Opportunity for Comment
Renewal Maine Discharge License/Maine Pollutant Discharge Elimination System General Permit for the Discharge of Stormwater from Construction Activities
Comment deadline: May 20, 2024, 5:00 PM
The Department is authorized by the USEPA to administer the NPDES permit program in Maine. Pursuant to General Permits for Certain Wastewater Discharges, 06-096 CMR 529 (last amended June 27, 2007), the Department may issue a general permit authorizing the discharge of certain pollutants from multiple individual discharge sources and locations which all have the same type of discharges, and which involve situations where the Department determines there is a relatively low risk for significant environmental impact. The Department has determined that discharges of stormwater from construction activities into waters of the State other than groundwater that conform to the applicability and coverage standards established in the Construction General Permit may be authorized by a general permit.
The Maine Construction General Permit (MCGP) sets standards for managing stormwater that may pick up pollutants, including soil, and discharge them to waters of the State, such as lakes, streams, and wetlands. The requirement for a MCGP is triggered by the amount of disturbed area (1 acre) created during construction, and whether the site will directly discharge to surface waters of the state.
Best management practices required by the General Permit include erosion and sedimentation controls, inspection, and maintenance requirements, housekeeping standards, and new requirements for large construction activities.
The Department has issued a draft general permit for the MCGP. The public is invited to submit comments to Mark Stebbins either via email at mark.n.stebbins@maine.gov or by mail to Mark Stebbins, Maine DEP, State House Station 17, Augusta, ME 04333-0017.
Revised comment deadline. The comment period has been extended for another 30 days. All comments must be received no later than 5:00 PM, May 20, 2024.