The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Stormwater Permit has undergone notable changes in recent years, reflecting a growing awareness by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency of the need for more comprehensive stormwater management. These changes include stricter regulations to reduce the discharge of pollutants into waterways, enhanced monitoring, and reporting requirements to ensure compliance.
The Illinois EPA (IEPA) renewed its General Stormwater National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit for Industrial Activities on July 1, 2023. This permit is a renewal of the previous General NPDES permit issued on April 5, 2017, which expired on March 31, 2022. Facilities engaging in industrial activities and seeking coverage under the renewed version of the permit are required to submit a Notice of Intent (NOI) within 150 days of the renewal date (i.e., by November 28, 2023).
Electronic copies of the NOI must be submitted to
[email protected]. These NOI submissions must include an IEPA NOI form, a $500 application fee (required only for new applicants, not renewals), a copy of the facility’s Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) and certifications with the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (IHPA) and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for Endangered Species. The $500 application fee must be submitted as a check to
Illinois EPA at the address listed in the NOI form.
Additional permit changes
Along with the mandate to submit an NOI by November 28, 2023, the following three (3) changes apply to the renewed NPDES General Permit for Stormwater Discharge:
- Signage detailing permit coverage must be posted in a safe, publicly accessible location in close proximity to the facility. The sign must provide basic facility information, information on how to request the facility’s SWPPP, and the facility and IEPA contact information.
- Indicator monitoring for the first four (4) quarters of the new permit is now required for pH, total suspended solids (TSS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and 16 polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as listed in Appendix A to 40 CFR Part 423.
- Benchmark threshold values have changed for aluminum, copper, cadmium, magnesium, and iron, depending on industry sector. Benchmark monitoring is required under Section J for four (4) full quarters beginning no later than 180 days after July 1, 2023 (Thursday, December 28, 2023).
