Stormwater Permit for Business License?

News

Feb 17

*Equipment used to create rain for film making at Universal City in California, on page 91 of the April 17, 1920 Exhibitors Herald.*

Does your facility need a stormwater permit?

As the world turned the calendar from 2019 to 2020, it was a time for hope and aspirations in the business community. For some businesses in California; however, this year has been off to a bumpy start for normally routine business license application/renewal. Under 2019 Senate Bill 205, the city/county is now required to verify compliance with the California Industrial Stormwater General Permit (IGP) before a license is issued. A State Water Board-issued Waste Discharger Identification number (WDID), an identification number for a No Exposure Certification (NEC) or a Notice of Non-Applicability (NONA) demonstrating compliance are required for businesses regulated under the IGP.

Senate Bill 205 was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on October 2, 2019 and became effective January 1, 2020. “This will substantially increase the number of compliant industrial facilities and will reduce the spread of pollutants in storm water associated with industrial activities,” according to the State Water Board.

Approximately 10,000 businesses are currently in the program; however, there may be as many as 6,000 additional facilities requiring coverage in Los Angeles County alone, according to the Senate Floor Analysis of the bill.

“This will substantially increase the number of compliant industrial facilities and will reduce the spread of pollutants in storm water associated with industrial activities.”

Due to a lack of understanding and/or resources, this has sent many dejected business owners down the Google rabbit hole in search of answers. The State Water Board’s Senate Bill 205 – Business License Requirements website is a good place to start. We have compiled these useful links below to get business owners on the right track for stormwater compliance. If you have any questions, we are happy to help. Reach out to us for a free consultation.

Stormwater Discharge Compliance Flow Chart

Does your business require a WDID, NEC or NONA to comply with stormwater requirements?

1) Does your business operate under any of these Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes or is included IGP Attachment A?
Yes – Continue to step 2
No – Apply for a Notice of Non-Applicability (NONA) identification

2) Are business operations exposed to stormwater?
Yes – Continue to step 3
No – Apply for a No Exposure Certification (NEC) identification number

3) Apply for a Waste Discharger Identification (WDID)
– Develop a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP)
– Submit a Notice of Intent (NOI) via the SMARTS database to apply for a WDID number

4) Submit your WDID, NEC or NONA number to your city/county to complete the business license application.