The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has announced that companies involved in the scrap recycling industry are among a group of industries that will need to apply for an Industrial Stormwater Multi-Sector General Permit. The requirement went into effect April 5, 2010.
The MPCA notes that despite significant outreach and publicity about the permit, a significant number of businesses have failed to apply for the re-issued permit. The agency notes that the new permit affects 10 industrial categories organized into 29 sectors, ranging from timber products to chemical manufacturing, scrap recycling, landfills, air transportation and salvage yards.
For a complete list, visit the agency's industrial stormwater Web site at www.pca.state.mn.us/water/stormwater/stormwater-i.html. The site also has the permit application and instructions, describes sector-specific permit application dates, offers 14 steps to permit compliance, guides permittees on how to create a related pollution-prevention plan, lists a schedule of training and outreach opportunities and includes information about how businesses may gain certification for a five-year permit exclusion called "No Exposure."
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and all states require industrial stormwater permit coverage and offer the No Exposure option. Until now, Minnesota was one of very few states that did not require industrial stormwater discharge monitoring. The new permit establishes risk-based monitoring objectives that can be reached through best management practices and site-based controls.
Since the previous industrial stormwater permit expired in 2002, agency staff has been developing permit language that is aligned with federal and state requirements, reduces pollutants in industrial stormwater discharges and provides a balance of environmental protection and facility flexibility. Key differences between the two permits include new sampling and monitoring requirements and discharge restrictions related to impaired waters.