Reminder of state waterway protections
Barrier tape marks the limits of the construction site.
With this year’s construction season ahead, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) wants to remind Vermonters about requirements to help protect the state’s waterways.
Using measures to reduce erosion and keep soils on construction sites is a challenge but is necessary to protect Vermont’s waterways and water quality.
Construction activities require a construction stormwater permit under the Vermont construction general permit 3-9020 when total land disturbance is equal to or greater than one acre or is less than one acre but is part of a larger common plan of development, if the larger development will ultimately result in the disturbance of one or more acres.
Permittees must have an erosion prevention and sediment control (EPSC) plan. Measures in the EPSC plan must follow the Vermont standards and specifications. Examples of measures include marking construction limits, installing stone check dams, and promptly stabilizing areas of earth disturbance.
To learn more interested parties may view the permit application instructions or the low risk site handbook. The DEC stormwater management program, https://dec.vermont.gov/watershed/stormwater, oversees regulations and offers technical assistance for stormwater management.
