F. Short-term Water Quality Standard for Turbidity (318 Authorization)
Who Must Apply
Any person, agency, or entity, both public and private, initiating construction activity that will cause short term or temporary violations of state surface water quality standards for turbidity.
Activities Requiring an Authorization
Any activity in any state water that will cause unavoidable short term violations of water quality standards. "State water" includes any body of water, irrigation system, or drainage system, either surface or underground, including wetlands, except for irrigation water where the water is used up within the irrigation system and the water is not returned to other state water.
Purposes of the Law
. To provide a short term water quality turbidity standard for construction activities. Activities must be carried out in accordance with conditions prescribed by the Department of Environmental Quality.
. To protect water quality.
. To minimize sedimentation.
Who Administers the Law
Department of Environmental Quality.
Application Procedure/Timeline
A 318 Authorization must be obtained prior to initiating a project. The authorization may be obtained from the Department of Environmental Quality, or may be waived by the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks during its review process under the Natural Streambed and Land Preservation Act (310 Permit) or the Stream Protection Act (SPA 124 Permit).
Individual applications submitted to the Department of Environmental Quality are normally processed within 30 to 60 days. Authorizations waived under the 310 or SPA 124 permit processes correspond to the time frame under each permit system, usually 30 to 60 days. There is an application fee of $150.00 (make check or money order payable to Water Protection Bureau, Department of Environmental Quality). Joint application participant-see Permitting Tips section.
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://deq.mt.gov
