This general permit will authorize stormwater discharges to surface waters from facilities that manufacture concrete products, concrete block and brick, and ready mixed concrete, or facilities classified as concrete manufacturers by the DEP. Known as the Concrete Industry Specific General Permit (ISGP)(NJ0108456), it was public noticed on March 23, 1995, and soon will be available to concrete manufacturers with Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes 3271, 3272, and 3273. Facilities that receive authorization under this permit will monitor for pH and total suspended solids. They also will be required to implement a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SPPP) which has specific best management practices (BMPs) designed to eliminate or minimize the environmental impacts of concrete manufacturing.

At the present time, all 47 concrete manufacturers having filed individual permit applications with the Bureau of Stormwater Permitting are eligible for the Concrete ISGP. There are also 27 concrete manufacturers who have received authorization under the Industrial Stormwater General Permit NJ0088315. These facilities may seek coverage under the new Concrete ISGP if they so desire.

If you wish to apply for the Concrete ISGP, or if you have any questions regarding this permit, please contact Ky Asral, of the Bureau of Stormwater Permitting at (609) 633-7021.

A general permit is now available for Scrap Metal Reprocessing and Automotive Parts Dismantling Industries (NJ0107671). This permit authorizes the discharge of stormwater from facilities involved in the recycling of materials (including metal scrap yards, battery reclaimers, salvage yards, and automobile junkyards-limited to facilities classified as SIC Code 5015 and 5093) and equipment washing operations. Facilities authorized under this general permit are required to develop a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SPPP) and to monitor their stormwater discharges for two years after the implementation of the plan. The SPPP requirements for this permit contain specific best management practices for certain activities to limit stormwater contact with contaminants.

If you are interested in applying for the Scrap Metal General Permit (NJ0107671) or have questions concerning the permit, please contact Eric Sussman, of the Bureau of Stormwater Permitting at (609) 633-7021.

This general permit provides requirements and guidelines for discharging "essentially clean" water/wastewater to surface water. These discharges are low volume, infrequent and/or temporary in nature, usually consisting of potable water, uncontaminated groundwater or essentially clean water/wastewater. Some examples of potential discharges include: potable water conveyance line and storage tank flushing, groundwater discharged from aquifer or well pump tests, discharges from draining municipal or commercial swimming pools, discharges of rinse/wash water from hydrostatic testing of storage tanks or natural gas pipelines, uncontaminated groundwater from various construction dewatering operations, or any other construction or maintenance related activity resulting in a similar clean water discharge not authorized under another NJPDES/DSW permit. This discharge class lends itself to regulation via a general permit, since discharges from these point sources are similar, and operating conditions and practices required to ensure a clean discharge are substantially the same and easily implemented.

Several hundred potential discharges could be covered under this general permit every year. This will eliminate any past delays resulting from the requirement to obtain an individual NJPDES/DSW permit, illegal discharges to surface water (since there is no specific exemption from obtaining a DSW permit), and/or discharges to public and private sewer systems.

The "clean water discharge" general permit will cover any discharges to surface water, except Pinelands or Category 1 waterbodies, provided operating conditions for controlling the potential discharge are met. It will not cover discharges of untreated domestic sewage (fecal pollution), process wastewater, groundwater associated with the cleanup of a known or suspected contaminated site, etc.

This general permit will provide clean water dischargers with more flexibility and discretion in: assessing whether or not potential discharges meet the requirements of the permit; implementing the necessary/required standard practices to minimize any environmental degradation; and discharging clean water to surface waters of the state. The general permit also eliminates the burden of obtaining a permit or written authorization from the DEP.

The division expects to issue a draft of this general permit for public comment by June 1995. If you have any questions about this general permit, please contact Walt Olivant, of the Bureau of Standard Permitting at (609) 292-4860.

This proposed general permit will cover potable water treatment plants (WTP) discharging filter backwash and clarifier water to outdoor basins. The discharge results from the process of bringing raw water supplies to drinking quality standards, which often requires the removal of low concentrations of iron, manganese, organic matter, and trace amounts of other metals. The basic treatment process generally includes the following steps: pH adjustment, flocculation, filtration, and disinfection.

The filters used in the filtration phase of the treatment process must be periodically cleaned by backwashing, a procedure where flow is temporarily reversed to dislodge particulate matter trapped in the filters. When filters are backwashed or when clarifiers are cleaned, the wastewater generated is usually discharged to an outdoor infiltration-percolation basin where it seeps through soil layers and eventually finds its way into ground water. The backwash water settles quickly into two distinct parts: a heavy material called floc (up to 4% solids) and a clear liquid, or decantate. This decantate water can either be discharged to a surface water body (in conformance with a separate NJPDES/DSW permit) or recirculated to the head of the plant. It is the water that leaches from the flocculated material (sludge) which is presumed to be discharged to ground water.

The proposed general permit will require semi-annual collections of sludge samples to test for the presence of metals and to monitor pH levels. The test, based upon a DEP pilot study, involves extracting water from the flocculated material under vacuum conditions.

Approximately 50 facilities are expected to be eligible for this proposed general permit, which should be issued draft by June 1995. If you have any questions about this permit, please contact June Gazek or Fred Bowers, of the Bureau of Operational Ground Water Permits at (609) 292-0407.

In January 1995, the division issued, for interested party review, a draft NJPDES ground water general permit covering basin discharges at operating sanitary landfills. The permit is for site runoff into sedimentation basins, retention basins, detention basins, and surface impoundments (collectively referred to as basins). This runoff (rainwater) flows into basins without contacting garbage in the landfill. Since site runoff at operating sanitary landfills is of similar quality, it is amenable to regulation under a general permit. [Runoff that contacts garbage (leachate) must be collected and treated pursuant to a valid solid waste permit, while soil erosion and sedimentation is regulated by the Soil Conservation Service.]

To make sure site conditions and runoff characteristics do not change, the general permit includes monitoring requirements. These requirements provide a continual assessment of the site to ensure any changes in runoff water are identified and controlled before posing a threat to ground water quality. The monitoring data collected will be evaluated using Shewhart-CUSUM control charts. These charts employ a time series plot allowing a quick and effective visual evaluation. Any sudden decreases in runoff water quality, indicating contact with contaminates, can be reliably identified. Once an impact to runoff quality is identified, landfill owners can locate the contaminant source and correct the problem before the discharge impacts ground water quality.

At the time of this writing, the interested party review process for this draft general permit (NJ0108308) has been completed and the anticipated public notice date is sometime during May 1995. Applicants requesting authorization under this general permit may obtain the appropriate forms along with an application requirement checklist by calling the Bureau of Permit Management at (609) 984-4428. Specific questions regarding this general permit should be directed to Eleanor M. Krukowski, of the Bureau of Operational Ground Water Permits at (609) 292-0407.