The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) updated and issued the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Industrial Storm Water (ISW) general permit on April 1, 2022.

The updated ISW permit replaces the previous iteration, which took effect in 2016. Facilities operating under the previous permit must renew coverage no later than September 28, 2022.

This permit regulates storm water discharges to waters of the state and contains provisions that require industrial facilities in 29 different industrial sectors to, among other things, implement control measures and develop site-specific storm water pollution prevention plans (SWPPPs) to comply with NPDES requirements. Facilities that do not fall into one of the categories may also need to have an ISW permit. That determination is made on a case-by-case basis by the NDEE’s NPDES Compliance Section.

The updated permit implements additional safeguards against potential discharges. All permit applicants are now required to submit their storm water pollution prevention plans (SWPPPs) to NDEE in advance of the permit review process; previously, applicants were only required to make their SWPPP available upon request from the department.

SWPPPs are comprehensive documents that outline site evaluation and planning, documentation of compliance with federal requirements, erosion and sediment control methods, pollution prevention protocols, inspection and corrective action procedures, and best management practices to control specific pollutants.

The new ISW general permit also introduces Additional Implementation Measures (AIM) for any facility that reports benchmark exceedances. AIM is a three-level response that provides a follow-up process and outlines corrective actions necessary to address any exceedance.

The new permit is not only more protective of Nebraska waters, but it is also more efficient. As part of the permit update, NDEE introduced a new online application process that will reduce processing time and department costs.

The new permit, and all supplemental information, can be found on NDEE’s website at NPDES Industrial Storm Water General Permit Forms and Guidance | NDEE NE.