Clean water act title iv sections 401 406 clean water act title v sections 501 519 clean water act title vi sections 601 607 miscellaneous references. Double click on the pdf and a separate page will open. Epa, last week, published its proposed 2020 national pollutant discharge elimination system npdes multisector general permit msgp. The strongest defense to a clean water act lawsuit is that articulated by the supreme court in gwaltney of smithfield v. Environmental protection agency epa, require that the following storm water discharges apply for a npdes permit. Some states have chosen to develop ground water quality standards mentioned in the section entitled. The program uses the npdes permitting mechanism to. As authorized by the clean water act, the national pollutant discharge elimination system npdes permit program controls water pollution by. In 1972, congress amended the federal water pollution control act, commonly referred as the clean water act cwa to prohibit the discharge of any pollutant to waters of the united states from point sources unless the discharge is authorized by a national pollutant discharge elimination system npdes. U office of enforcement and compliance assu a e mathy stanislaus, assistant administrator office of so lid waste and emergency response \lyvy1i.
The basic structure of the act was established at that time, although it was refined and refocused by the clean water act amendments of 1977 from which it also took its name and by the. Regarding an npdes permit to discharge to waters of the state of ohio. Commonly referred to as the clean water act established national goals various titles established research program created massive. In this case, the supreme court held that a citizen may not bring suit under the clean water act for a wholly past violation of the clean water. Standard npdes permit conditions for npdes individual permits the standard npdes permit conditions are applicable to all npdes individual permits. New epa clean water act guidance applies in 36 states. The npdes program covers several pollutant sources that are regulated by.
New law eliminates any clean water act npdes permit. Overview of the clean water act cwa and the npdes program introduces the history of the cwa and the statutory framework for the npdes program. Its objective is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nations waters. The previous npdes permit was issued on july 1, 2008. All permits state their issuance and expiration date. An introduction to the clean water act and safe drinking.
The statute employs a variety of regulatory and nonregulatory tools to sharply reduce direct pollutant discharges into. The clean water program in deps regional offices issues the majority of npdes permits for sewage, industrial waste iw, iw stormwater, municipal separate storm sewer system ms4, concentrated animal feeding operation cafo, biosolids and pesticides activities or facilities that are regulated under the npdes program. Stormwater program, npdes water pacific southwest us epa. You may need a pdf reader to view some of the files on this page. The national pollutant discharge elimination system npdes permit program was created by section 402 of the 1972 federal clean water act. The basis of the cwa was enacted in 1948 and was called the federal water pollution control act, but the act was significantly reorganized and expanded in 1972. Working hard in the field every day, they spot and stop trouble, ensure that pollution controls are functioning properly, and they help local construction projects, industrial activities, and their own municipal activities stay in compliance with mandatory. The npdes permit program addresses water pollution by regulating point sources that discharge pollutants to waters of the united states. Clean water branch standard npdes permit conditions.
The permittee is responsible for understanding and meeting all permit requirements and submitting complete, accurate and legible selfmonitoring data. It means navigable waters, tributaries to navigable waters, interstate waters, the oceans out to 200 miles, and intrastate waters which are used. Controversies over redefining fill material under the. Npdes program, continued npdes permits cover industrial and municipal discharges, discharges from storm sewer systems in larger cities, stormwater associated with numerous kinds of industrial activity, runoff from construction sites disturbing more than one acre, mining operations, and animal feedlots.
Clean water act, section 402 national pollutant discharge elimination system npdes permits the information on this page will help you determine if you need to apply for a permit or how to comply with a permit already issued to wsdot. Created in 1972 by the clean water act, the npdes permit program is authorized to state governments by epa to perform many permitting, administrative, and enforcement aspects of the program. The 1987 water quality act amendments to the clean water act broadened the definition of pointsource to include stormwater discharges. Clean water act npdes stormwater forms construction forms notice of intent feb 2015not notice of termination not. Overview of storm water permitting 1987 amendments to clean water act added storm water to npdes program. In 1975, the bureau of water received authority from the environmental protection act epa to administer the npdes permit program in sc. Storm water runoff has been a source of great concern for many years. Section 123 of the bill silvicultural activities amends the clean water act to make clear that a national pollutant discharge elimination system permit is not required for stormwater runoff from logging roads and other specified forestry activities. On february 7, 2014, president obama signed into law the 2014 farm bill, h. Stormwater inspectors are our front line defense for keeping our nations waters clean. The npdes permit program the discharge of pollutants, otherwise illegal under section 301a of the clean water act, can be authorized by compliance with an npdes permit. Because the clean water act is such an important tool, here we provide you with links to the full text of this critical law. Fact sheet for npdes permit renewal, akron wwtp, 2016 page 1 of 44 national pollutant discharge elimination system npdes permit program fact sheet regarding an npdes permit to discharge to waters of the state of ohio for akron water reclamation facility public notice no 0608014 ohio epa permit no 3pf00000od. The cwa was promulgated to control industrial effluent contaminants that could potentially make their way into the waters of the united states and regulate quality standards for surface waters.
A copy of the standard npdes permit conditions is available to download. As one of the first employees at epa, and a member of the team tha. The national pollutant discharge elimination system npdes permit program was established under the federal clean water act to control water pollution by regulating the discharge of pollutants into waters of the united states. The clean water act cwa is the primary federal law in the united states governing water pollution. Introduction to the clean water act1 the clean water act cwa is the cornerstone of surface water quality protection in the united states. The clean water act cwa has regulated discharges of contaminants since 1972. The permit will contain limits on what you can discharge, monitoring and reporting requirements, and other provisions to ensure that the discharge does not hurt water quality or. National pollutant discharge elimination system npdes. What is phase ii of the npdes storm water management program. Introduction to wqs or water quality standards that address. Section 402 of the clean water act cwa a permit is a license issued by the epa, a tribe or a state once authorized granting permissioncontrolling point source discharges of pollutants into waters of the us a permit is a privilege not a right.
Specifically, they hope to clarify the interpretation of the national pollutant discharge elimination system npdes permit program as described in the clean water act cwa. The clean water act cwa is the cornerstone of surface water quality protection in the united states. The clean water act contains two different permitting regimes. The act does not deal directly with ground water or with water quantity issues. Npdes training national pollutant discharge elimination. The federal water pollution control act also referred to as the clean water act section 402 requires that a discharge of any pollutant or combination of pollutants to surface waters that are deemed waters of the u. If you still have any general questions about the program, contact the npdes stormwater program in tallahassee at 8502457522. The program gave epa the authority to regulate discharges into our nations waters by setting limits on the effluent that can be discharged into a body of water from an operating and. Interpretive statement and regional guidance on the clean. Development of the clean water act and the npdes program pdf 8 pp, 580 k chapter 2. As a result, in 1990 the environmental protection agency epa adopted title 40, code of federal regulations, part 122. Watershed academy web introduction to the clean water act. On may 12, 2014, water board staff held a stakeholder workshop in san diego, california.
Toxic and priority pollutants under the clean water act. The national pollutant discharge elimination system npdes storm water permit application regulations, promulgated by the u. Water permitting 101 abstract the national pollutant discharge elimination system npdes program has achieved significant reductions in pollutant discharges since it was established by the federal water pollution control act amendments of 1972. The proposed permit will be a new general npdes permit as required by clean water act section 402 for point source discharges of pollutants to waters of the united states.
In 1972 section 402 of the federal water pollution control act clean water act created the national pollutant discharge elimination system npdes program. Decisions to award variances to water quality standards wqs or promulgated effluent guidelines for economic or technological reasons will also be justified in the fact sheet where necessary. The clean water act prohibits anybody from discharging pollutants through a point source into a water of the united states unless they have an npdes permit. Npdes permit development is governed by existing requirements of the clean water act cwa and the epa npdes implementing regulations. In accordance with the cwa, permit terms may not exceed 5 years. Development of the clean water act and the npdes program this chapter presents an overview of the history of water pollution control in the united states and the evolution and accomplishments of the national pollutant discharge elimination system npdes program.
However, evaluations of the cwas effectiveness at improving regional water quality are lacking, primarily because. Sep 08, 2016 the clean water act cwa establishes the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into the waters of the united states and regulating quality standards for surface waters. National pollutant discharge elimination system program npdes. Stormwater discharge permits and clean water act compliance. Statutory background in the 1977 amendments to the clean water act, congress expressly reversed a court decision which would have required an npdes permit for return flows from irrigated agriculture. The list was intended to be used by epa and states as a starting point to ensure that effluent guidelines regulations, water quality criteria and standards, and npdes permit requirements addressed the problems of toxics in waterways. Monitoring and enforcement of the clean water act 10 2. Epas regulations require that permit applications be submitted to the permitting authority 180 days prior to discharge if a new discharger or permit expiration if already an npdes. Environment departments role in npdes permitting is to ensure that federal permits comply with the requirements of state law, including new mexicos antidegradation requirements. Fact sheet excerpt of 316b provisions includes changes made in the postpublic notice addendum 6. The clean water act cwa, which was enacted in 1972, built the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into the waters of the united states to maintain water quality standards wqs for surface waters in the u. Wastewater management and addresses development of wastewater discharge permits under the national pollutant discharge elimination system npdes. Npdes permit writers manual for concentrated animal. Water act cwa and ohio water pollution control law ohio revised code orc 6111.
The modern clean water act has its origins in the federal water pollution control act amendments of 1972. The toxic pollutant list was developed in 1976 and subsequently added to the clean water act by congress in 1977. Overview of epa, the clean water act, and the national. In 1987, the cwa was amended to establish a framework for regulating municipal storm water. This change in the act was known as the phase i npdes stormwater regulations. Status of permit the alchesay national fish hatchery submitted a timely reapplication for a national pollutant discharge elimination system npdes permit dated december 27, 2012 to allow a discharge from the hatchery to the north fork white river. Cwa provisions and regulations contain legally binding requirements. Sixtyday notice of intent to sue for clean water act. National pollutant discharge elimination system npdes permit program.
Please browse our stormwater program topics listed on the lefthand side for more information. National pollutant discharge elimination system npdes section 402 of the clean water act requires that all construction sites on an acre or greater of land, as well as municipal, industrial and commercial facilities discharging wastewater or stormwater directly from a point source a pipe, ditch or channel into a surface water. True false 5 points question 2 nutrients are important to the health of a body of water and increase vegetation growth, thereby improving the quality of the water. Phase i of the npdes storm water program began in 1990 and applied to. The analytical methods utilized for these regulations are specific for these matrices. Clean water act permit programs, including the npdes permit program, are structured to provide permit coverage to point sources in one of two ways. Mandated by congress under the clean water act, the national pollutant discharge elimination system npdes addresses the nonagricultural sources of stormwater discharges that adversely affect the quality of our nations waters. Full document pdf 269 pp, 7 mb npdes permit writers manual front section pdf 14 pp, 803 k chapter 1. Development of the clean water act and the npdes program 11 chapter 1. Federal clean water act federal water pollution control act first enacted in 1948 major overhaul with federal water pollution control act amendments of 1972 33 u. Pollution control act of 1972, as amended by the clean water act of 1977. Nov 29, 2016 the term water of the united states is also defined very broadly in the clean water act and after 25 years of litigation.
Fact sheet for npdes permit renewal, toledo wrf, 2016 page 1 of 41. The act does not deal directly with ground water nor with water quantity issues. Indiana department of environmental management alcoa. Federal register notice of availability of interpretive statement on application of the clean water act national pollutant discharge elimination system program to releases of pollutants from a point source to groundwater pdf 17 pp, 322 k, april 23, 2019, about pdf interpretive statement memorandum. Npdes permit writers manual for concentrated animal feeding operations this manual is designed to provide general information on the clean water act cwa and npdes requirements for cafos, explain cafo permitting, and provide technical information to understand options for nutrients management planning. Epa releases its proposed 2020 npdes multisector general permit posted by goldberg segalla the regulated industry needs to be aware that the u. In 1972, congress amended the federal water pollution control act, commonly referred as the clean water act cwa to prohibit the discharge of any pollutant to waters of the united states from point sources unless the discharge is authorized by a national pollutant discharge elimination system npdes permit. Standard general permit conditions for npdes general permits the standard general permit conditions are applicable to all notices of general permit coverage ngpcs. A brief history of the cwa the 1948 federal water pollution control act fwpca was congress earliest attempt to address the pollution and degradation of our nations waters. Enforcement of the npdes of the clean water act is. Pdf how effective has the clean water act been at reducing. About the national stormwater center the national stormwater center was founded by john whitescarver with a commitment to promoting and advocating compliance with the clean water act.
The clean water act cwa establishes the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into the waters of the united states and regulating quality standards for surface waters. The protection and restoration program focuses on the clean water act because the act truly embraces in fact relies on active citizen participation. Table of contents for clean water act library of congress. Epa home ow home owm home npdes home overview water pollution degrades surface waters making them unsafe for drinking, fishing, swimming, and other activities. The departments permit certification process is outlined in section 401 of the clean water act, and new mexicos administrative ode at 20. Releases from a point source to groundwater national. In order to discharge wash water to the sanitary system, you will need to obtain a clean water services wash water permit and meet clean water services wash pad requirements. As a result, the 1987 amendments to the clean water act required the united states environmental protection agency u. Npdes storm water program, question and answer document volume 2. This booklet is designed to assist the permittee in complying with the reporting requirements in the npdes permit. Where both of sections 402 and 404 of the federal water pollution control act 33 u. Introduction to the clean water act watershed academy.
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