The Environmental Protection Agency’s has proposed new National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) general permit requirements regulating stormwater discharges from construction activities.
The proposal applies to construction sites of one or more acres, or less than one acre, but part of a larger development. The proposal would:
- Prohibit hazardous substances, such as paint or caulk containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from authorized non-stormwater discharges of external building washdown waters.
- Require permittees to include the EPA’s contact information in public notices that are already required to be posted in a prominent location near construction sites.
- Require permittees to cover or use another method of temporary stabilization for inactive soil stockpiles and land clearing debris piles where the piles will be unused for 14 or more days.
- Require permittees to keep waste container lids closed (or provide some other secure cover where containers do not have lids).
- For demolition of structures with at least 10,000 sf of floor space built or renovated before 1980, require permittees to implement controls to minimize the exposure of PCB-containing building materials to precipitation and stormwater.
- Require permittees to state on their Notice of Intent (NOI) form the type of construction activities that will be involved.
These potential permit changes could significantly increase the time, effort, and resources required to comply with stormwater management obligations, according to an article by the law firm Dykema, Gossett PLLC.
Related Stories
| Oct 31, 2013
IECC code updates include better lighting controls and new HVAC technology
The proposed new code will increase the mandatory installation of occupancy sensors and daylighting controls to many new types of spaces.
| Oct 31, 2013
Effects of green, white roofs to be compared at Walmart in Oregon
Portland State University will construct a 40,000 sf green roof research site on the top of a new Walmart store in North Portland, Ore., and compare it to a 52,000 sf section of roof with a white membrane.
| Oct 31, 2013
GSA okays Green Globes; USGBC counters forestry industry concerns
Green Globes, a LEED rival, was recently declared to be nearly equal with LEED standards by the General Services Administration.
| Oct 25, 2013
California struggles with updated seismic codes
In California, there are still hundreds of concrete buildings that need reinforcement to bring them up to the new seismic code.
| Oct 24, 2013
Supplement No. 2 to AISC 358-10 Prequalified Moment Connection Standard available for public review
Supplement No. 2 to the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) standard Prequalified Connections for Special and Intermediate Steel Moment Frames for Seismic Applications (AISC 358-10) is now available for public review.
| Oct 24, 2013
Changes in LEED v4 will have large impact on materials manufacturers
Changes to LEED in LEED v4 are so dramatic that they will send ripples into other industries and shift expectations on sustainability reporting and performance far beyond the building industry.
| Oct 24, 2013
D.C. office buildings going green at twice the national average
In 2011, about 33% of new office buildings in the U.S. were built to green standards, but in the nation’s capital that rate has skyrocketed.
| Oct 18, 2013
AGC considers suit over new hiring goals for vets, disabled
The Associated General Contractors of America and the HR Policy Association are reportedly considering taking legal action over the Labor Department's new hiring goals for veterans and disabled people.
| Oct 18, 2013
Cities may be more capable of driving sustainability than nations, experts say
With countries not tackling climate change aggressively, cities are in the best position to drive increased sustainability.
| Oct 8, 2013
Kansas City board OKs $1.6 billion TIF for $4.3 billion redevelopment project
Kansas City’s Tax Increment Financing Commission voted unanimously to forward the Bannister & I-435 TIF Plan to the Kansas City Council for approval.
