If your facility is covered by SPDES Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP) for Stormwater Discharges Associated with Industrial Activity, keep reading! March 31st is the last day to complete the Visual Assessment of Stormwater Discharges, Routine Facility Inspection and Quarterly Sampling (if required). All inspections must be completed and kept as part of the Stormwater Protection Prevention Plan (SWPPP) for a minimum of 5 years. Sampling results must be submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website NetDMR.
Visual Assessment of Stormwater Discharges
Quarterly Visual Monitoring must be performed at least once a quarter. All samples need to be collected from discharges during a qualifying storm event with at least 0.1 inch of precipitation, providing the interval from the preceding measurable storm is at least 72 hours. The samples must be collected at every discharge location. There is no laboratory analysis required for this. The samples taken must be observed for the presence of stormwater pollution such as color, clarity, odor, floating solids, suspended solids, sheen, etc. If the monitoring indicates there is pollution in the samples, corrective actions must be taken.
Routine Facility Inspection
A Routine Facility Inspection must be performed by a qualified person on all parts of the facility where industrial materials or activities are exposed to precipitation or stormwater runoff. This inspection needs to be performed every quarter to evaluate the performance of the stormwater BMPs that are on the SWPPP. If the inspection results in any deficiency of the BMPs, corrective actions must be implemented.
Quarterly Sampling
Quarterly sampling must be conducted at all facilities that discharge to impaired waterbodies, whether it’s direct or indirect (MS4). If your facility discharges to an impaired waterbody and the cause of impairment in the water body is a pollutant of concern at the facility, your facility must conduct quarterly sampling for the particular pollutants. This sampling must be conducted during a qualified storm event by a qualified person. The results must be submitted to the EPAs online database.
Walden is experienced in conducting quarterly inspections and sampling at industrial facilities and can help your facility stay in compliance with MSGP GP-0-17-004 requirements. If you have any questions or if you’re unsure if your facility is required to be covered under the MSGP GP-0-17-004, please call Walden Environmental Engineering.