Industrial User Permitting Guidance Manual

Industrial User Permitting Guidance Manual

833-R-12-001A September 2012

United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water

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DISCLAIMER

The discussion in this document is intended solely as a summary of existing guidance. This document is not a regulation, nor does it substitute for any requirements under the Clean Water Act (CWA) or U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) regulations. Thus, it does not impose legally binding requirements on EPA, states, municipalities, or the regulated community. The general descriptions provided in this document might not apply to a particular situation based on the circumstances. This document does not confer legal rights or impose legal obligations on any member of the public.

Among other things, the document describes existing requirements with respect to industrial dischargers and publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) under the CWA and its implementing regulations at Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 122, 123, 124, and 403 and chapter I, subchapter N. Although EPA has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the discussion in this document, a discharger's obligations are determined, in the case of directly discharging POTWs, by the terms of its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit and EPA's regulations or, in the case of indirect dischargers, by permits or equivalent control mechanisms issued to POTW industrial users or by regulatory requirements. Nothing in this document changes any statutory or regulatory requirement. If a conflict arises between this document's content and any permit or regulation, the permit or regulation would be controlling. EPA and local decision makers retain the discretion to adopt approaches on a caseby-case basis that differ from those described in this document where appropriate and authorized by EPA regulations, state law, or local ordinances.

Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for their use.

This document is current as of September 2012. EPA may decide to revise this document without public notice to reflect changes in the Agency's approach to implementing pretreatment standards or to clarify and update text. To determine whether EPA has revised or supplemented the information in this document, access the document at .

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CONTENTS

CONTENTS

Page

PART I ESTABLISHING A PERMIT PROGRAM ..................................................................................................... I

CHAPTER 1. BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 PRETREATMENT PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT.............................................................................. 1-3 1.2 INDIVIDUAL PERMITS OR GENERAL CONTROL MECHANISMS ............................................. 1-4 1.3 WHO ISSUES PERMITS ...................................................................................................................... 1-5 1.3 WHY PERMITS ARE RECOMMENDED............................................................................................ 1-6

CHAPTER 2. PERMIT ISSUANCE PROCESS .................................................................................................. 2-1 2.1 HOW TO IDENTIFY INDUSTRIAL USERS....................................................................................... 2-1 2.2 WHO NEEDS A PERMIT ..................................................................................................................... 2-2 2.3 WHEN TO ISSUE A PERMIT .............................................................................................................. 2-4 2.4 WHAT TYPES OF PERMITS TO USE ................................................................................................ 2-5 2.4.1 Individual Control Mechanisms .................................................................................................... 2-5 2.4.2 General Control Mechanisms........................................................................................................ 2-6 2.5 PERMIT DURATIONS ......................................................................................................................... 2-7 2.6 WHEN TO MODIFY OR TERMINATE PERMITS............................................................................. 2-7 2.6.1 Permit Modifications..................................................................................................................... 2-7 2.6.2 Permit or Discharge Terminations or Suspensions ....................................................................... 2-9 2.7 PERMIT TRANSFERABILITY ............................................................................................................ 2-9 2.7.1 Change in Ownership.................................................................................................................. 2-10 2.7.2 Modify or Revoke and Reissue ................................................................................................... 2-10 2.8 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION................................................................................................................. 2-11 2.9 ISSUING THE FINAL PERMIT ......................................................................................................... 2-12 2.10 PERMIT APPEALS ............................................................................................................................. 2-15 2.11 PERMIT REISSUANCE ...................................................................................................................... 2-16 2.12 CONTINUING PERMITS BEYOND THEIR EXPIRATION DATE................................................. 2-16

CHAPTER 3. LEGAL AUTHORITY FOR A PERMIT PROGRAM ................................................................. 3-1 3.1 LEGAL AUTHORITY........................................................................................................................... 3-1 3.1.1 Authority Over All Industrial Users Contributing to the POTW .................................................. 3-2 3.1.2 Authority to Require and Issue Individual Permits and General Control Mechanisms................. 3-3 3.1.3 Authority to Enforce Permit Violations ........................................................................................ 3-6

PART II PERMIT WRITING PROCEDURES............................................................................................................ II

CHAPTER 4. PERMIT APPLICATIONS ........................................................................................................... 4-1 4.1 WHAT INFORMATION TO COLLECT AND HOW TO COLLECT IT ............................................ 4-1 4.2 APPLICATION REVIEW PROCESS ................................................................................................... 4-2 4.2.1 Completeness ................................................................................................................................ 4-2 4.2.2 Accuracy ....................................................................................................................................... 4-5 4.2.3 Background Information Review .................................................................................................. 4-7 4.2.4 Facility Inspection......................................................................................................................... 4-9 4.3 PUBLIC ACCESS TO INFORMATION............................................................................................. 4-10

CHAPTER 5. PERMITTING CONSIDERATIONS............................................................................................ 5-1 5.1 CONTENTS OF A PERMIT.................................................................................................................. 5-1

September 2012

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