Today, the State Water Resources Control Board (State Board) released for public comment its Draft Industrial Storm Water Permit and supporting documents.  This is the fourth (and likely final) version of the Draft Industrial Storm Water Permit, which is designed to replace the existing Industrial Storm Water Permit in place since 1997.

The Draft Industrial Storm Water permit is slated for consideration and adoption at the April 1, 2014, State Board hearing (really, April Fool’s Day—no joke).  The public comment period on the Draft permit closes on Tuesday, March 4, 2014, at 12:00 noon.  The State Board cautions interested parties that it will only accept and consider “written and oral comments that are limited to the identified proposed revisions to the Final Draft Industrial General Permit made since July 19, 2013.”  (Notice of Adoption Meeting and Notice of Availability of Draft Documents (Feb. 19, 2014).) 

The Draft Industrial Storm Water permit is relevant to any entity currently covered under the 1997 Industrial Storm Water permit, as well as a number of other entities that may be covered under the permit for the first time.

If adopted on April 1st, the Draft Industrial Storm Water permit will come into force on July 1, 2015, giving regulated entities—and those that may now come under the permit—a little over a year to come into compliance.

Stoel Rives attorneys are analyzing the Draft Industrial Storm Water permit, and future posts will discuss observations and issues identified in the draft permit.