J. Stormwater Discharge General Permits
Who Must Apply
Any person, agency, or entity, either public or private, proposing a construction, industrial, mining, or other defined activity that has a discharge of storm water into surface waters. Under the authority of the Montana Water Quality Act, permit authorization is typically obtained under a Montana Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (MPDES) "General Permit".
Activities Requiring Permit Authorization
. Construction activity that will disturb one or more total acres including clearing, grading, and excavating activities.
. A defined industrial activity that will discharge storm water into surface waters.
. A defined mining or oil and gas activity in which storm water will come into contact with overburden, raw material, intermediate products, finished products, or waste products located on the site of such operations (including active and inactive mine sites) and discharge to surface waters.
. A defined Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4).
Purposes of the Law
. To prevent degradation of surface waters from pollutants such as sediment, waste materials, industrial chemicals or materials, heavy metals, and petroleum products.
. To protect existing water quality.
. To implement and monitor the effectiveness of Best Management Practices (erosion and sediment controls, etc.) used to reduce pollutant loads.
Who Administers the Law
Department of Environmental Quality.
Application Procedure/Timeline
For storm water discharges associated with construction activity, permit authorization is effective upon Department receipt of a complete Notice of Intent (NOI), Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP), and fee. This must be received no later than the construction activity start date. For other regulated storm water discharges, a complete Application Form, SWPPP (except for Small MS4s), and fee must be received for review at least 30 days prior to the discharge of storm water from the facility or activity. Fees vary depending on the type of permit. Contact the Department or visit the website listed below for various storm water discharge "General Permits," Application/NOI Forms, fee schedule, and other permitting forms/information.
For more information contact:
Water Protection Bureau
Department of Environmental Quality
1520 East Sixth Avenue
P.O. Box 200901
Helena, MT 59620-0901
(406) 444-3080
http://www.deq.mt.gov
