NPDES
If you discharge wastewater to a water body you must obtain a National Pollution Discharge Elimination Permit (NPDES) from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
For more information about obtaining a NPDES permit, click here.
Stormwater - Construction
If you have activities exposed to precipitation that may pollute stormwater runoff you may need a stormwater permit. There are two types of stormwater permits: Construction and Industrial. Construction permits focus in on land disturbing activities that a business may perform when building or expanding.
For more information about Construction Stormwater Permits, visit the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) stormwater construction web site.
Stormwater - Industrial
Industrial permits focus on the activities that occur as part of the businesses operations. "Industrial materials or activities" include, but are not limited to:
1) material handling equipment or activities
2) industrial machinery
3) raw materials, intermediate products, by-products, final products, or waste products.
The 2008 Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP) specifies steps that facility operators must take prior to becoming eligible for permit coverage, including submitting a Notice of Intent (NOI), installing stormwater control measures to minimize pollutants in stormwater runoff, and developing a stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP). The MSGP also includes effluent limits, monitoring, inspection, and reporting requirements, and corrective action requirements. The deadline for operators in these areas to submit a Notice of Intent (NOI) under the MSGP-2008 was May 27, 2009.
For more information about the Industrial Stormwater Permit, click here.
A business may be exempted from the permit requirement provided their industrial materials or activities are not “exposed” to stormwater. "No exposure" means all industrial materials and activities are protected by a storm resistant shelter to prevent exposure to rain, snow, snowmelt, and/or runoff. EPA has prepared a useful document to explain this rule, “Storm Water Phase II Final Rule, Conditional No Exposure Exclusion for Industrial Activity”.
For more information about the No Exposure Exemption, click here.
Assistance
If you would like further assistance, contact the Idaho SBDC Environmental Assistance Coordinator.