This blog website is dedicated to addressing proposed environmental permits and regulations. It is our desire that it will be a clearinghouse of information to help the regulated community become aware of the issues and to assist them in communicating their concerns over proposed regulations with the State of California regulatory agencies. In this blog, you will find pages that address the issues; opportunities for you to respond to the articles or post your own concerns; information about upcoming hearings; and directions on how to provide written comment to the State agencies. So, let’s start a Green Tea Party and let the regulators know what the regulated think of their proposed regulations.

Draft Industrial General Permit

On January 28, 2011, the California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) released a draft of the long expected renewal of the Industrial NPDES General Permit which was originally issued in 1992. It was subsequently renewed for another 5-year permit term in 1997 (Order 97-03-DWQ). However, after a couple of attempts to renew the permit in 2003 and 2005, the State Water Board decided not to take any action on the permit until the issue of numeric effluent limits (NELs) were resolved. In 2005 and 2006, the State Water Board assembled a panel of experts to look at the feasibility of incorporating NELs in the Construction and Industrial General NPDES Permits. In 2009, the Construction General Permit was the first to be reissued with NELs for pH and turbidity. Now, the State Water Board is turning its attention to the renewal of the Industrial General Permit and is proposing NELs, as well as, Numeric Action Levels (NALs). But, that is not all! There is a host of other new features and requirements in this proposed permit renewal. After reviewing this permit and we believe dischargers need to become informed and alarmed about many of the new requirements. We encourage you not to just read about these changes but to get involved and let your voice be heard. The State Water Board is receiving comments regarding all aspects of the draft Industrial General Permit. Oral comments can be made during a public hearing to be held in Sacramento on March 29, 2011. Written comments will be received by the Water Board until 12:00 noon on Monday, April 18, 2011. If these permit changes go through, this permit will have a significant impact on your compliance program resulting in increased costs and potential for liability for your business.