DEP Invites Comments On Chapter 105 Stormwater General Permit For Projects Under 5 Acres (PAG-01)

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the September 28 PA Bulletin inviting comments on a simplified PAG-01 Chapter 105 Stormwater General Permit for projects under 5 acres where the impervious surface totals no more than 20,000 square feet or 12 percent of the site, whichever is less.

DEP worked with Villanova University’s Stormwater research program to develop cookie-cutter, non-structural Best Management Practices, like a rain garden, landowners could use without doing engineering work and specific calculations for the site.

The basic design theory behind the new General Permit is that stormwater hitting an under 5 acre site with limited impervious surface and if the prescribed BMPs are installed, will be treated and dissipate on the site.

The new PAG-01 would be a master permit that once finalized individual landowners could request coverage under through a simplified notice to DEP without engineering work and with limited expense.

About 40 percent of the 1,700  PAG-02 permit applications received by DEP for review could be eligible for coverage under the new PAG-01 simplified permit or about 680 permits or so.

The PAG-01 is part of a series of initiatives by DEP to simplify and speed up permit reviews under the Chapter 102 (Erosion and Sedimentation Control) and Chapter 105 (Dam Safety and Encroachment) Permit Programs.

DEP’s Agricultural Advisory Board and the Water Resources Advisory Committee had the opportunity to review the initial draft of the PAG-01 and will continue to be involved in reviewing the proposal.

Click Here for a copy of the draft permit and related documents.

DEP is accepting comments on the proposal through October 28.  Comments can be submitted via DEP’s online eComment webpage [when posted], by e-mail to ecomment@pa.gov or in writing to the Department of Environmental Protection, Policy Office, Rachel Carson State Office Building, P.O. Box 2063, Harrisburg, PA 17105-2063.

Questions should be directed to Sean Furjanic by sending email to:  sefurjanic@pa.gov or by calling 717-787-2137.
Read the entire PA Bulletin notice for more information.

(Photo: Rain garden used for commercial projects.)