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Tennessee

SWPPP requirements in Tennessee

Tennessee issues its own construction general permit. We have read National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) General Permit for Discharges of Stormwater Associated with Construction Activities (Construction General Permit), Permit Number TNR100000 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

Conditional, depends on the site

Tennessee gates plan preparation only above a threshold this site does not meet. The gate applies above 5 acres. This site is 3 acres. On what we have verified, a generated plan can be adopted without a credentialed signature.

Qualifying routes

  • Registered professional engineer (TN)
  • Registered landscape architect (TN)
  • Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control (CPESC)
  • Completion of TDEC's "Level II Design Principles for Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control for Construction Sites" course

Gate is acreage-based, not a single mandatory credential: sites 5 acres or less of disturbance have no SWPPP-preparer qualification requirement (optional TDEC templates available); sites over 5 acres require the narrative be prepared by someone meeting one of the routes above, and the permit's own list is open ("such as, but not limited to"). The separately-triggered PE/landscape-architect stamp requirement applies only to engineering design of sediment basins/structural controls at 10+ acre (or 5+ acre for sensitive waters) drainage areas — commonly conflated with a full-SWPPP PE requirement, which this permit does not impose. Reconfirms and supersedes the prior entry, which was sourced to the 2011 permit and flagged for reconfirmation against the 2021 version.

Verified2021 Tennessee CGP (TNR100000), Part 5.2 "Qualification Requirements"Source

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 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) General Permit for Discharges of Stormwater Associated with Construction Activities (Construction General Permit), Permit Number TNR100000, 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.
  • This is TDEC's current 2021-issued TNR100000 General Permit (effective 10/1/2021, expires 9/30/2026). TDEC's own hosted PDF returned an HTTP 403 to automated fetch, so text was read from an identical mirror hosted by the Tennessee Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control Association, which reproduces the same TDEC letterhead, permit number, and dates. Since the permit expires 9/30/2026 (about six weeks after retrieval), a reissuance may be in progress; no evidence of an already-effective newer version was found. Numeric monitoring parameters in Section 5.5.3.3(f)/5.5.3.5 are 'Report'-only values (no fixed numeric exceedance threshold) applying only to specific higher-acreage/sensitive-water outfalls, treated as monitoring requirements rather than true numeric effluent limits. No fixed-day NOT filing deadline exists (TN's NOT is condition-triggered); the only fixed day count found is a 5-year abandonment backstop, captured as a state-specific id.
  • Tennessee gates plan preparation only above a threshold this site does not meet. The gate applies above 5 acres. This site is 3 acres. On what we have verified, a generated plan can be adopted without a credentialed signature.
  • 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 Tennessee 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

Operators wishing to obtain coverage under this permit must submit a site-specific SWPPP with the NOI, or sign and certify an existing site-specific SWPPP; the SWPPP must be implemented prior to commencement of construction activities.

Operators wishing to obtain coverage under this permit must submit a site-specific SWPPP with the NOI, or sign and certify an existing site-specific SWPPP. ... The SWPPP must be implemented prior to commencement of construction activities.
VerifiedTNR100000 General Permit, Part 1, Section 1.4.2Source
Notice of Intent deadline
30

The complete NOI application should be submitted at least 30 days prior to commencement of construction activities; land-disturbing activities may not start until the NOC is received.

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.

The complete application should be submitted at least 30 days prior to commencement of construction activities.
VerifiedTNR100000 General Permit, Part 3, Section 3.1.3Source

Inspections

Who may inspect

A person with a valid certification from the 'Level I - Fundamentals of Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control' course, a licensed professional engineer or landscape architect, a Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control (CPESC), or a person who has completed the 'Level II' course.

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

Twice weekly inspections can be performed by: a) a person with a valid certification from the "Level I - Fundamentals of Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control" course, b) a licensed professional engineer or landscape architect, c) a Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control (CPESC), or d) a person who has successfully completed the "Level II - Design Principles for Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control for Construction Sites" course.
VerifiedTNR100000 General Permit, Part 5, Section 5.5.3.10Source

Stabilisation

Initiate stabilisation

Stabilization measures shall be initiated as soon as possible in portions of the site where construction activities have temporarily or permanently ceased.

Why this applies here: This applies at both land disturbance amounts.

Stabilization measures shall be initiated as soon as possible in portions of the site where construction activities have temporarily or permanently ceased.
VerifiedTNR100000 General Permit, Part 5, Section 5.5.3.4Source

Corrective action

Corrective action, minor fix

before the next rain event; but in no case more than seven days after the need is identified

Based on the results of the inspection, any inadequate control measures or control measures in disrepair shall be replaced, modified or repaired as necessary, before the next rain event; but in no case more than seven days after the need is identified.
VerifiedTNR100000 General Permit, Part 5, Section 5.5.3.11(e)Source
Corrective action, major fix
14

Any modifications to pollution prevention measures shall be implemented as soon as practicable but no later than 14 days following the inspection.

In addition, any modifications to pollution prevention measures shall be implemented as soon as practicable but no later than 14 days following the inspection.
VerifiedTNR100000 General Permit, Part 5, Section 5.5.3.11(f)Source

Buffers

Natural buffer
30

A 30-foot natural water quality riparian buffer shall be preserved between waterbodies and disturbed construction areas, to the maximum extent practicable.

A 30-foot natural water quality riparian buffer shall be preserved between such waterbodies and the disturbed areas, to the maximum extent practicable, during construction activities.
VerifiedTNR100000 General Permit, Part 4, Section 4.1.2Source

Records you must keep

Inspection report deadline
240

Inspection reports must be submitted to the division within 10 days of the division's request.

Inspection reports must be submitted to the division within 10 days of the request.
VerifiedTNR100000 General Permit, Part 5, Section 5.5.3.11(h)Source
Corrective action log entries

Based on the results of the inspection, the site description and pollution prevention measures identified in the SWPPP shall be revised as appropriate no later than seven days following the inspection.

Such revisions shall be made no later than seven days following the inspection.
VerifiedTNR100000 General Permit, Part 5, Section 5.5.3.11(f)Source
Record retention
3

Records must be retained for at least three years from the date the NOT is submitted; may be extended by written request of the director.

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 primary permittee shall retain copies of SWPPPs, reports required by this permit, records of all data used to complete the NOI and the NOT for a period of at least three years from the date the NOT is submitted.
VerifiedTNR100000 General Permit, Part 7, Section 7.1Source

Screen a Tennessee 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 Tennessee, 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 Tennessee

What are the SWPPP requirements in Tennessee?

Tennessee issues its own construction general permit, and we have read National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) General Permit for Discharges of Stormwater Associated with Construction Activities (Construction General Permit), Permit Number TNR100000. 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 Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), Division of Water Resources.

Who may prepare a SWPPP in Tennessee?

Tennessee gates plan preparation only above a threshold this site does not meet. The gate applies above 5 acres. This site is 3 acres. On what we have verified, a generated plan can be adopted without a credentialed signature.

How often must a Tennessee site be inspected?

The inspection frequency is set by the Tennessee construction general permit, which we have not read. Confirm it with Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), Division of Water Resources.

Who may prepare a stormwater plan in Tennessee

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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