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 As a precautionary response to COVID-19, Ohio EPA is currently operating with most staff working remotely. If you are working with our staff on a current project and you know the name of the employee you are working with, email them at firstname.lastname@epa.ohio.gov or call them directly. The Agency website has contact information for every district, division, and office. In order to reach us, please contact Ohio EPA’s main phone line at (614) 644-3020 or the main line for the division or office you are trying to reach.

After March 23, our district offices and Central Office will be temporarily closed and will have increasingly limited ability to receive deliveries, plans, etc. All entities are encouraged to submit plans, permit applications, etc., electronically where there are existing avenues to do so, such as the eBusiness Center (eBiz). Please refer to the list of available services on the main eBiz webpage. We encourage you to make use of all that apply, even if you have not used eBiz in the past. Plans under 25 MB can be emailed. For large plans over 25 MB, entities should work with the reviewer/division to upload via LiquidFiles. Directions for submitting docs via LiquidFiles is available on YouTube. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you in advance for your understanding. If you wish to send hard copies of documents to any of Ohio EPA’s district offices, the best method to ensure we receive these documents is to send them via U.S. Mail. Since all offices are closed, deliveries outside of U.S. Mail (FedEx, UPS) will likely be returned because the offices are closed and deliveries cannot be made.

To report a spill or environmental emergency, contact the spill hotline (800) 282-9378 or (614) 224-0946. 

Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWP3) Checklist (OH000005)

Download the Ohio EPA SWP3 Checklist for Construction Activities:

NPDES Statewide Construction Storm Water General Permit (CGP) Requirements

Note: This checklist does not include information on groundwater recharge and stream setback requirements for the Big Darby Creek and Olentangy River Watershed. 

The April 23, 2018 renewal of the CGP requires an SWP3 to be completed prior to the submittal of a Notice of Intent (NOI) application to obtain coverage under the CGP. The NOI application must be submitted at least 21 days prior to the initiation of construction activities (45 days if within the Big Darby Creek or portions of the Olentangy River Watersheds). The SWP3 contents are described in Part III of the CGP, unless within the Big Darby Creek or portions of the Olentangy River Watersheds. Although the SWP3 does not need to be submitted to Ohio EPA to obtain coverage under the CGP, it must be retained at the construction site at all times during the construction activity. However, the local governing authority (i.e., county, city, village, or township) may require approval of an SWP3 or a sediment and erosion control plan prior to initiation of construction activities.

Minimum Standards

An SWP3 must address all minimum components of the CGP and conform to the specifications of Ohio Department of Natural Resources' Rainwater and Land Development Manual. This manual describes Ohio’s standards for storm water management, land development, and urban stream protection. 

A Note About Sublots

For residential or commercial developments with sublots, NPDES permit coverage must be continued on every lot until the lot achieves final stabilization as defined in Part VII of the CGP. For developments with a centralized control (i.e., sediment settling ponds or inlet protection), which receives drainage from multiple lots, the developer may be required to maintain the centralized control until all of the homes are built with the land temporarily stabilized.

  • If a developer either decides or is required to maintain permit responsibility on lots where structures are being built, the developer’s SWP3 must include a detailed drawing of a typical sublot showing standard best management practices (BMPs) with notes specifying measures for critical areas that must be included in the SWP3.
  • If a developer opts to transfer permit responsibility to the new lot owner or operator building the structure (homebuilder) once the lot is sold, the new lot owner must submit an Individual Lot Notice of Intent (Individual Lot NOI) application at least 7 days prior to initiating construction activities. The developer must allow the new lot owner access to the developer’s SWP3. The new owner must then maintain and/or install any lot specific sediment controls and develop a site map indicating the location of the BMPs. Once the Individual Lot NOI is processed, the new lot owner is responsible for complying with the CGP on his or her lot.

A Note About Final Stabilization

Once a construction site reaches final stabilization, a permittee must submit a Notice of Termination (NOT) form to Ohio EPA within 45 days of completion of all permitted land disturbance activities. An NOT form can only be submitted when one or more of the following conditions are met:

  1. Final stabilization (as defined in Part VII of the CGP) has been achieved on all portions of the site for which the permittee is responsible (including, if applicable, returning agricultural land to its pre-construction agricultural use);
  2. Another operator(s) has assumed control over all areas of the site that have not been finally stabilized;
  3. For residential construction only, temporary stabilization has been completed and the lot, which includes a home, has been transferred to the homeowner. (Note: individual lots without housing which are sold by the developer must undergo final stabilization prior to termination of permit coverage.); or
  4. An exception has been granted under Part III.G.4 of the CGP.