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Question: What happens if I don't send Ecology a DMR?
Answer: You will be in violation of your permit. Ecology will begin the process of taking an enforcement action to require compliance with your permit. You must send in a DMR every quarter of the year to comply with the permit.
Question: What do I do if my sample results show I exceed benchmark values?
Answer: You should immediately consider the pollutant that exceeds the benchmark value, look around the facility for potential sources, and identify possible actions (best management practices, BMPs) to reduce the amount of pollutant in your stormwater discharge. You should implement those actions, BMPs, as soon as possible to reduce the amount of pollutant in order to prevent further benchmark exceedances. Your permit requires that you record all these actions and keep it as part of your stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP).
Question: My DMR includes additional parameters for an industrial activity based on my SIC code. I don't think that the SIC code is right. What do I do?
Answer: Contact your regional office (click for listing). An inspector may want to conduct a site visit before they make a determination. If they agree with you, your SIC code will be changed.
Question: I discharge to ground and I don't think I have to sample stormwater. Why did I get a DMR?
Answer: This permit typically only applies to facilities that discharge stormwater to a surface waterbody. You need to contact your regional office (click for listing). They may want to conduct a site visit before they make a determination on whether you only discharge to ground. If they agree with you, we will change your monitoring requirements.
Question: I didn't think that I needed to sample my site since I lease this site and the landlord and others all discharge into the same place. Isn't the owner responsible for taking the samples?
Answer: All permittees must sample. You need to take the sample before the stormwater from your area mixes with the stormwater from others, if at all possible. If it is not possible, you still need to take a sample. If the results have values above benchmark, request a technical assistance visit from Ecology, regional inspector (click for listing), to consider how to proceed.
Question: How am I supposed to get a sample of water running down the parking lot? This is impossible.
Answer: Do you have a copy of the guide for stormwater sampling (How To Do Stormwater Sampling PDF file/3.2 MB)? Look at the examples in the guide for sampling sheet flow. You should be able to use one of these approaches at your site.
Question: Who do I mail the DMR to?
Answer: The instructions for completing the DMR has this information. They are mailed to:
Washington Department of Ecology
Water Quality Program - Industrial Stormwater Unit
PO Box 47696
Olympia, WA 98504-7696
For additional information click here for a list of contacts.
Questions: I submitted an application for conditional no exposure certificate and it is still on hold. When will Ecology make their decision? Do I have to sample in the meantime?
Answer: If you are currently under the industrial stormwater general permit, you are required to continue sampling. If you do not do the sampling, you will be in violation of your permit. Ecology regrets that we have not been able to get to all the places that applied for conditional no exposure and are currently on hold. We will get to these as quickly as we can.
Question: I submitted a Notice of Termination but Ecology still hasn't cancelled my permit. What is going on?
Answer: Before Ecology can terminate coverage, we need to conduct a site visit to determine if termination is appropriate. Ecology has 31 days to perform a termination inspection.
Question: I applied for coverage and still have not received a permit. What is the problem?
Answer: We currently have a number of high priority activities. We will get to yours as soon as possible and appreciate your patience.
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