New Storm-Water Permit To be Issued Nov. 1

The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality will issue a new general permit on Nov. 1 for construction activities that affect storm-water runoff.r

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued new requirements in March for construction sites that are equal to one acre or larger. The changes only affect the small construction sites, as the medium to large sites have to pay at least a $200 start-up fee. r

“Before, any time five acres of soil was disturbed you had to get a permit,” said Tadd Farmer, engineer with the ADEQ.r

Farmer said that there are smaller construction sites that began work in January, for example, that might have disturbed more than an acre of land. Those construction sites will now need a permit. r

Although the smaller one- to five-acre sites will not have to pay a permit fee, they will have to come up with a storm-water pollution prevention plan and post an on-site storm-water construction notice.r

“A lot of what goes into a storm-water prevention plan is how you are going to control erosion,” Farmer said. “Really it is implementing best management practices.”r

The smaller category sites do not have to have the plan certified by an engineer.r

The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality will hold a presentation and question and answer period on the subject at 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 28 at the Jones Center for Families in Springdale.r