Georgia NPDES Storm Water Permits Are Expiring

The Georgia 2006-2011 NPDES General Permit for Storm Water Discharges Associated with Industrial Activity, Permit No. GAR000000, will expire on July 31, 2011.   A draft of this permit is not yet available so we are not able to comment on any changes that might be in the works.   

When the previous permit expired, there was considerable lag time before a new permit was issued.  Don’t look for this to happen again.  A new permit is expected sometime in August.  As always, when a permit expires, permit holders continue to be covered until a new permit is issued.  Permit holders should keep up to date on the issuance of the new permit as there is generally only a 30 to 90 day period in which a new permit can be obtained and still remain in compliance.

If you have too much on your plate, DES can handle the process for you including filing a new Notice of Intent, reviewing your Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan to see if changes must be made to comply with the new permit conditions, and assessing your site.   If certain conditions are met, a facility can apply for the “No Exposure” certification which exempts the facility from certain sampling or reporting requirements.

Don’t wait until the deadline is upon you.  Call or e-mail Jeret Elwell, our storm water expert at DES Consultants, to find out how DES can help you.  He is a Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control (CPESC) and a Certified Professional in Storm Water Quality (CPSWQ).  Jeret also teaches storm water and erosion control training classes at our DES Training Center or at your location.  His contact information and class schedule is posted on the training section of this website.

What Does the SPCC Rule Deadline Really Mean?

Another deadline for updating SPCC Plans to new EPA Federal requirements is about to come and go.  Once again the EPA has extended the deadline for onshore facilities to comply with regulations that were published several years ago and amended several times.  What does this moving deadline really mean to most facilities that fall under this requirement? In reality, not much.  The bottom line is, if you have an SPCC Plan, you need to make sure it meets the rule requirements and is implemented as written.  If  you store over 1320 gallons of oil (petroleum based products, fuel, animal fat, vegetable fat, etc.) in aboveground tanks or over 42,000 gallons of oil in underground tanks and you don’t have a plan, you need one.  People get caught up in the letter of the law and forget that there is a purpose behind it.

The purpose of 40 CFR 112 – Oil Pollution Prevention, more commonly known as the SPCC Rule, is to prevent oil from discharging into U.S. navigable waters. In essence, if you can float a paper boat on it, the EPA considers it to be “navigable waters”.  While the bureaucracy behind the rule is excessive and convoluted, the purpose of the rule is a good thing.  Oil in any water is a bad thing for plants, animals and humans.  It chokes off life.  Sometimes, however, the EPA folks get a little carried away.

The most recent exception to the rule is milk which the EPA originally included in the list of oil containing substances.  Intense lobbying by the dairy farmers in the U.S. resulted in an exemption for milk.  Another exemption was given a while back for hot mix asphalt.  The reasoning behind this was that when hot mix asphalt hits the open air, it solidifies so rapidly that it can’t flow anywhere.

Stopping the flow of oil is what it’s all about.  A spill itself isn’t a terrible thing if it can be cleaned up before it hits surface water or seeps into ground water through the soil.  SPCC Plans are written so that when oil is spilled, people know how to stop it from flowing and how to clean it up quickly and efficiently.  Moving the deadline doesn’t mean industries that produce, manufacture or store oil get a pass for another year.

People, especially corporate bean counters, see an extension of the deadline and think they’re off the hook and don’t have to spend the money for an update to their SPCC Plan until next year.  While that may be true in theory, it’s similar to the old car maintenance advertisment where the mechanic says, “You can pay me now or you can pay me later”.  It’s true that the EPA can’t fine you right now if your SPCC Plan is not in compliance with the new regulations, but they can fine you if you pollute the navigable waters of the U.S.

Those fines can range from thousands of dollars to several million dollars depending on where you are and how much you spill.  DES Consultants writes SPCC Plans that are facility specific and meet the November 2011 deadline requirements.  Our plans are written in plain English; we don’t just restate the SPCC rule.  Our plans tell you how and where to stop a spill when it happens and who to call for help if you need it.  We also offer training for your employees so they clearly understand what to do if there is a spill.  Doesn’t it make sense to spend a small amount of money now and have the best SPCC Plan available?

New Classes Announced!

Environmental Training

Level 1A Fundamentals of Erosion and Sediment Control “Certified Personnel”

The Level 1A Fundamentals Seminar is a one day course designed to train contractors, builders, developers, site superintendents, grading and utility contractors, and monitoring consultants in the proper installation, maintenance, and inspection of BMPs on construction sites.

Topics covered in this course are fundamentals of erosion and sediment control, the Georgia Erosion & Sedimentation Act, NPDES Permits, field maintenance, stream buffers, vegetative and structural BMP practices.

Upcoming Dates for Level 1A Course:

Wed: Sept 29 / 8:30am-5:30pm

Trainer: Jeret R Elwell, CPESC Location: Peachtree City, Ga

Contact: Registration deadline is 3 business days before the class starts.

For additional information contact Shelly Reid at 770-631-1555 or email at
sreid@desconsulants.com

Register


Level 1B Advanced Fundamentals of Erosion and Sediment Control
“Certified Inspector”

The Level 1B Advanced Fundamentals Seminar is a two day course designed to train regulatory enforcement inspectors and non-regulatory personnel inspectors contracted to do regulatory work to accurately inspect land disturbance areas for compliance with state erosion and sedimentation laws. The course will cover several topics such as the role of the inspector, ES&PC planning and review, and local program overview criteria.

In order to take this class you must have completed 60 days work experience in the field of erosion and sediment control, or have obtained the Level 1A certification.

Upcoming Dates for Level 1B Course:

NO CLASSES SCHEDULED AT THIS TIME

For additional
Information contact Shelly Reid at 770-631-1555 or email at sreid@desconsulants.com


Level II Introduction to Design
“Certified Design Professional” or “Certified Plan Reviewer”

Level II Introduction to Design is a two day course to train both plan reviewers and design professionals. Topics included in this course include those in the Level 1 courses plus design and review of Erosion, Sedimentation, and Pollution Control Plans.

In order to take this class as a Plan Designer you must provide proof of professional licensure in the field of engineering, architecture, landscape architecture, forestry, geology, land surveying or CPESC.

In order to take this class as a Plan Reviewer you must have completed at least 6 months of work experience in the field of erosion and sediment control, or have obtained the Level 1B certification.

Upcoming Dates for Level II Course:

Thurs & Fri: Nov 11-12 / 8:30am-5:30pm

Trainer: Jeret R Elwell, CPESC Location: Peachtree City, Ga.

Contact: Registration deadline is 3 business days before the class starts. For additional
Information contact Shelly Reid at 770-631-1555 or email at sreid@desconsulants.com

Register


Certified Subcontractor Awareness Seminar

The Subcontractor Awareness Seminar is a two hour seminar with no exam that is designed to give individuals working in a subcontractor capacity an overview of erosion and sedimentation, the impacts erosion and sedimentation have on the environment, minimal vegetative and structural Best Management Practices (BMPs), and laws governing erosion and sedimentation.

The Subcontractor Awareness seminar is required for individuals involved in land disturbing activities working in a subcontractor capacity under a primary, secondary or tertiary permittee. Common subcontractors include, but are not limited to: grading personnel, landscapers, well drilling personnel, plumbers, and electricians.

Upcoming Dates for Subcontractor Awareness Seminar:

NO CLASSES SCHEDULED AT THIS TIME

For additional
Information contact Shelly Reid at 770-631-1555 or email at sreid@desconsulants.com


Re-Certification of all Levels (1A, 1B, II)

Four (4) hours of updates and new materials provided by the state as applicable to each of the separate levels of certification. These courses can be taken only within 1 year prior to the expiration date on your certification card.

Upcoming Dates for Recertification of Level 1A:

Fri: Sept 17 / 8:30am-12:30pm

Trainer: Jeret R Elwell, CPESC Location: Peachtree City, Ga.

Register

Fri: Nov 4 / 8:30am-12:30pm

Trainer: Jeret R Elwell, CPESC Location: Peachtree City, Ga.

Register

Thurs: Dec 9 / 8:30am-12:30pm

Trainer: Jeret R Elwell, CPESC Location: Peachtree City, Ga.

Register

Contact: Registration deadline is 3 business days before the class starts. For additional Information contact Shelly Reid at 770-631-1555 or email at sreid@desconsulants.com

Upcoming Dates for Recertification of Level 1B:

Oct 12 / 8:30am-12:30pm

Trainer: Jeret R Elwell, CPESC Location: Peachtree City, Ga.

Contact: Registration deadline is 3 business days before the class starts. For additional
Information contact Shelly Reid at 770-631-1555 or email at sreid@desconsulants.com

Register

Upcoming Dates for Recertification of Level II:

Wed: Oct 12 / 1:00pm-5:00pm

Trainer: Jeret R Elwell, CPESC Location: Peachtree City, Ga.

Register

Fri: Dec 9 / 1:00pm-5:00pm

Trainer: Jeret R Elwell, CPESC Location: Peachtree City, Ga.


Register

Contact: Registration deadline is 3 business days before the class starts. For additional Information contact Shelly Reid at 770-631-1555 or email at sreid@desconsulants.com