Clean Water Act

The Clean Water Act contains the formal law behind water pollution regulations in the United States. It establishes discharge water quality limits and receiving water body standards. It is enforced through the NPDES permit by the EPA and delegated to most states. Click above to learn more.

Endangered Species Act

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Commerce Department’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The purpose of the ESA is to protect and recover imperiled species and their habitats. It prohibits any direct or indirect harm to endangered species. It prohibits any water pollution which may threaten endangered species by altering their habitat. Click above to learn more.

NPDES General Permit

Construction activities (which include soil disturbing activities such as clearing, grading, excavating, stockpiling, etc.) that disturb one or more acres and plan on discharging stormwater are required to obtain a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System Permit. It is administered by the EPA and delegated to most states. To obtain coverage, it requires that a site specific Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan be submitted and approved. Click above to learn more.

NPDES Multi-Sector General Permit

The MSGP is required for industrial facilities that have stormwater discharged off-site. It specifies steps that facility operators must take prior to becoming eligible for permit coverage, including submitting a Notice of Intent (NOI), installing stormwater control measures to minimize pollutants in stormwater runoff, and developing a stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP). It is administered by the EPA and delegated to most states. Click above to learn more.

National Menu of Stormwater BMPs

This is a good resource for MS4s, construction site operators, developers and site owners when selecting Best Management Practices (BMPs) to eliminate, reduce and prevent stormwater pollution and maintain permit compliance. The menu of BMPs is based on the Stormwater Phase II Rule's six minimum control measures. Click above to learn more.

Construction Compliance Assistance Center

The Construction Compliance Assistance Center is a valuable tool that compiles all construction permitting information and requirements for each state in an easy to use format. Click above to find the permitting requirements of your state.

State Environmental Agencies

This page provides links to each state's environmental regulatory agency. Click above to look up your state.

Stormwater Management Manual of Washington

This is a very useful five part technical manual for contractors operating in Washington State. The stormwater management advocated in this manual involves: careful application of site design principles; construction techniques to prevent erosion and the discharge of sediments and other pollutants; source controls to keep pollutants out of stormwater; flow control facilities to reduce discharge flow rates; and treatment facilities to reduce pollutants. Click above to learn more.

Top