July 1 Deadline for General Industrial Stormwater Permits in California

Beginning July 1 of this year, there’s a new program in town!  A new general industrial stormwater permit kicks in in California. Companies with an existing stormwater permit will have to apply for a new permit, and prepare a new management plan—there is no grace period.

Link to General Permit For Storm Water Discharges Associated With Industrial Activities Document

The most significant change is that the new permit includes numeric action limits that require a permittee to implement certain best management practices if its stormwater exceeds target levels for contaminants, like oil and grease, pH, and Total Suspended Solids.  Permit documents (applications, plans, maps, some sampling data) will be available on a publicly accessible and searchable database, which could lead to increased public scrutiny and possible citizen suit litigation in the event of noncompliance.  The new approach suggests your companies may want to elevate their attention to stormwater compliance to avoid problems.

No extensions have been imposed, so July 1 is the deadline!