Industrial Activity (MSGP)
Frequently
Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is my facility required to have permit
coverage?
Stormwater
discharges associated with industrial activity to surface
waters of the State or to an MS4 are required to be covered
under an NPDES permit. Most facilities are eligible for coverage
under the
MSGP for their stormwater
discharges associated with industrial activity. Some facilities
are required to obtain an NPDES individual permit for their
stormwater discharges associated with industrial activity
if there is reasonable potential for the stormwater discharge
to exceed limits in their previously issued NPDES individual
permit.
A
one-page description of
“stormwater discharges associated with industrial activity”
is available.
Can my facility
be exempted from the requirement to obtain NPDES permit coverage?
Yes, some
facilities may qualify for the conditional “no exposure” exclusion from the requirement
to obtain NPDES permit coverage. Effective June 1, 2001,
industrial facilities that have no exposure of materials or
industrial activities to stormwater may submit a “no exposure”
certification to DEP and be excluded from the requirement
to obtain NPDES permit coverage. More information about the
Conditional No Exposure Exclusion
is available on this web site.
How do I obtain coverage under the
Multi-Sector Generic Permit (MSGP)?
Submit
a complete
NOI and fee
of $500 to the
NPDES Stormwater Notices
Center and comply with the requirements of the MSGP.
How do I renew coverage under the Multi Sector Generic
Permit (MSGP) for Stormwater Discharge Associated with
Industrial Activity?
Coverage under the Multi-Sector Generic Permit for Stormwater
Discharge Associated with Industrial Activity (MSGP) is effective for
a period of five years. To renew coverage, the facility should reapply
by submitting a new Notice of Intent (NOI) and appropriate fee. (DEP
Form Number 62-621.300(5)(b). The fee is currently $500). Coverage
under the MSGP is effective two days after the submittal of a complete
NOI and appropriate fee. (Rule 62-621.300(5)(f), Florida
Administrative Code).
Facilities must file a new NOI to renew coverage at least two days
prior to the expiration date of their current permit. In order to
allow adequate time for processing and confirmation, the Department
recommends that facilities reapply at least two or three weeks prior
to the expiration date of their permit.
When is my permit coverage effective?
Permit coverage
is effective 2 days after the postmark date of your complete
NOI and fee submittal.
How do
I determine my facility’s Standard Industrial Classification
(SIC) code?
The
SIC code system is maintained by the US Department of Labor,
Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) and
is available for searching at
www.osha.gov/oshstats/sicser.html.
Note also that SIC codes are typically required on other forms
submitted to the government (e.g., Federal tax return, etc.)
so you may look to those sources of information.
What is my monitoring code as required
for the NOI?
The
monitoring code to be entered on the NOI is determined by
the permit requirements for the sector(s) of the MSGP that
the facility is covered under. That is, the “sector-specific”
monitoring requirements. The possible monitoring codes, as
indicated in the NOI instructions, are:
1 = Not
subject to monitoring requirements under the conditions
of the permit.
2 = Subject to monitoring requirements and required to submit
data.
3 =Subject to monitoring requirements but not required to
submit data.
4 =Subject to monitoring requirements but submitting certification
for monitoring exclusion.
All sectors
of the MSGP, except Sector S, require “quarterly visual examination”
of stormwater discharges. The visual examination is considered
monitoring, however, analytical tests are not required and
results are not required to be submitted to DEP. The results
of the quarterly visual examinations are required to be kept
by the facility with their stormwater pollution prevention
plan (SWPPP). Therefore, the monitoring code if only quarterly
visual examinations are required for the facility would be
“3.”
Some sectors
of the MSGP require quarterly analytical monitoring in years
two and four of the permit cycle. This monitoring is sometimes
referred to as “benchmark monitoring.” The results of the
analytical tests for the benchmark monitoring are required
to be submitted to DEP. Therefore, the monitoring code if
benchmark monitoring is required would be “2.”
A few sectors
of the MSGP impose numeric effluent limitations. The monitoring
required to demonstrate compliance with the effluent limitations
is called “compliance monitoring.” Analytical results from
compliance monitoring are required to be submitted to DEP.
Therefore, the monitoring code if compliance monitoring is
required would be “2.”
Refer
to the
MSGP for sector-specific
monitoring requirements for your facility.
How do
I report analytical monitoring results (if benchmark/compliance
monitoring required)?
Reporting
of results is done using sector-specific
Discharge
Monitoring Reports (DMRs) that are available for downloading.
The
NPDES Stormwater Notices Center
will also provide you with the DMRs (and DMR instructions)
along with your coverage confirmation letter, or under separate
cover at a later date. You will need to make copies of the
DMRs to use for each monitoring event.
Where
do I send the DMRs?
Send completed
DMRs to:
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
NPDES Stormwater MSGP DMR, Mail Station #2511
2600 Blair Stone Road
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2400
My
facility is in a sector that requires benchmark monitoring.
When am I required to monitor?
Benchmark
monitoring is required in years two and four of your permit
coverage. For facilities that obtain permit coverage through
the end of 2001, year two is 2002 and year four is 2004.
For facilities that obtain coverage in 2002, year two is 2003
and year four is 2005, and so on. Quarterly sampling is required
during your monitoring year(s). The quarters are calendar
quarters (i.e., Jan.– Mar., Apr.– Jun., Jul.– Sep., and Oct.–
Dec.). You are required to obtain at least one sample, if
you have a qualifying discharge event, during each quarter,
and record each sampling event on a separate DMR (i.e., “Q”
DMR). If there is no qualifying discharge event for a given
quarter, you will need to complete a DMR for that quarter
with the “no discharge” indicator block marked. After the
end of the monitoring year, results from the four quarterly
sampling events are to be averaged and recorded on a separate
DMR (i.e., “A” DMR). If the annual average results from year
two monitoring are below the cutoff concentrations for your
sector, benchmark monitoring in year four is not required.
What is the deadline for submitting
my benchmark monitoring DMRs?
DMRs
must be submitted by March 31 of the year following the monitoring
year. For instance, if 2002 is your year two monitoring year,
DMRs are due by March 31, 2003.
Do
I have to address the Endangered Species Act (ESA) or National
Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) provisions in my SWPPP?
No.
The provisions of the MSGP regarding the ESA and NHPA are
applicable only in areas where EPA is the NPDES Permitting
Authority.
For
more information, send us an
e-mail
NPDES Stormwater
Program
2600 Blair Stone Road Mail Station 2500
Tallahassee, FL, 32399
Phone (850) 245-7522
