The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Nov. 23 published new regulations dealing with storm water runoff from construction sites. The rule builds on existing federal requirements governing clearing, grading and excavating already in place under the Clean Water Act to prevent soil and sediment runoff from polluting nearby bodies of water.
The new rules require construction site owners and operators that disturb one or more acres to use erosion and sediment control best management practices and to meet a series of non-numeric effluent limitations; sites that impact 10 or more acres at one time will be required to monitor discharges and ensure they comply with specific numeric limits on discharges.
While this is the first time that EPA has imposed national monitoring requirements and enforceable numeric limitations on construction site storm water discharges, many states have been enforcing similar provisions under their construction general permitting authority. The rule takes effect February 2010 and will be phased in over four years.
For information, visit http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/ pdf/E9-28446.pdf.