Services We Provide

Storm Water Pollution Prevention for Construction Activities

MLS Environmental specializes in compliance issues as they relate to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s (“TCEQ”) General Permit to Discharge Waste under provisions of Section 402 of the Clean Water Act and Chapter 26 of the Texas Water Code. This permit dictates what actions must be taken on any construction site where the area of disturbed activity is one (1) acre or greater. All operators of these sites must obtain permit coverage 48 hours prior to commencing construction. Your project must have a site-specific Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) prepared and implemented prior to earth disturbing activities. Inspections of the site for permit compliance are also mandatory. All of our services relate to the requirements of this permit.

Design and Plan Preparation Services

MLS Environmental can design site-specific Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPP’s) which meet the requirements of the General Permit. This plan must contain all the information required within the General Permit. The SWPPP must be developed prior to applying for permit coverage. The SWPPP is not required to be sealed by a professional engineer. It must be certified by the operator of the construction site and kept on site during construction. Our design services include the preparation and delivery of all the required paperwork including:

• Completed Notice of Intent (NOI) form ready for signature and submittal;
• Two copies of a Site-specific Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan designed using the civil drawings for the project;
• Operator certification statement;
• Copy of the General Permit;
• Construction Site Notice sign to be displayed on-site (Required by TCEQ);
• Copy of NOI to be displayed on-site (Required by TCEQ);
• Inspection forms – both 14 day and ½” storm event forms; and
• Completed Notice of Termination (NOT) form ready for signature and submittal at
the end of the project.

Inspection Services

As part of the requirements of the General Permit, site inspections are required to be performed by qualified personnel every 14 days and after a storm event of ½” or greater. Under the new regulations, operators have the option of performing inspections every 7 days or on 14 day intervals and after a ½” storm event. Inspection reports must contain information about the areas of the site which have not been finally stabilized, areas used for storage of materials that are exposed to precipitation and structural controls. Sediment and erosion control measures identified in the SWPPP must be inspected to ensure that they are operating correctly. Our inspection services are conducted on 14 day intervals and within 24 hours of each rain event 0.5” or greater. Written inspection reports must be generated based on the information gathered during the on-site inspections. These reports are vital in reporting the condition of the site at the time of inspection. Inspection reports will identify controls that are functioning properly as well as those which need maintenance attention. These reports are used to keep track of what soil disturbing activities have taken place on the site and how the site looks with regards to off-site discharge. The reports will address locations where vehicles enter and exit the site, the condition of structural controls, the condition of discharge points and other areas required for inspection according to the General Permit.

All of our inspection reports are prepared on-site using mobile computers and printers. A copy of each inspection report is left on site and a copy of the report is e-mailed mailed to the client. Digital photographs of areas that need repair or modification are included in the emailed report.

As a part of our inspection services package we will post all required signage at the entrance to the construction site, install rainfall monitoring equipment and develop customized inspection reports for the project.

Pollution Prevention Control Installation

We can provide clients with a "total package" concept which includes installation of erosion control devices to meet all of their needs and to assist in compliance with current regulations.

Pollution Prevention for Industrial Activities

Certain facilities which use chemicals and processes that will pollute storm water runoff if discharged from the location are required to obtain an Industrial Discharge Permit from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). To determine whether your facility must obtain a permit go to the TCEQ website at http://www.tnrcc.state.tx.us/permitting/waterperm/wwperm/lookupsector.pdf .

MLS Environmental can prepare all of the documentation necessary for the facility to comply with TCEQ regulations, train your personnel on how to remain in compliance and monitor discharges from the facility.

If your facility is one of those listed, call us and together we can develop a program tailored to your facility’s needs.

An additional link to the TCEQ web site related to permitting Industrial Discharges:

http://www.tnrcc.state.tx.us/permitting/waterperm/wwperm/industry.html

Municipal Seperate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) plan development, implementation and monitoring assistance for phase 2

1. Public Education and Outreach Public Involvement/Participation
   Illicit Discharge and Detection Construction Site Storm Water Runoff Controls Post Construction Storm Water Management in Areas of New and Redevelopment
2. Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping Measures for Municipal Operations.

The six minimum control measures must be developed by identifying and by applying a number of best management practices, or BMPs. EPA has developed a "Menu of BMPs" that provides examples that MS4 operators can use to develop the six minimum control measures. The TCEQ provides this menu, http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/menuofbmps/menu.cfm, as guidance, with the understanding that some BMPs may be more or less appropriate depending on the rainfall conditions and topography where the MS4 is located in Texas. The U.S. EPA menu is intended to provide guidance to regulated small MS4s as to the types of practices they could use to develop and implement their storm water management programs.

We can assist phase 2 municipalities in complying with regulations related to their permit.