The Ohio General Permit for Stormwater Discharges from Small and Large Construction Activities (Ohio EPA Permit No. OHC000005) expired on April 23, 2023 and the next generation of the permit (Ohio EPA Permit No. OHC000006) became effective the same day. Just like the old permit, the new permit will be effective for five years and will expire on April 22, 2028.
Importantly, facilities that have stormwater discharges permitted by the current generation of the permit will need to submit a completed renewal application for continued coverage under the new permit by October 20, 2023. Existing permittees with general permit coverage issued on or after April 22, 2022 will not need to pay a renewal application fee. However, the permittee’s coverage would be terminated if the permittee fails to submit the renewal application. Therefore, it is very important for permittees to submit their renotification.
Overall, the new generation of the permit is very similar to the previous version. Many of the changes are clarifications of existing requirements or minor corrections and modifications. Permittees are unlikely to need to make many substantive changes to their stormwater pollution prevention plans, if any, to comply with the new permit. However, permittees should review the new version of the permit and the fact sheet detailing the changes, which is available on the Ohio EPA website.
If you have any questions about the expiration of the existing permit, how the new permit might affect your activities, or any other questions related to the topic, reach out to Nat Morse or your Vorys attorney.