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Strategy: Permit Review and Appeals by Puget Soundkeeper
Describes permit appeals, etc
Strong permits are the linchpin in reducing pollution to Puget Sound.
One of Puget Soundkeeper Alliance's primary activities is the review and scrutiny of National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Washington State Department of Ecology (WSDOE), to ensure that we are making progress in cleaning up our waterways. (The US Environmental Protection Agency has delegated the Washington State Department of Ecology (WSDOE) as the primary agency responsible for implementing federal and state water pollution control laws and regulations.)
WSDOE writes permits that set precise limits on pollutant discharges to state waters. Permits have a lifespan of five years, when they are to be reviewed and discharge limits are to be reduced, with the eventual goal of zero pollution.
Some permits are "Individual" permits that regulate discharges from a single point (a "point-source.") Most individual permits are for industries and for municipal sewage treatment plants.
Other permits, called "General" permits, regulate a class of industries or activities, such as discharges from boatyards or sand and gravel operations.
Another type of pollution is the general runoff from streets, parking lots, agricultural lands, and open land. This is called "non-point" pollution and is most often regulated by stormwater permits, which are usually General permits.
Current General Permits under review, appeal, and negotiation:
- Construction Stormwater General Permit
- Municipal Stormwater General Permits, Phases 1 and 2
- Industrial Stormwater General Permit
How Clean Is Your Water?
Soundkeeper Volunteer Training
