Local Regulations
In addition to state and federal Regulations, permit owners will have to ensure that their land disturbing activities comply with any additional county, city or community ordinances that are not covered under State Regulations or through the, NPDES program, . These ordinances vary from site to site and should be addressed in the preliminary site design. Certain local municipalities have recently taken on the role of state and federal permitting authorities through the, MS4 Program, . This program allows for all levels of Regulations to be addressed under one. For example, if a construction project were located within the boundaries of an MS4, the permit applicant would submit their proposal to the associated MS4 rather than SC DHEC to obtain their NPDES coverage. Please contact your local government offices for specific details. To find out if your project is located within…, Where To Apply Link, . checkmark, State Regulations, Learn more about the various, State Regulations, concerning Stormwater Management caution, Federal Regulations, Learn more about the various, Stormwater Rules and Notices, presented by the EPA. Books, MS4 Program, Learn more about the various, MS4 Stormwater Rules and Notices, presented by the EPA.Mailing Lists for NPDES/ND Permits
Overview, The Bureau of Water (Bureau) maintains three different NPDES/ND mailing lists which are used to send interested parties copies of NPDES and ND permit public notices. In order to get on a mailing list, please contact Patricia G. Barnes . The three types of mailing lists are as follows: Individual Facility List County List Statewide List When the Bureau issues an NPDES or ND public notice, a copy…, Individual Facility List, The individual facility list allows an interested party to receive all NPDES and ND public notices on facilities of interest to them. This list is recommended by the Bureau to environmental groups, professional associations, and other citizens with a particular interest in specific facilities. Since NPDES permits are issued for up to five years and ND permits are issued for up to ten years,…, County List, The county mailing list allows an interested party to receive all NPDES and ND public notices on facilities located in counties of interest. This list is recommended by the Bureau to environmental groups, professional associations, and citizens with interest in facilities located in certain counties. People on this list will receive a varying number of notices depending on the counties of…, Statewide List, The statewide list allows an interested party to receive all NPDES and ND public notices on facilities throughout South Carolina. Environmental groups, law firms, engineering firms, professional associations, and state and federal agencies are normally found on this list. People on this list can expect to receive approximately 300 public notices each year., Getting on a Mailing List, To get on one of the NPDES/ND public notice mailing lists, you must give the Bureau your name, affiliation (if applicable), address, telephone number, and which list you want to be on. You may ask to be on more than one list. If you ask to be on the "Facility List," please include the name, county, and, if known, the NPDES or ND permit number of each facility that you are interested in. If you…, Contact, Patricia G. Barnes, , (803) 898-4232NPDES Permit Cancellations and Terminations
Cancellations, The major difference between cancellation and termination of a permit is that a cancellation is carried out with the consent of the permittee while terminations may be effected without the consent of the permittee. The Bureau of Water will cancel an NPDES permit in two situations. The first cancellation situation is when a facility closes and/or eliminates its discharge(s) and the permittee…, Terminations and Denial of Reissuances, In accordance with Section 122.64 of R61-9, the Bureau of Water may, without the consent of the permittee, either terminate an NPDES permit during its term or deny the reissuance of an NPDES permit in the following situations: noncompliance by the permittee with any condition of the permit; the permittee's failure in the application or during the permit reissuance process to disclose fully all…NPDES Permit Program Definitions
"Administrator" means the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency or any employee of the Agency to whom the Administrator may by order delegate the authority to carry out his functions under section 307(a) of the CWA, or any person who shall by operation of law be authorized to carry out such functions. "Applicable standards and limitations" means all State, interstate, and federal…NPDES Permit Renewal Information
Overview, NPDES permits are issued for a term not to exceed five years. Permits must be renewed before they expire for a discharge to continue. To begin the renewal process, a permittee must submit a renewal application to the Bureau of Water (Bureau) at least 180 days prior to their permit's expiration date. The Bureau may allow a renewal application to be submitted at a later date but in no case past a…, Renewal Notification Letters, As a service to the regulated community, the Bureau helps permittees make a timely and complete application for renewal of their NPDES permits by sending them letters advising them of their application due dates. Also, the appropriate NPDES applications and supplemental forms needed to reapply are included with the reminder letters. The reminder letters are sent to permittees 270 days prior to…, Reissued Permit Conditions, Permittees are not guaranteed that reissued permit conditions will be the same as the previous NPDES permit conditions. When NPDES permits are considered for renewal, all permit conditions are evaluated based on the regulations in effect at the time of renewal. The issuance of an NPDES permit does not create any vested right in any person. In other words, just because an NPDES permit was…NPDES Permit - Stormwater
What is the purpose of this permit?, When we talk about NPDES permits, we're really talking about a family of permits. One branch of the family focuses on discharges from city and industrial wastewater treatment systems. Another branch deals with stormwater runoff from land disturbance activities. This fact sheet addresses the so-called "stormwater construction permit" related to land disturbance. Under federal law, certain types of…, Who issues this permit?, The S.C. Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) administers NPDES permits within South Carolina. SCDES has been authorized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to manage the NPDES permitting process to satisfy both state and federal laws., What type of NPDES permit applies?, Because SCDES has established a statewide general permit for land disturbance activities, you will not have to go through the much more time-consuming and expensive process of applying for an individual permit. When you apply for a general permit you are, in effect, requesting to be covered under a permit that has already been issued statewide. To learn more about general permits, visit the SCDES…, What types of businesses need to obtain this permit?, Land development activities and other activities that disturb at least 1 acre of land (e.g., land clearing) need a permit. For land disturbance of less than 1 acre, you must complete a form, but you do not need a permit. For projects involving less than 1 acre, see D-2628.pdf for details., How much will it cost to get an NPDES permit?, The stormwater permit involves both a state and a federal component. The federal NPDES permit coverage costs $125. The state's permit fee is based on the acreage disturbed. For more specific information on fees, see Page 3 of the Notice of Intent (NOI) for Stormwater Discharges from Large and Small Construction Activities (NPDES General Permit SCR100000) form ., Where can I get the application form(s) for this permit?, In local areas that have stormwater programs required by SCDES (called Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems or MS4 programs), you must apply for an NPDES stormwater permit through a local government agency. To do this, you must complete the form provided by that local government agency. Once the local government approves your application, they will forward it to SCDES, which will then issue the…, What, if anything, do I need to include with my application form(s)?, In addition to the application form and the fees, engineering drawings detailing how the project will comply with the requirements of the general NPDES stormwater permit are needed. These plans show the techniques for erosion control and for controlling sediment runoff. SCDES or the applicable local government agency will review those plans., What factors will come into play in SCDES's decision about whether to grant my business/facility a permit?, SCDES staff will grant the stormwater permit when the application package, including the engineering drawings, demonstrates compliance with the requirements of the general NPDES stormwater permit., What if my project is located in one of the 8 coastal counties?, If your project is located in one of South Carolina's 8 coastal counties (Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Georgetown, Horry, and Jasper) a Coastal Zone Consistency Certification is required along with your application. This certification and review looks at the project's impacts on natural, historic, and cultural resources. The review is performed by SCDES's Office of Ocean…, How long will it take to review and approve my application?, In cases where a local government reviews the engineering drawings, SCDES can generally grant coverage within 8 calendar days (non-coastal) or 77 calendar days (coastal) following approval by the local entity. Generally, if SCDES reviews the drawings, permits can be issued in 40-70 calendar days (depending on any revisions needed by the engineering consultant)., Where do I submit my application?, Because some applications must be submitted to local governments while others must be submitted to SCDES, the SCDES website includes an interactive statewide map to clarify where applicants must apply. View the "Where to Apply" map in our Stormwater (Runoff) Pollution section ., How long is my coverage valid?, Your coverage is valid for 5 years or until you finish the construction activity, stabilize the site and submit a notice of termination (NOT). The NOT ends both your coverage and your obligations under the permit., Who can I contact if I have questions about this permit of the application process?, For projects in one of the 8 coastal counties : Call Shannon Hicks 843-953-0240 or email her at shannon.m.hicks@des.sc.gov For projects in non-coastal counties : Call (803) 898-4003, Where does the legal authority for this permit come from?, The authority for NPDES permits stems from federal and state laws. Our state environmental laws are written to be consistent with at least the standards set by federal laws. SCDES's fee structure is authorized by a separate law. Federal Clean Water Act S.C. Pollution Control Act S.C. Stormwater and Sediment Reduction Act S.C. Environmental Protection Fund Act, Other helpful Web links:, See SCDES's stormwater page at: www.des.gov/stormwaterNPDES Permitting Fees
August 14, 2019 - Stakeholder Informational Session, Additional information will be posted as it becomes available., NPDES Fee Regulations Presentation - August 14, 2019, Application Fees. There are no application fees for NPDES Permits. However, there are annual operating fees. For new (first-time) permits, the first year's fee must be paid in full before the permit can be issued. The first year's fee is not prorated. Annual Fees. SC Regulation R.61-30, Environmental Protection Fees, allows the Bureau to charge an annual fee for persons holding a valid NPDES…, "Cancellations and Terminations", .NPDES/Pesticide Permit Information
Getting started. If you need to submit an NOI, you would need to submit an NOI at least 15 days prior to a discharge (allow some time to develop the NOI online and mail a signed copy to DHEC). Some operators will be covered by this permit without the need to submit an NOI (i.e., those operators that don't expect to exceed the threshold for a given use pattern). A link to the NOI form can be found…, 2016 Permit 2016 Rationale/Fact Sheet 2016 Permit Changes: Minor clarifications in Section 1.2.4 and Appendix B, Section B (Duty to Reapply). Guidance Flow chart Thresholds Notice of Intent (NOI) information Crystal Rippy , (803) 898-3964 Byron Amick , (803) 898-4236 EPA Link Endangered Species/Critical Habitat Information, Contact, Crystal Rippy , (803) 898-3964NPDES Public Notice Requirements
Overview Individual Permits New or Expanding Discharge Modification Other Than Expansion Re-issuance Termination General Permits Public Hearings, I. Overview, Required Public Notices. Proposed decisions to issue, modify, reissue, deny, or terminate an NPDES permit must be public-noticed prior to the Bureau making the final decision except for minor modifications. If there are significant issues or sufficient public interest in a proposed decision, the Bureau must hold a public hearing. Public hearings must also be public-noticed. The notice for a…, II. Individual Permits, New or Expanding Discharge. Public notices for new or expanding discharges are mailed to the persons listed in Item I. Also, public notices for new or expanding discharges are placed in newspapers of general circulation in the areas of the discharges. Modification Other Than Expansion. Public notices on proposed modifications, except minor modifications, are mailed to the persons listed in Item I…, III. General Permits, All public notices on General Permits are mailed to the persons listed in Item I. However, for a new General Permit, the notice is not mailed to an applicant since there is not one. For renewal of a General Permit, every facility that has coverage under the General Permit is mailed a copy of the renewal public notice. Also, since the General Permits that the Bureau has issued to date cover the…, IV. Public Hearings, Public notices on public hearings are placed in newspapers of general circulation in the areas of the discharges. Additionally, if a previous public notice was issued on the proposed permit decision, the public notice of the hearing will be mailed to every person who sent written comments to the Bureau. Note: For NPDES major permits and general permits, the Department may choose to public notice…Permitting Applications and Forms
Location Supplement (pdf-6KB) Sludge Disposal Supplement (7/98) (pdf-61KB) Sludge Loading Worksheet (pdf) Definitions Drafting and Permit Issuance Information Flow Chart of Permit Process Exemptions Fees Public Notice Information Mailing Lists Public Notice Requirements Renewal Information Wastewater Schematic Diagram - Shows Regulations and Laws Applicable to the Different Aspects of…