Managing Stormwater in California Under the Industrial General Permit

Are you struggling with stormwater management at your industrial facility in California? Maintaining compliance with the California Industrial General Permit Order 2014-0057-DWQ, amended in 2015 and 2018 (IGP), can be challenging. Here are some tips to help you stay on top of it.

Industrial facilities not currently covered by a Notice of Intent (NOI) to discharge, No Exposure Certification (NEC), or Notice of Non-Applicability (NONA)

Now is the time to check your Standard Industrial Code (SIC). The IGP covers a wide range of industries, and you can find the SIC codes in Attachment A of the IGP. Here’s what you’ll need based on your situation:

• If you manage a covered facility that has industrial activities exposed to stormwater (e.g., outdoor tanks or storage of materials), you may need to apply for an NOI.
• If you manage a covered facility that does not have any operations that take place outdoors, you may need to apply for an NEC.
• If you manage a covered facility that is not hydrologically connected to waters of the United States, you may be able to apply for a NONA.

Industrial facilities currently operating under a NOI

When it comes to maintaining compliance with the IGP, there are a few important deadlines and timelines to remember:

• Complete your ad hoc reporting in the Stormwater Multiple Application and Report Tracking System (SMARTS) within 30 days of receiving your monitoring report from the laboratory.
• Complete your Annual Report in SMARTS by July 15 of each year.
• Update your Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) with administrative changes once every 3 months and significant changes within 30 days. Examples of significant changes include, but are not limited to:
  • Removing or adding a Best Management Practice
  • Removing or adding a drainage area or sampling point
  • Removing or adding a monitoring parameter

Additionally, it is crucial to ensure you are monitoring for the correct parameters required by the IGP. Monitoring parameters are determined by the SIC code of the industrial facility and whether the industrial facility discharges to a 303(d)-listed water body in Appendix 3 of the IGP. Monitoring parameters are listed in Table 1 and Table 2 in Attachment E of the IGP.

Industrial Facilities operating under a NEC

When it comes to maintaining compliance with the IGP, there is an important deadline remember:

• Complete the NEC review checklist and certification in SMARTS by October 1 of each year.

If you have additional technical questions regarding the California IGP and facility Stormwater Pollution Protection Plans and would like assistance with attaining coverage and/or maintaining compliance, reach out to Jessica Myer, EHS Support’s Qualified Industrial Stormwater Practitioner. We’re here to help you maintain compliance with regulatory requirements, reduce risk, and continually improve compliance performance!

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References

Industrial Stormwater Program | California State Water Resources Control Board