Most industrial facilities that discharge stormwater to a surface water body are included for coverage under this permit. A stormwater discharge includes, but is not limited to, stormwater discharges from industrial plant yards; immediate access roads and rail lines used or traveled by carriers of raw materials, manufactured products, waste material, or by-products used or created by the facility; material handling sites; refuse sites; sites used for the application or disposal of process waste waters (as defined at 40 C.F.R. Subchapter N (Effluent Guidelines and Standards) Part 401 (General Provisions)); sites used for the storage and maintenance of material handling equipment; sites used for residual treatment, storage, or disposal; shipping and receiving areas; manufacturing buildings; storage areas (including tank farms) for raw materials, and intermediate and finished products; and areas where industrial activity has taken place in the past and significant materials remain and are exposed to stormwater.
Summary of Public Involvement Process: Notice of the proposed permit was published in the state register, in four newspapers of general circulation around the state on August 2, 2000, by mail to more than 2,400 permittees and interested parties, and posted on the Internet. Notice included an invitation to provide public comment on the proposed permit. Public workshops and hearings on the proposed permit were held at ecology's Spokane office on September 7, 2000, and at ecology's Bellevue office on September 12, 2000. Two minor revisions were made to the permit as a result of the comments received during the formal public comment period. Special Condition S.2.C. was modified to remove a permit provision that had expired and was no long[er] applicable and language was added to clarify the general prohibition of discharges to a sanitary sewer under Special Condition S.4. A summary of the comments and ecology's response is available upon request at the address below.
Permit Coverage: Those facilities that have coverage under the current permit and have submitted their application for coverage, as required under the permit, will continue to have coverage under the revised permit unless otherwise notified by ecology. Nonpermitted facilities seeking permit coverage should request an application for coverage from ecology's headquarters office at the address below.
Anyone with knowledge as to why a specific facility should or should not receive coverage under this general permit may also contact ecology's headquarters office at the address below.
Appeal Procedures: Pursuant to RCW 43.21.B.310 [43.21B.310] the terms and conditions of the permit may be appealed on or before November 17, 2000. An appeal must be filed with the Pollution Control Hearings Board, P.O. Box 40903, Olympia, WA 98504-0903. In addition, a copy of this appeal must be served on the Department of Ecology, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504-7600. The procedures and requirements for the appeal process are contained in RCW 43.21.B.310 [43.21B.310].
The terms and conditions of a general permit, as they apply to an individual discharger, are appealable within thirty days of the effective date of coverage of that discharger, in accordance with chapter 43.21B RCW. This appeal is limited to the general permit's applicability or nonapplicability to a specific discharger.
Apply for Coverage or Obtain Additional Information: Linda Matlock, Water Quality Program, Stormwater Unit, Washington State Department of Ecology, P.O. Box 47696, Olympia, WA 98504-7696, phone (360) 407-6437, fax (360) 407-6426, e-mail LMAT461@ecy.wa.gov.
Ecology is an equal opportunity agency. If you have special accommodation needs or require this document in an alternative format, please contact Keith Johnson at (360) 407-6442 or TDD (only) (360) 407-6006.