Industrial facilities can potentially generate stormwater exposure to material handling or general business operation activities. An industrial business must take daily precautions so work activity does not start polluted stormwater runoff that may cause harm to the environment.
Industrial stormwater refers to runoff that is generated during industrial activities such as manufacturing, processing, and storage that may be exposed to rainfall. This runoff can pick up pollutants such as chemicals, oils, and heavy metals, and can potentially contaminate nearby waterways.
To address this issue, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established regulations that require certain industries to obtain permits for their stormwater discharges. These permits require companies to implement Best Management Practices (BMPs) to minimize pollutants in their runoff. Stormwater treatment BMPs are intended to prevent or minimize contamination or potentially treat runoff contaminated with pollutants before entering a local water body.
Here are the three most common BMPs for industrial stormwater management may include:
- Properly storing and handling materials to prevent spills.
- Regularly cleaning and maintaining stormwater drainage systems.
- Conducting regular inspections and monitoring stormwater discharges.
All industrial businesses that fall within one of the EPAs pre-defined industrial sectors must have some type of stormwater permit. Based on your business sector, types of activities and processes conducted on your site may qualify you for the Conditional No Exposure Exclusion, referred to as NEX.
A Conditional No Exposure Exclusion permit is one of three industrial stormwater permit types. The NEX permit offers the lowest level of stormwater program requirements. The general condition that must be met to be approved for the NEX permit, is that the business must establish that no industrial materials or activities are exposed to precipitation or runoff.
To determine if your business qualifies for the NEX permit, here are some questions you can evaluate: Are materials or products during loading, unloading, or transporting exposed to precipitation? Are any materials or products stored outdoors (except final products)? Are residual materials (metal shavings, saw dust, scrap metal) exposed to precipitation? If you answered “no” to all these questions, you may qualify for the NEX permit.
The NEX permit is valid for 5 years and will need to be renewed every 5 years so long as the site conditions remain the same. Still have questions about which permit type is best for you or how to apply? Give KCI a call and we can guide you through the process!
KCI is an expert at stormwater management. We strive to ensure your NPDES permit is managed, perform quality inspections, and deliver quality reporting with a clear path to success. KCI is here to help, call us to today at 888-346-7779.
