New Year, New Permit—Explore Requirements of the New 2018 MPDES CGP

January 1, 2018 was not only New Year’s Day, but day one of the new Montana Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (MPDES) Construction General Permit, referred to as the CGP.

 

When is a CGP needed?

 

If both of the following two criteria are met:

 

1. There are areas of ground disturbance or other potential pollutant sources due to the construction activity where a storm water discharge to state surface water can occur.

2. The construction activity has a total area of ground disturbance through clearing, excavating, grading, or placement/removal of earth material which is equal to or greater than one acre

 

This new CGP is a big deal because there are some changes in both the paperwork and procedures.

 

PERMIT HIGHLIGHTS

 

-The form Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) is shorter, 10 pages versus 19 pages.

-Checklists are used to identify ‘potential pollutants’, ‘BMPs’, ‘major construction activity’, and ‘BMP phasing.’

-There are three choices on how to revise the SWPPP (revise SWPPP and site maps, use inspection reports and revise site maps, and updates in a log and revise site maps.

-Inspections can be delayed if severe winter conditions occur.

-Public signage is required beginning in 2021.

 

WHAT does the new CGP mean for construction projects that were started last year but not ready to be closed?

 

You need to submit a renewal.  A renewal consists of an NOI and SWPPP.  Additional fees are not needed AT THIS TIME.

 

WHO provides that service?

 

WET will gladly prepare renewal packages.  We have an interview form with all the required site information identified.

 

WHY can’t I take care of the renewal myself?

 

You can if you are a certified SWPPP Administrator and your certification is current.

 

WHERE can I get recertified?

 

WET will gladly help (are you sensing a pattern here?) WET is one of the ‘acknowledged training provider by the state of Montana’.  That means we provided a curriculum to the state, which was reviewed and approved for:

 

-BMP 201 SWPPP Preparer and Administrator Certification Program and

-BMP 201-R SWPPP Preparer and Administrator Recertification Program.

 

WHEN are trainings scheduled?

 

Our 2018 schedule will be announced soon.

 

Stay tuned!

WET Expands Great Falls Office

Water & Environmental Technologies, Inc. (WET) is excited to announce the hiring of Rich West, PE and Shawn Arthur, PE in its Great Falls, Montana office.  “We are very pleased to have acquired professionals of Rich and Shawn’s caliber. WET is committed to growing its presence in the Great Falls region,” said Josh Vincent, Vice President of WET.

 

Rich is the Great Falls Office Manager and a Senior Civil Engineer with over thirty years of experience in consulting engineering. He specializes in project management, transportation engineering, drainage, site development, and municipal engineering. Rich provides services to a large variety of clients including local, state, tribal and federal entities along with industrial clients and private developers. Rich graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Montana State University.  He is a Registered Professional Engineer in the State of Montana (#8626PE).

 

Shawn is a Senior Civil Engineer and has worked in the civil engineering consulting industry since 1993. He has significant project management experience encompassing municipal subdivision development; storm water master planning and modeling; storm water interceptor and collector pipeline design; sanitary sewer collection system and pump station design; waste water treatment system design; municipal water treatment, pumping, storage, transmission and distribution system design; environmental permitting; industrial and commercial civil site development; industrial and residential street and parking facilities; ADA compliant municipal sidewalk design and construction administration . Shawn serves as a project manager, construction administrator and engineer on numerous municipal water, sewer and storm drain infrastructure projects; land development and annexation projects and municipal infrastructure master planning projects.

 

Shawn has experience working with small private developers, nationwide commercial developers and governmental entities ranging from the smallest unincorporated communities to Federal Military Bases, municipalities, and state transportation departments. Shawn graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Montana State University. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in the State of Montana (#11007PE).

 

WET is a regional environmental and civil engineering consulting firm with offices in Butte, Anaconda, Great Falls, and Bozeman, Montana. You can reach our Great Falls office at 406-761-2290.

 

Learn more about the entire WET team and all our locations.