CONSTRUCTION STORMWATER PERMITTING AND COMPLIANCE SERVICES

Clean water is one of the most important assets we have, particularly as we continue to see increases in population and development, and protecting the quality of surface water in the United States has become a priority during the past 30 years. Rainwater runoff transports sediment, petroleum products, metals, fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and other pollutants from construction sites, commercial properties, industrial sites, and residential neighborhoods into streams, rivers, and lakes. These pollutants can then accumulate and affect not only wildlife but water supplies.

In 1972 the US EPA introduced the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program. The NPDES program was authorized by the Clean Water Act and has resulted in significant improvements in surface water quality.

Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) Administrative Code Chapter 335- 6-12 requires preparation of a Best Management Practices (BMP) Plan by a Qualified Credentialed Professional (QCP) for construction sites where one or more acres of land will be disturbed. The BMP Plan is a document detailing structural and non-structural pollution reduction measures that will be implemented at a site.

For construction sites in Alabama with a potential to disturb one or more acres of land, NPDES regulations require inspection of structural and non-structural best management practices (BMPs) within 72 hours following 0.75 inches of rain in a 24-hour period, with a minimum of one inspection per month. These regulations require that these inspections be conducted by a Qualified Credentialed Inspector (QCI), QCP, or someone under the direct supervision of a QCP. Environmental, Inc. staff includes QCPs who have over 25 years of combined experience in NPDES compliance for construction sites.