Section 360. Application for a state permit

Part VII. State Permit Applications

A. Duty to apply. Any person who discharges or proposes to discharge stormwater into or upon state waters from municipal separate storm sewer systems or land-disturbing activities and who does not have an effective state permit, except persons covered by general permits, excluded from the requirement for a state permit by this chapter, shall submit a complete application in accordance with this section.

B. Who applies. When a facility or activity is owned by one person but is operated by another person, it is the operator's duty to obtain a state permit.

C. Time to apply. Any person proposing a new discharge shall submit an application at least 180 days before the date on which the discharge is to commence, unless permission for a later date has been granted by the board. Stormwater discharges from large construction activities and stormwater discharges associated with small construction activities shall submit applications at least 90 days before the date on which construction is to commence. Different submittal dates may be required under the terms of applicable general permits. Persons proposing a new discharge are encouraged to submit their applications well in advance of the 90-day or 180-day requirements to avoid delay.

D. Duty to reapply. All state permittees with a currently effective state permit shall submit a new application at least 180 days before the expiration date of the existing state permit unless permission for a later date has been granted by the board. The board shall not grant permission for applications to be submitted later than the expiration date of the existing state permit.

E. Completeness. The board shall not issue a state permit before receiving a complete application for a state permit except for general permits. An application for a state permit is complete when the board receives an application form and any supplemental information which are completed to its satisfaction. The completeness of any application for a state permit shall be judged independently of the status of any other state permit application or state permit for the same facility or activity.

F. Information requirements. All applicants for state permits shall provide the following information using the application form provided by the department:

1. The activities conducted by the state permit applicant which require it to obtain a state permit;

2. Name, mailing address, and location of the facility for which the application is submitted;

3. Up to four SIC codes which best reflect the principal products or services provided by the facility;

4. The operator's name, address, telephone number, email address, ownership status, and status as federal, state, private, public, or other entity;

5. Whether the facility is located on Indian lands;

6. A listing of all permits or construction approvals received, applied for, or to be applied for under any of the following programs:

a. Hazardous Waste Management program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) (42 USC § 6921);

b. UIC program under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) (42 USC § 300h);

c. VPDES program under the CWA and the State Water Control Law;

d. Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) program under the Clean Air Act (42 USC § 4701 et seq.);

e. Nonattainment program under the Clean Air Act (42 USC § 4701 et seq.);

f. National Emission Standards for Hazardous Pollutants (NESHAPS) preconstruction approval under the Clean Air Act (42 USC § 4701 et seq.);

g. Ocean dumping permits under the Marine Protection Research and Sanctuaries Act (33 USC § 14 et seq.);

h. Dredge or fill permits under § 404 of the CWA;

i. A state permit under the CWA and the Virginia Stormwater Management Act; and

j. Other relevant environmental permits, including state permits;

7. A topographic map (or other map if a topographic map is unavailable) extending one mile beyond the property boundaries of the source, which depicts: the facility and (i) each of its intake and discharge structures; (ii) each of its hazardous waste treatment, storage, or disposal facilities; (iii) each well where fluids from the facility are injected underground; and (iv) those wells, springs, other surface water bodies, and drinking water wells listed in public records or otherwise known to the state permit applicant in the map area; and

8. A brief description of the nature of the business.

G. Variance requests. A discharger which is not a publicly owned treatment works (POTW) may request a variance from otherwise applicable effluent limitations under any of the following statutory or regulatory provisions within the times specified in this subsection:

1. Fundamentally different factors.

a. A request for a variance based on the presence of fundamentally different factors from those on which the effluent limitations guideline was based shall be filed as follows:

(1) For a request from best practicable control technology currently available (BPT), by the close of the public comment period for the draft state permit; or

(2) For a request from best available technology economically achievable (BAT) and/or best conventional pollutant control technology (BCT), by no later than 180 days after the date on which an effluent limitation guideline is published in the Federal Register for a request based on an effluent limitation guideline promulgated on or after February 4, 1987.

b. The request shall explain how the requirements of the applicable regulatory or statutory criteria have been met.

2. A request for a variance from the BAT requirements for CWA § 301(b)(2)(F) pollutants (commonly called nonconventional pollutants) pursuant to § 301(c) of the CWA because of the economic capability of the owner or operator, or pursuant to § 301(g) of the CWA (provided, however, that a § 301(g) variance may only be requested for ammonia, chlorine, color, iron, total phenols (when determined by the administrator to be a pollutant covered by § 301(b)(2)(F) of the CWA) and any other pollutant that the administrator lists under § 301(g)(4) of the CWA) must be made as follows:

a. For those requests for a variance from an effluent limitation based upon an effluent limitation guideline by:

(1) Submitting an initial request to the regional administrator, as well as to the department, stating the name of the discharger, the state permit number, the outfall number(s), the applicable effluent guideline, and whether the discharger is requesting a § 301(c) or § 301(g) of the CWA modification, or both. This request must have been filed not later than 270 days after promulgation of an applicable effluent limitation guideline; and

(2) Submitting a completed request no later than the close of the public comment period for the draft state permit demonstrating that: (i) all reasonable ascertainable issues have been raised and all reasonably available arguments and materials supporting their position have been submitted; and (ii) that the applicable requirements of 40 CFR Part 125 have been met. Notwithstanding this provision, the complete application for a request under § 301(g) of the CWA shall be filed 180 days before EPA must make a decision (unless the Regional Administrator establishes a shorter or longer period); or

b. For those requests for a variance from effluent limitations not based on effluent limitation guidelines, the request need only comply with subdivision 2 a (2) of this subsection and need not be preceded by an initial request under subdivision 2 a (1) of this subsection.

3. A modification under § 302(b)(2) of the CWA of requirements under § 302(a) of the CWA for achieving water quality related effluent limitations may be requested no later than the close of the public comment period for the draft state permit on the state permit from which the modification is sought.

4. A variance for alternate effluent limitations for the thermal component of any discharge must be filed with a timely application for a state permit under this section, except that if thermal effluent limitations are established on a case-by-case basis or are based on water quality standards the request for a variance may be filed by the close of the public comment period for the draft state permit. A copy of the request shall be sent simultaneously to the department.

H. Expedited variance procedures and time extensions.

1. Notwithstanding the time requirements in subsection G of this section, the board may notify a state permit applicant before a draft state permit is issued that the draft state permit will likely contain limitations which are eligible for variances. In the notice the board may require the state permit applicant as a condition of consideration of any potential variance request to submit a request explaining how the requirements of 40 CFR Part 125 applicable to the variance have been met and may require its submission within a specified reasonable time after receipt of the notice. The notice may be sent before the state permit application has been submitted. The draft or final state permit may contain the alternative limitations which may become effective upon final grant of the variance.

2. A discharger who cannot file a timely complete request required under subdivisions G 2 a (2) or G 2 b of this section may request an extension. The extension may be granted or denied at the discretion of the board. Extensions shall be no more than six months in duration.

I. Recordkeeping. State permit applicants shall keep records of all data used to complete state permit applications and any supplemental information submitted under this section for a period of at least three years from the date the application is signed.

Historical Notes

Former 4VAC50-60-360 derived from Volume 21, Issue 03, eff. January 29, 2005; amended, Volume 29, Issue 04, eff. November 21, 2012; amended and renumbered, Virginia Register Volume 30, Issue 02, eff. October 23, 2013.

Statutory Authority

§§ 62.1-44.15:25 and 62.1-44.15:28 of the Code of Virginia.