6) For medium municipal separate storm sewer systems, no more than 250 cells need to have
identified field screening points; in large municipal separate storm sewer systems, no
more than 500 cells need to have identified field screening points; cells established by
the grid that contain no storm sewer segments will be eliminated from consideration; if
fewer than 250 cells in medium municipal sewers are and fewer than 500 in large systems
are created by the overlay on the municipal sewer map, then all those cells which contain
a segment of the sewer system shall be subject to field screening (unless access to the
separate storm sewer system is impossible); and
(7) Large or medium municipal separate storm sewer systems which are unable to utilize the
procedures described in paragraphs (d)(1)(iv)(D) (1) through (6) of this section, because
a sufficiently detailed map of the separate storm sewer systems is unavailable, shall
field screen no more than 500 or 250 major outfalls respectively (or all major outfalls in
the system, if less); in such circumstances, the applicant shall establish a grid system
consisting of north-south and east-west lines spaced 1/4 mile apart as an overlay to the
boundaries of the municipal storm sewer system, thereby creating a series of cells; the
applicant will then select major outfalls in as many cells as possible until at least 500
major outfalls (large municipalities) or 250 major outfalls (medium municipalities) are
selected; a field screening analysis shall be undertaken at these major outfalls.
(E) Characterization plan. Information and a proposed program to meet the requirements of
paragraph (d)(2)(iii) of this section. Such description shall include: the location of
outfalls or field screening points appropriate for representative data collection under
paragraph (d)(2)(iii)(A) of this section, a description of why the outfall or field
screening point is representative, the seasons during which sampling is intended, a
description of the sampling equipment. The proposed location of outfalls or field
screening points for such sampling should reflect water quality concerns (see paragraph
(d)(1)(iv)(C) of this section) to the extent practicable.
(v) Management programs. (A) A description of the existing management programs to control
pollutants from the municipal separate storm sewer system. The description shall provide
information on existing structural and source controls, including operation and
maintenance measures for structural controls, that are currently being Such controls may
include, but are not limited to: Procedures to control pollution resulting from
construction activities; floodplain management controls; wetland protection measures; best
management practices for new subdivisions; and emergency spill response programs. The
description may address controls established under State law as well as local
requirements.
(B) A description of the existing program to identify illicit connections to the municipal
storm sewer system. The description should include inspection procedures and methods for
detecting and preventing illicit discharges, and describe areas where this program has
been implemented.
(vi) Fiscal resources. (A) A description of the financial resources currently available to
the municipality to complete Part 2 of the permit application. A description of the
municipality's budget for existing storm water programs, including an overview of the
municipality's financial resources and budget, including overall indebtedness and assets,
and sources of funds for storm water programs.
(2) Part 2. Part 2 of the application shall consist of:
(i) Adequate legal authority. A demonstration that the applicant can operate pursuant to
legal authority established by statute, ordinance or series of contracts which authorizes
or enables the applicant at a minimum to:
(A) Control through ordinance, permit, contract, order or similar means, the contribution
of pollutants to the municipal storm sewer by storm water discharges associated with
industrial activity and the quality of storm water discharged from sites of industrial
activity;
(B) Prohibit through ordinance, order or similar means, illicit discharges to the
municipal separate storm sewer;
(C) Control through ordinance, order or similar means the discharge to a municipal
separate storm sewer of spills, dumping or disposal of materials other than storm water;
(D) Control through interagency agreements among coapplicants the contribution of
pollutants from one portion of the municipal system to another portion of the municipal
system;
(E) Require compliance with conditions in ordinances, permits, contracts or orders; and
(F) Carry out all inspection, surveillance and monitoring procedures necessary to
determine compliance and noncompliance with permit conditions including the prohibition on
illicit discharges to the municipal separate storm sewer.
(ii) Source identification. The location of any major outfall that discharges to waters of
the United States that was not reported under paragraph (d)(1)(iii)(B)(1) of this section.
Provide an inventory, organized by watershed of the name and address, and a description
(such as SIC codes) which best reflects the principal products or services provided by
each facility which may discharge, to the municipal separate storm sewer, storm water
associated with industrial activity;