NPDES Industrial Storm Water General Permits

News and Upcoming Events

2022 IGP Informational Meeting Public Notice - April 29, 2022

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division (Division), Watershed Protection Branch, held an informational meeting to discuss the reissuance of NPDES Permit GAR050000, a General Permit for stormwater discharges associated with industrial activity. The informational meeting was held May 11, 2022, on the Zoom web platform. The purpose of the public meeting was to present information on the final permit and answer any related questions. A copy of the presentation can be found here .

NPDES Industrial Stormwater General Permit (IGP) Draft Permit & Public Meeting – February 8, 2022

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division (Division), Watershed Protection Branch, is conducting a public meeting to discuss the reissuance of NPDES Permit GAR050000, a General Permit for stormwater discharges associated with industrial activity. The draft permit and fact sheet are available here. A copy of the response to stakeholder comments can be found here . A public meeting has been scheduled for March 28, 2022, on the Zoom web platform. The purpose of the public meeting is to present information on the proposed permit and answer any related questions. A copy of the public meeting presentation can be found here. A public hearing will be held immediately following the public meeting to receive formal comments on the proposed permit for the official record. Comments can also be submitted via email at [email protected] no later than the close of business Monday, April 4, 2022. The words “Draft IGP GAR050000” should be placed on top of the first page of comments and in the e-mail subject line (if sent via e-mail). All comments received or postmarked prior to the deadline will be considered in the formulation of final determinations regarding the application.

NPDES Industrial Stormwater General Permit (IGP) Stakeholder Draft Permit & Public Meetings – October 8, 2021

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division (Division), Watershed Protection Branch, held three stakeholder meetings to discuss the reissuance of NPDES Permit GAR050000, a General Permit for stormwater discharges associated with industrial activity. The stakeholder draft permit is available here . The virtual stakeholder meetings were held on October 26, 2021, November 8, 2021, and November 9, 2021. Comments received by close of business on Wednesday November 17, 2021 will be considered in the formulation of the draft permit.

A copy of the stakeholder meeting presentation is available here .

Industrial General Permit

The 2017 Industrial General Permit (IGP) is the State's general NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) Permit regulating stormwater runoff from industrial sites. The creation of this Permit allowed many industries to be uniformly covered, with specific requirements varying by industrial sector. Implementing preventative measures on site rather than trying to mitigate the pollutants once in the environment is the most effective and economic way to protect water quality.

EPD offers two types of coverage under the Permit.

Permit Type	Description
Notice of Intent (NOI)	Facilities conducting industrial activities with the potential to come in contact with stormwater.
No Exposure Exclusion (NEE)	Facilities certify that no industrial activities are exposed to stormwater.

Does Your Industrial Site Need a Permit?

Applying for Coverage Under the 2017 IGP
This is the 2017 Industrial General Permit. Georgia EPD will begin accepting Notices of Intent and No Exposure Exclusion forms with permit reissuance on June 1, 2017.
Georgia EPD is moving to online form submittal. Please register for the Georgia EPD Online System (GEOS; http://epd.georgia.gov/geos/) for renewal of coverage or to apply for coverage. Please visit the Industrial Stormwater GEOS Technical Assistance page for more information.

New Facilities

For new facilities or facilities that have not applied for coverage under the Industrial General Permit, please complete the Facility Information Form and email the completed form to the Industrial Stormwater Team ([email protected]).
Renewing Coverage Under the 2017 IGP

The 2017 NPDES General Permit No. GAR050000 for Stormwater Discharges Associated with Industrial Activity (2017 IGP) will be effective June 1, 2017. This is the replacement permit for the 2012 IGP (GAR050000) which expires on May 31, 2017. The new general permit expires on May 31, 2022.

The 2017 forms (Notice of Intent, No Exposure Exclusion, Notice of Termination and Annual Report Forms) will available through the Georgia EPD Online System (GEOS; http://epd.georgia.gov/geos/). Older versions of these forms will not be accepted. If you have questions regarding GEOS, please review this help document: Industrial Stormwater GEOS Guide .
Submitting Annual Reports

Permittees who are covered under the 2017 Industrial General Permit (IGP) must submit an Annual Report (AR) for their facility for each calendar year by January 31st of the following year. All submittals must be made through the Georgia EPD Online System (GEOS; http://epd.georgia.gov/geos/). Only Responsible Officials (ROs) and the Preparers they assign can complete the AR.

Please use the Sampling Results Form to add additional sampling results to the Annual Report. The form can be attached to the Annual Report on GEOS. Include in the comment section of the AR, that the form was attached.

REMINDER: 2021 Annual Report Reminder

This is a reminder that Annual Reports (AR) for the period covering January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021 are due by January 31, 2022 for those facilities that filed a Notice of Intent (NOI) under the 2017 Industrial General Permit (IGP). The AR form must be submitted electronically through the Georgia EPD Online System (GEOS). Please refer to the Annual Report Submittal Guide for directions.

Annual Report Submittal Tips [2021]
Tools to Determine Impaired Waters from Current 305(b)/303(d) List

The 2017 IGP requires permitted facilities to determine if they discharge into, or within one linear mile, upstream of, and in the same watershed as, any portion of an impaired water. Impaired Waters are those waterbodies where the EVALUATION is listed as NOT SUPPORTING on Georgia’s 305(b)/303(d) List of Waters. This information is autopopulated on the NOI/NEE form on GEOS, but permittee should check using the tools below.

Lists

Full lists of all impaired waterbodies, as well as listing methodology and key abbreviations, are available at http://epd.georgia.gov/georgia-305b303d-list-documents. Please use the 2022 List Documents and Integrated Report, since these are the most recent approved lists.

Maps

The GIS datasets are available at: http://epd.georgia.gov/geographic-information-systems-gis-databases-and-documentation.
Guidance Materials
EPD's Industrial Facility Inspection Form

EPD conducts between 75 to 125 inspections per year of facilities either permitted under the 2017 IGP through submission of a Notice of Intent or excluded from coverage through submittal of a No Exposure Exclusion. Below is the form we use to inspect. Please note that it generally follows the order of the permit and that permit citations are given for most items.
- NPDES General Permit No. GA50000 Facility Inspection Checklist [May 2013]
MS4 Contact List

Facilities covered under the IGP that discharge to a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) are required to send a copy of their Notice of Intent (NOI) to the MS4. Please refer to the MS4 Stormwater Contact List below to determine the county where your facility is located.
- MS4 Stormwater Contact List (Word Format) [August 2013]
Permittee Lists for NPDES Industrial Stormwater 2017 IGP

This is a list of the facilities that either have coverage under 2017 IGP Notice of Intent (NOI) or exemption from No Exposure Exclusion (NEE). Whether they have an NOI or NEE is indicated in the column entitled “Submittal Type.”
- List of Facilities Covered Under the 2017 IGP [January 2021]
SIC Code Reference Materials

If your facility has a primary Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code listed in Appendix D of the 2017 IGP and discharges stormwater associated with industrial activity, then the facility must file a Notice of Intent (NOI) for coverage under the 2017 IGP or a No Exposure Exclusion (NEE) for exemption from it. For more information about SIC codes please refer to www.osha.gov.
- Appendix D of the 2017 IGP [June 2017]
NPDES Regulatory Status for Mines

Determination of NPDES Regulatory Status of Various Discharges on a Mine Site [2017]
Previous Permit Information
The 2012 NPDES General Permit No. GAR050000 for Stormwater Discharges Associated with Industrial Activity (2012 IGP) was issued April 16, 2012. This is the replacement permit for the 2006 IGP which expired on July 31, 2011. The new general permit became effective on June 1, 2012. This permit expires on May 31, 2017.
- NPDES General Permit No. GAR050000 for Stormwater Discharges Associated with Industrial Activity (2012 IGP) [April 16, 2012]
- NPDES General Permit No. GAR000000 for Stormwater Discharges Associated with Industrial Activity (2006 IGP) [June 2006]
Forms (2012 IGP)

The 2012 forms (Notice of Intent, No Exposure Exclusion, Notice of Termination and Annual Report Form) are available by request. If you need to apply for coverage, submit a change of facility information, or submit a Notice of Termination under the 2012 IGP, please contact the industrial stormwater team ([email protected]).