Crisis-Proof Stormwater Compliance

A crisis can be defined as something taking place because of an unpredictable incident or an unforeseeable outcome.  It is certainly understandable that most construction and industrial businesses have proactively codified a continuity plan for potential situations or emergencies for the business.  These types of industries have many moving parts taking place in their daily work.  Large machinery, hazardous materials, and manufacturing production that may create unexpected difficulties, challenges, and an unfortunate rare crisis.

A crisis can come from workplace injuries, equipment failure, and mechanical manufacturing production halted by some unforeseen situation.  These types of situations can create lost revenue, and in some cases, could shut down the business.

A crisis can also occur when improper stormwater compliance measures are not adequately defined, monitored, and maintained.  At KCI, we clearly realize construction contractors and industrial facilities have a multitude of priorities to take care of other than environmental compliance.  There are clear consequences to organizations when environmental compliance is improperly managed.  We have seen time and time again, many construction and industrial companies who have been fined millions of dollars for civil penalties to resolve Clean Water Act violations.

How do we reduce the risk?  Construction sites that disturb one acre or more of land or that is part of a larger common plan of development, are required to seek coverage under the FDEP Construction Generic Permit (CGP) for Stormwater Discharge.   The CGP that defines the requirement that a Notice of Intent (NOI) be submitted, and a stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP) must be developed, documented, implemented, and maintained throughout the life of the project.  For Industrial Facilities, the EPA National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) requires a NOI to obtain a permit with the Department of Environmental Protection for stormwater discharge. Once this permit has been obtained, regular monitoring and reporting needs to be performed at the site year-round.  Like the construction industry, Industrial facilities must also develop, document, implement, and maintain a SWPPP.

How do we avoid an environmental crisis?  A well-thought-out SWPPP is the common denominator for both construction and industrial clients.  Think of the SWPPP as your risk continuity management plan for stormwater compliance.

Like a robust overall crisis management plan, a well-defined SWPPP has similar elements that can dramatically reduce your chances of having an environmental crisis.  The SWPPP will clearly identify the stormwater compliance communications team and establish accountability and responsibility for any actions. A visual site map is also important to identify and clearly mark potential obstacles and dangers where contamination may occur such as locations and descriptions of all non-stormwater discharge points. 

A quality SWPPP will proactively help the team anticipate potential issues by illustrating the best management practices (BMP’s) to implement that may impede a crisis.  Finally, the SWPPP will established cadence for inspection rhythm as an early monitoring system that will notify the team to potential issues needing maintained. These are only a few of the critical components of an actual SWPPP.

Call KCI to learn more about all the components necessary for a successful pollution prevention plan.  KCI is an expert at developing and managing a SWPPP.  Our primary mission for a site specific SWPPP is help clients control pollutants in stormwater runoff from either construction sites or industrial facilities.

KCI is committed to protecting local waterbodies and providing expert environmental compliant services. If you have an industrial or construction site here in Florida, and possibly need environmental crisis management support, give us a call at (888) 346-7779.

Manage Waste Wisely

It is safe to say most people are concerned about the environment. There are things people do every day that have s

Conserving Water

Many of America’s waterbodies are too polluted for fishing, aquatic life, or swimming. Untreated sewage, stormwater,

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website clearly states all of us should practice the process of

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *