Greetings!  

DO YOU KNOW........

Georgia's NPDES General Permit for construction is being updated by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GAEPD) with the invited help of NPDES General Permit Stakeholders.   Most of the permit changes and/or edits are relatively minor and not final, so far. However, there are several we can discuss now, and here they are.........

SEDIMENT BASIN SURFACE DEWATERING

The US EPA is requiring that all states require the implementation of surface water skimmer devices.  Known as a passive dewatering device for construction sites, a surface water skimmer withdraws water from the surface of a temporary sediment basin, or retrofitted detention pond. The intention of a skimmer is to gradually discharge the highest quality water from the basin through the outfall pipe, reducing outfall flow velocities and allowing the sediment to further settle.  Skimmers, and there are several variations, will be required on Georgia's NPDES General Permitted sites.  

Stayed tuned for the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission (GSWCC) recommended surface water discharge design parameters, which will probably be required no sooner than January 1, 2013, along with the rest of the authorized BMPs published in the Manual for Erosion and Sediment Control (Green Book).

TEMPORARY BARRIERS MUST BE REMOVED

As we discuss in our training courses, all temporary 

barriers must be removed after final stabilization 

Silt Fence Stake Puller

has been achieved, and prior to properly submitting th

e Notice of Termination (NOT) to the GAEPD District Office and the Local Issuing Authority (LIA).

The changes so far appear to be minor and will be required in Erosion, Sedimentation & Pollution Control Design (ES&PC) Plans after August 1st, 2013.  

NEW NOTICE OF INTENT (NOI) MUST BE SUBMITTED TO the appropriate EPD District Office

Affective August 1, 2013, submittal of the the new NOI
will be required on all active NPDES permitted sites for the Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Permittees, within a few months after the expiration of the NPDES General Permit on July 31, 2013. The EPD has made it clear that they will step up enforcement of this requirement, SO.......Make sure you take a few minutes and resubmit your new NOI after July 31, 2013! 

REMEMBER...the creeks, the fish, deer, us, and our

future generations all benefit from the efforts we make to protect our water and land resources. The time for erosion and sediment control is now!  Growing by roughly 2 Million people every decade, we must stay on top of our environmental impacts, and stormwater is at the top of that all important list!