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The
Northampton County Conservation District (NCCD), under delegation
of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection,
administers the Erosion and Sediment Pollution Control Program.
The Conservation District performs technical plan reviews
of Erosion
and Sediment Pollution Control (ESPC) plans,
conducts earth disturbance inspections and provides education
on soil and water conservation practices for construction
and agricultural activities.
Forms
and Applications page for Conservation
District and DEP forms, applications,
downloads and guides.
E&S
Plan Designers page and NPDES
Pemit Preparers page for guidance on preparing and submitting
plans and applications to the District
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Why
is Erosion and Sedimentation Control Important? - DEP
Fact Sheet 
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What
is an ESPC Plan?
The ESPC Plan must show how land and water
resources are to be protected against accelerated erosion through
the use of Best Management Practices (BMPs). BMPs are activities
or structures that effectively control stormwater during construction
to prevent and minimize soil loss and surface water pollution.
Examples of BMPs include: minimizing earth disturbance, silt
fence, mulch, diversion ditches, sediment traps, sediment basins,
and the establishment of grasses or other BMPs for permanent
stabilization. The E&S Plan must show the site, location
of BMPs, and the timing and sequence of their installation for
maximum effectiveness.
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Do
I Need an E&S Plan?
Pennsylvania
Code Title 25, 102.4 (state law) requires:
For
earth disturbance activities, other than agricultural plowing
or tilling and timber harvests, the following erosion and sediment
control requirements apply:
1. The implementation and maintenance of erosion and sediment
control BMPs are required to minimize the potential for accelerated
erosion and sedimentation, including for those activities which
disturb less than 5,000 square feet (464.5 square meters).
2. A person proposing earth disturbance activities shall develop
a written Erosion and Sediment Control Plan under this chapter
if one or more of the following criteria apply:
i. The earth disturbance activity
will result in a total of 5,000 square feet (464.5 square meters)
or more.
ii. The person proposing the earth
disturbance activities is required to develop an Erosion and
Sediment Control Plan pursuant to this Chapter under Department
regulations or other than those contained in this chapter.
iii. The earth disturbance activity,
because of its proximity to existing drainage features or patterns,
has the potential to discharge to a water classified as a High
Quality or Exceptional Value water pursuant to Chapter 93 (relating
to water quality standards).
Plan
Review fees may apply to ESPC plans submitted to NCCD requesting
technical review or determination of plan adequacy.
Do
I Need a District E&S Plan Review?
The
District will review the plan when:
1. The review and approval is required for a permit (e.g. NPDES,
Chapter 105 Permit, Joint Permit, Small Projects Permit, etc).
2.
The review and approval is required by a municipality or other
governing body (e.g. Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance,
Municipal official/engineer/zoning officer request, etc.).
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Do
I Need Permits?
NPDES
Permits
Earth
disturbance activities (except agricultural tillage and timber
harvests) that disturb 5.0 or more acres of ground over the
entire life of the project, including individual lot development,
require an NPDES
(National Pollution Discharge Elimination System) permit; part
of the permitting process requires submission of an appropriate
ESPC plan. Land disturbances of between 1.0 and 4.99 acres may
also require NPDES permitting if there is a proposed point source
discharge to the surface waters of this Commonwealth.
There
are two types of NPDES permits:
1.
An Individual NPDES permit is required when the project:
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is in a special protection High Quality (HQ) or Exceptional
Value (EV) watershed (including HQ/EV wetlands) according
to 25
PA Code Chapter 93 (or statewide
existing use classifications)
- the
construction activities has the potential to discharge toxins
- the
construction activities will violate water quality standards
- the
construction activities are in areas inhabited by Federal
or State Endangered Species
2.
A General NPDES permit is required in all other cases where
five or more acres are disturbed over the entire life of the
project.
NPDES
Permit Fees
State-mandated
permit filing fees are $250 for a General NPDES permit and
$500 for an Individual NPDES permit. When an NPDES permit
is required, the submitter should include with the plans and
applications two checks: one to "NCCD Clean Water Fund"
for the NPDES permit filing fee, and one to Northampton County
Conservation District for the plan review fee.
Please see our link to Forms
and Applications for all associated downloads for NPDES
and District Reviews
Other
Permits
The
District does not administer the
DEP Chapter 105 Program. All inquiries regarding stream obstructions
and encroachments should be forwarded to the PADEP
Northeast Regional Office.
There may
other local, state, and federal permits associated with the
project, you should check with the appropriate corresponding
agencies.
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Products for sale
The
District can provide hard copies of the following documents
for a nominal charge:
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Price
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"Soil
Survey of Northampton County, PA" - copy (1974)
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$20.00
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Stormwater
Management – "PA Handbook of Best Management
Practices for Developing Areas"
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$30.00
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Simply send a check or money order made payable to "NCCD"
to:
Northampton
County Conservation District
14 Gracedale Avenue
Greystone
Building
Nazareth, PA 18064-9211
Contact
NCCD for information on ordering publications. 610.746.1971
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