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Ohio

SWPPP requirements in Ohio

Ohio issues its own construction general permit. We have read General Permit Authorization for Stormwater Discharges Associated with Construction Activity Under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (OHC000006) and list below the requirements we could cite to it, with the scope limits stated plainly. Screen your own acreage further down.

Who may prepare the plan

No preparer credential found

No preparer credential was found for Ohio. On what we have verified, a generated plan can be adopted by the operator without a credentialed signature. Local ordinances can still be stricter than state law.

No preparer credential found in the reviewed sources. Not exhaustively verified; confirm with the state agency and any local ordinance.

No permit section cited. Confirm this with your permitting authority.

Coverage trigger

Worked through at 3 acres

The project disturbs 3 acres, at or above the 1 acre threshold, so it needs permit coverage.

The trigger people miss is the second one. A half acre lot inside a 40 acre subdivision is covered, because the larger common plan of development or sale is what counts, not the lot.

Read these before you act on the answer

  • Requirements below are what we have read and cited directly from General Permit Authorization for Stormwater Discharges Associated with Construction Activity Under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (OHC000006), not the federal CGP. A category we have not yet transcribed from this permit is omitted here rather than assumed to match EPA's rule.
  • Ohio's general permit contains no numeric effluent limits or benchmarks (turbidity, pH, TSS, etc.) for ordinary construction-site discharges — Part V.V 'General Effluent Limitation' is narrative only ('free of substances... in amounts that will...'), with no numeric thresholds. The only numeric percentage figures found in the permit body are (a) the 70% vegetative-cover density that defines 'final stabilization' (Part VII.M) and (b) the 80% TSS-removal / 20 mg/L effluent criteria used only to qualify an alternative post-construction BMP for approval (Part III.G.2.e.x), not a discharge limit on ordinary runoff. Ohio has no acreage-tiered stabilization-completion deadline like federal Table 2; instead it uses a two-table (permanent/temporary) system keyed to proximity to surface waters and dormancy duration (Part II.B), modeled below with new state.oh.* ids rather than forced into the federal stabilization.complete.* ids. No explicit numeric hours/days deadline was found in the permit text for how soon after an inspection the written inspection report/checklist itself must be completed (only that it must be completed following each inspection), so inspection.report.deadline is omitted rather than invented. Appendices A (Big Darby Creek Watershed) and B (Olentangy River Watershed) contain additional watershed-specific requirements (including a shorter 45-day pre-construction NOI deadline and mandatory SWP3-with-NOI submission) that were not further explored in this pass.
  • No preparer credential was found for Ohio. On what we have verified, a generated plan can be adopted by the operator without a credentialed signature. Local ordinances can still be stricter than state law.
  • Basinwise does not perform the physical site inspections the permit requires. Those must be carried out on site by a qualified person.

What the permit requires of a Ohio site

Worked for a three acre site with the receiving water unconfirmed. Each line says why it attached to this site rather than in general. Check the notes above for the site sizes this permit does not cover.

Filing

Plan before Notice of Intent

An acceptable SWP3 shall be completed and submitted to the applicable regulated MS4 entity (for projects constructed entirely within a regulated MS4 area) prior to the timely submittal of an NOI. Projects within the Big Darby Creek and portions of the Olentangy watersheds must submit a SWP3 with the NOI. Upon request and good cause shown, the director may waive the requirement to have a SWP3 completed at NOI submission, but if waived the SWP3 must be completed prior to initiation of construction activities and implemented upon initiation of construction activities.

An acceptable SWP3 shall be completed and submitted to the applicable regulated MS4 entity (for projects constructed entirely within a regulated MS4 area) prior to the timely submittal of an NOI. Projects within the Big Darby Creek and portions of the Olentangy watersheds must submit a SWP3 with the NOI.
VerifiedPart III.BSource
Notice of Intent deadline
21

At least 21 days prior to commencement of construction activity (45 days in the Big Darby Creek watershed and portions of the Olentangy watershed). Coverage is not effective until an approval letter is received from the director.

Why this applies here: This is the deadline for a new site. A transfer to a new operator or an emergency related project has a different deadline.

Operators who intend to obtain initial coverage for a stormwater discharge associated with construction activity under this general permit must submit a complete and accurate NOI application form, a completed Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWP3) for projects within the Big Darby Creek and portions of the Olentangy river watersheds and appropriate fee at least 21 days (or 45 days in the Big Darby Creek watershed and portions of the Olentangy watershed) prior to the commencement of construction activity.
VerifiedPart I.F.1.aSource
Notice of Termination deadline
45

All permittees shall submit an NOT form within 45 days of completing all permit requirements (e.g., final stabilization achieved, maintenance plan in place, temporary controls removed, or discharges otherwise eliminated).

All permittees shall submit an NOT form within 45 days of completing all permit requirements.
VerifiedPart IV.B.2Source

Inspections

Inspection frequency, option 1
7

At a minimum, all controls on the site must be inspected after any storm event greater than one-half inch of rain per 24-hour period (by the end of the next calendar day, excluding weekends and holidays unless work is scheduled), and once every seven calendar days.

Why this applies here: You have not confirmed whether the site discharges to an impaired or high quality water. If it does, the increased frequency applies instead and this answer changes.

after any storm event greater than one-half inch of rain per 24-hour period by the end of the next calendar day, excluding weekends and holidays unless work is scheduled; and once every seven calendar days.
VerifiedPart III.G.2.iSource
Who may inspect

A person knowledgeable in the principles and practice of erosion and sediment controls, who possesses the skills to assess all conditions at the construction site that could impact stormwater quality and to assess the effectiveness of any sediment and erosion control measures selected to control the quality of stormwater discharges from the construction activity.

Why this applies here: This is why Basinwise cannot perform your inspections. The permit requires a trained person physically on the site.

“Qualified inspection personnel” means a person knowledgeable in the principles and practice of erosion and sediment controls, who possesses the skills to assess all conditions at the construction site that could impact stormwater quality and to assess the effectiveness of any sediment and erosion control measures selected to control the quality of stormwater discharges from the construction activity.
VerifiedPart VII.BBSource

Corrective action

Corrective action, minor fix

within 3 days of the inspection (10 days for sediment settling ponds)

If the inspection reveals that a control practice is in need of repair or maintenance, with the exception of a sediment settling pond, it shall be repaired or maintained within 3 days of the inspection. Sediment settling ponds shall be repaired or maintained within 10 days of the inspection.
VerifiedPart III.G.2.i ("When practices require repair or maintenance")Source
Corrective action, major fix
10

If the inspection reveals that a control practice fails to perform its intended function and that another, more appropriate control practice is required, the SWP3 shall be amended and the new control practice shall be installed within 10 days of the inspection.

If the inspection reveals that a control practice fails to perform its intended function and that another, more appropriate control practice is required, the SWP3 shall be amended and the new control practice shall be installed within 10 days of the inspection.
VerifiedPart III.G.2.i ("When practices fail to provide their intended function")Source

Buffers

Natural buffer
50

If feasible, provide and maintain a 50-foot undisturbed natural buffer around surface waters of the state, directing stormwater to vegetated areas to increase sediment removal and maximize infiltration. If infeasible to maintain the 50-foot buffer, the permittee must instead comply with the accelerated stabilization timeframes in Part II.B for areas within 50 feet of a surface water.

If feasible, provide and maintain a 50-foot undisturbed natural buffer around surface waters of the state, direct stormwater to vegetated areas to increase sediment removal and maximize stormwater infiltration. If it is infeasible to provide and maintain an undisturbed 50-foot natural buffer, you shall comply with the stabilization requirements found in Part II.B for areas within 50 feet of a surface water.
VerifiedPart II.A.6Source

Records you must keep

Record retention
3

The permittee shall maintain, for three years following the submittal of a notice of termination form, a record summarizing the results of the inspection, name(s) and qualifications of personnel making the inspection, the date(s) of the inspection, major observations relating to the implementation of the SWP3, and a certification as to compliance.

Why this applies here: The clock runs from permit expiry or termination, not from when the record was written, so on a multi year project every record stays live for the whole project plus three years.

The permittee shall maintain for three years following the submittal of a notice of termination form, a record summarizing the results of the inspection, names(s) and qualifications of personnel making the inspection, the date(s) of the inspection, major observations relating to the implementation of the SWP3 and a certification as to whether the facility is in compliance with the SWP3 and the permit and identify any incidents of non-compliance.
VerifiedPart III.G.2.iSource

Screen a Ohio site now

Your acreage, your receiving water, your answer. Runs in your browser, nothing is transmitted.

Screen your site

Runs in your browser

Total land disturbance over the whole project, including staging and access. This decides whether you need a permit at all.

Optional. If you phase the work, the most that will be disturbed at once. Leave blank if the whole site is open together. The stabilisation deadline turns on this figure, not the total.

A half acre lot inside a 40 acre subdivision is covered even though the lot alone is under the threshold. This is the most commonly missed trigger in the permit.

Receiving water and site conditions(optional, but they change the inspection frequency)

May allow a reduced inspection frequency during the seasonally dry period.

EPA keeps permitting authority in Indian country even inside a state that runs its own programme.

No account, no card, nothing transmitted.

What a plan has to cover, under the federal permit

This is EPA's list, from the 2022 Construction General Permit. It does NOT govern in Ohio, where the state issues its own permit and sets its own contents. It is here as a shape to expect, not as the requirement you will be held to.

General SWPPP requirementPart 7.1Verified
  • All operators associated with a construction site under this permit must develop a SWPPP consistent with Part 7 prior to their submittal of the NOI. The SWPPP must be kept up-to-date throughout coverage under this permit. If a SWPPP was prepared under a previous version of this permit, the operator must review and update it before submitting an NOI.
All Site OperatorsPart 7.2.1Verified
  • Include a list of all other operators who will be engaged in construction activities at the site, and the areas of the site over which each operator has control.
Stormwater TeamPart 7.2.2Verified
  • Identify the personnel (by name and position) on the stormwater team pursuant to Part 6.1, their individual responsibilities, and which members are responsible for conducting inspections. Include verification that each member has received the Part 6.2 training, and documentation that inspection personnel have received the Part 6.3 training (EPA inspector training certificates, or documentation of a current non-EPA program certification plus confirmation the program satisfies the Part 6.3b minimum elements).
Nature of Construction ActivitiesParts 7.2.3a - 7.2.3iVerified
  • A description of the nature of your construction activities, including the age or dates of past renovations for structures undergoing demolition
  • The size of the property (in acres, or length in miles if a linear construction site)
  • The total area expected to be disturbed by the construction activities (to the nearest quarter acre, or nearest quarter mile if a linear construction site)
  • A description of any on-site and off-site construction support activity areas covered by this permit
  • The maximum area expected to be disturbed at any one time, including on-site and off-site construction support activity areas
  • A description and projected schedule for: commencement of construction activities in each portion of the site (clearing and grubbing, mass grading, demolition, site preparation, final grading, and creation of soil and vegetation stockpiles requiring stabilization); temporary or permanent cessation of construction activities in each portion; temporary or final stabilization of exposed areas for each portion; and removal of temporary stormwater controls and construction equipment or vehicles and cessation of construction-related pollutant-generating activities
  • A list and description of all pollutant-generating activities on the site, with an inventory of pollutants or pollutant constituents associated with each, taking into account where potential spills and leaks could occur and any known hazardous or toxic substances such as PCBs and asbestos that will be disturbed or removed
  • Business days and hours for the project
  • If conducting construction activities in response to a public emergency, a description of the cause of the emergency, information substantiating its occurrence (e.g. a State disaster declaration), and a description of the construction necessary to reestablish affected public services
Site MapParts 7.2.4a - 7.2.4kVerified
  • Boundaries of the property
  • Locations where construction activities will occur, including: locations of earth-disturbing activities (noting any phasing) including demolition; approximate slopes before and after major grading (noting any steep slopes); locations where sediment, soil or other construction materials will be stockpiled; any receiving water crossings; designated points where vehicles will exit onto paved roads; locations of structures and other impervious surfaces upon completion; and locations of on-site and off-site construction support activity areas
  • Locations of any receiving waters within the site and all receiving waters within one mile downstream of the site's discharge point(s), identifying whether any are listed as impaired or identified as a Tier 2, Tier 2.5 or Tier 3 water
  • Any areas of Federally listed critical habitat within the action area of the site
  • Type and extent of pre-construction cover on the site (e.g. vegetative cover, forest, pasture, pavement, structures)
  • Drainage patterns of stormwater and authorized non-stormwater before and after major grading activities
  • Stormwater and authorized non-stormwater discharge locations, including discharges to storm drain inlets (noting whether the inlet conveys stormwater to a sediment basin, sediment trap or similarly effective control), discharges directly to receiving waters, and locations where turbidity benchmark monitoring will take place
  • Locations of all potential pollutant-generating activities identified in Part 7.2.3g
  • Designated areas where construction wastes covered by the Part 2.3.3e.ii exception will be stored
  • Locations of stormwater controls, including natural buffer areas and any shared controls utilized to comply with this permit
  • Locations where polymers, flocculants or other treatment chemicals will be used and stored
Non-Stormwater DischargesPart 7.2.5Verified
  • Identify all authorized non-stormwater discharges in Part 1.2.2 that will or may occur.
Procedures for Inspection, Maintenance, and Corrective ActionParts 7.2.7a - 7.2.7eVerified
  • The inspection schedule you will follow, based on whether your site is subject to Part 4.2 or Part 4.3, or whether it qualifies for any of the reduced inspection frequencies in Part 4.4
  • If conducting inspections under Part 4.2.2, Part 4.3 or Part 4.4.1b, the location of the rain gauge or the address of the weather station you will use to obtain rainfall data
  • If reducing your inspection frequency in accordance with Part 4.4.1b, the beginning and ending dates of the seasonally defined arid period for your area or the valid period of drought
  • If reducing your inspection frequency in accordance with Part 4.4.3, the beginning and ending dates of frozen conditions on your site
  • Any maintenance or inspection checklists or other forms that will be used
Procedures for Turbidity Benchmark Monitoring from Dewatering Discharges (if applicable)Part 7.2.8Verified
  • If required to comply with the Part 3.3 turbidity benchmark monitoring requirements, describe the procedures you will follow to collect and evaluate samples, report results to EPA, keep records of monitoring information, and take corrective action when necessary. Include the specific type of turbidity meter you will use and any manuals or manufacturer instructions on how to operate and calibrate it. Describe any coordinating arrangement with other permitted operators on the same site, including which parties are tasked with specific responsibilities. If EPA has approved an alternate turbidity benchmark, include the data and documentation relied on to request it.
Compliance with Other RequirementsParts 7.2.9a - 7.2.9cVerified
  • Threatened and Endangered Species Protection: include the documentation required in the Endangered Species Protection section of the NOI in NeT, or the ESA worksheet in Appendix D, supporting your eligibility
  • Historic Properties: include the documentation required in Appendix E supporting your eligibility with regard to the protection of historic properties
  • Safe Drinking Water Act Underground Injection Control (UIC) requirements: if using infiltration trenches, commercially manufactured pre-cast or pre-built proprietary subsurface detention vaults/chambers/devices designed to capture and infiltrate stormwater, or drywells, seepage pits or improved sinkholes, document any contact with the applicable State agency or EPA Regional Office responsible for underground injection wells. Such controls would generally be considered Class V UIC wells
SWPPP CertificationPart 7.2.10Verified
  • Your signatory must sign and date your SWPPP in accordance with Appendix G, Part G.11.
Post-Authorization Additions to the SWPPPParts 7.2.11a - 7.2.11cVerified
  • A copy of your NOI submitted to EPA along with any correspondence exchanged between you and EPA related to coverage under this permit
  • A copy of the acknowledgment letter you receive from NeT assigning your NPDES ID (i.e. permit tracking number)
  • A copy of this permit (an electronic copy easily available to the stormwater team is also acceptable)

Read the permit itself at the source document.

What people ask about SWPPP requirements in Ohio

What are the SWPPP requirements in Ohio?

Ohio issues its own construction general permit, and we have read General Permit Authorization for Stormwater Discharges Associated with Construction Activity Under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (OHC000006). The requirements listed on this page, such as inspection frequency, who may inspect, stabilisation, corrective action and record retention, are cited to that permit rather than to EPA's. Anything we have not transcribed is left out instead of assumed to match the federal rule, and the scope note on this page says which sites the permit does not cover. Confirm the current permit and any site-size variant with Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA).

Who may prepare a SWPPP in Ohio?

No preparer credential was found for Ohio. On what we have verified, a generated plan can be adopted by the operator without a credentialed signature. Local ordinances can still be stricter than state law.

How often must a Ohio site be inspected?

The inspection frequency is set by the Ohio construction general permit, which we have not read. Confirm it with Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA).

Who may prepare a stormwater plan in Ohio

The permit makes you keep the record, not just know the answer

Screening is free. Pro generates the site specific plan document and retains the inspection and corrective action log.

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