| Waste generated at an industrial site, when exposed to rain or outdoor watering, can wash into rivers, streams and lakes. Runoff can occur in areas where raw materials are handled or where waste materials or manufacturing byproducts collect. These areas include material handling sites; refuse sites; sites used for the application or disposal of processed wastewater; sites used for the storage and maintenance of materials; storage or disposal sites; shipping and receiving areas; storage areas for raw materials and intermediate and finished products; and areas where industrial activity has taken place in the past and significant materials remain.
The NPDES program also requires that the discharge of stormwater from certain types of industrial facilities to be reulated under a permit program. Industrial stormwater is defined as that discharged from any conveyance which is used for collecting and conveying stormwater and which is directly related to manufacturing, processing or materials storage areas. Discharge of stormwater from regulated industrial facilities as managed under a single general permit that was re-issued by Georgia EPD in 1998.
Currently, ten categories of industrial facilities are required to have an NPDES permit for their stormwater discharge. The categories include manufacturing facilities; mining, oil and gas operations; hazardous waste treatment, storage or disposal facilites; recycling facilities; steam electric power generating facilities; transportation facilities; facilities treating domestic sewage or sewage sludge; landfills, land application sites and open dumps; facilities subject to effluent guidelines and new performance standards under 40 CFR Subchapter N (for exampel, feedlots, cement and phosphate manufacturing; petroleum refining; coal, ore and mineral mining; asphalt, etc.) and construction activities.
Many of the categories are broken down into specific industries within these categories that are required to have an NPDES permit. These include:
| - Metal Mining |
-Coal Mining |
| -Oil & Gas Extraction |
-Nonmetallic Minerals, Except Fuels |
| -Food & Kindred Products |
-Tobacco Products |
| -Lumber & Wood Products |
-Textile Mill Products |
| -Apparel & Other Textile Products |
-Furniture & Fixtures |
| -Paper & Allied Products |
-Printing & Publishing |
| -Chemicals & Allied Products |
-Rubber & Miscellaneous Plastics |
| -Leather & Leather Products |
-Stone, Clay, & Glass Products |
| -Primary Metal Industries |
-Fabricated Metal Products |
| -Industrial Machinery & Equipment |
-Transportation Equipment |
| -Instruments & Related Products |
-Miscellaneous Manufacturing Industries |
| -Railroad Transportation |
-Local & Interurban Passenger Transit |
| -Trucking & Warehousing |
-U.S. Postal Service |
| -Water Transportation |
-Transportation by Air |
| -Petroleum Bulk Stations & Terminals |
-Scrap & Waste Materials |
New industrial facilites are required to submit a Notice of Intent (NOI)48 hours prior to conducting any new activity. Provisions of the permit require preparationg of a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan and annual certification of plan implementation. Industrial facilities must comply with the requirements of the general industrial stormwater permit, including preparation and submittal of Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans.
There are other types of regulated stormwater discharges. More information on construction related discharges can be found in the Industrial sectional of the What Can I Do? area of the website. Descriptions of the permit categories can be found at www.epa.gov/npdes. For more information on local NPDES MS4 permit programs in the area, click here.
Industrial facilities that use metal, chemicals, plastics, vehicle fluids or other products must comply with EPA standards. Basic best management practices (BMPs) apply to most industrial processes. These include:
- blocking drains or building structures to keep pollutants from entering drains,
- educating employees about how to handle pollutants and prevent pollution
- creating a plan to handle spills
- using dry methods of clean up instead of hosing down areas and
- covering products exposed to wind or rain.
For more industrial/commercial solutions to pollution, click here.
Industrial Waste
Industrial wastes can be liquid, solid or gaseous substances resulting from any industrial or manufacturing process, commercial food processing, or other operations, including the development, recovery, or processing of natural resources; leachate from landfills or other disposal sites, decant water and contaminated non-process water. |
