Washington State Department of Ecology : Solid Waste : NPDES

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permits

Purpose-

The federal Clean Water Act set a national goal to "...restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters." The Act prohibits the discharge of pollutants, from any point source, into waters of the United States-unless that discharge is of a nature, and of an amount below the pollutant limit, allowed by a discharge permit. The EPA's intent was to accomplish the Act's goal of protecting public health and aquatic life, by regulating discharges. These regulations were intended to assure that every regulated facility complies with applicable technology based effluent limits and that each such facility treats wastewater before discharging it.

Authority-

The national Environmental Protection Agency devised guidelines for setting discharge limits based upon existing wastewater treatment technologies for specific industrial categories, (the Pulp and Paper industry, for example). The EPA has also developed water quality criteria to protect both aquatic organisms and human health. The aquatic criteria or standards were based on toxicity tests performed on these organisms using industrial pollutants in a laboratory. These guidelines and standards change as the EPA reviews and develops new information. The EPA delegated both permit writing and enforcement authority to Washington State Department of Ecology staff for facilities operating in Washington State.

Ecology's responsibility-

Industries and municipalities submit permit applications to Ecology. Each permit application contains information about pollutants in the discharge as well as information about the industrial or municipal facility. Using that information Ecology develops an NPDES permit. The terms of each permit reflect the more stringent requirements of both federal and state regulations. Ecology's permit writers visit the sites and collect samples of the discharge to verify facility compliance with the terms of the permits. Ecology permit writers also offer technical assistance on site, and their inspections urge facilities toward "best management practices."

The NPDES Permit specifically limits the kinds and amounts of pollutants that the facility may discharge into receiving water; it also contains general and site- specific water quality monitoring protocols, performance schedules, and reporting requirements.

The Fact Sheet describes the facility's physical location as well as the rules, technical standards, and water quality criteria on which the Permit Conditions are based. The Fact Sheet is not, generally, subject to change by public comment.

The Response to Comments summarizes recommendations received about the draft permit, along with Ecology's response regarding - (1) the scope and design of the Permit, (2) the NPDES program and permitting process, and (3) broader pollution control issues influencing permit conditions.

Community's role-

You have the right to access project information and the rationale for each of the limits and the monitoring and reporting requirements contained in the permit. You are responsible for understanding the trade-offs inherent in regulating this enterprise - for asking about and commenting on, each of the elements that affects your interests, within the legal timeframe. You are entitled to learn how your comments influenced the elements of the final Permit. You have a right to appeal the final Permit if you believe Ecology staff failed to properly apply the federal or state laws, by filing with the Pollution Control Hearings Board.