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The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (“CDEEP”) issued a draft (proposed):
General Permit for the Discharge of Stormwater Dewatering Wastewaters from Construction Activities (“Permit”)
The draft Permit includes a new Appendix I which is titled:
Stormwater Management at Solar Array Construction Projects
The Appendix I contains several conditions that are solely applicable to solar array projects. CDEEP states that such local exempt projects “differ from traditional construction projects as characterized by potentially a very large amount of contiguous disturbed area at any given time and the provision that sites generating over one megawatt are not subject to municipal land-use Commission review and enforcement, but are instead reviewed by the Connecticut Siting Council as a public utility project.”
The Appendix I requirements include:
- Measures specifying how effective impervious cover and the Water Quality Volume are determined for the project
- Dimensions, height, and spacing considerations for the solar panels
- Additional measures to address varying degrees of slope steepness
- Maintaining a 100 foot undisturbed buffer adjacent to any water course
- A requirement for the permittee to conduct a pre-construction meeting with District staff and the qualified professional that designed the project
- Routine site inspections conducted by a qualified professional whose qualifications are included in the registration
- Submission of all inspection findings and other reporting to CDEEP electronically
- Inspection by District staff of the site upon completion of each phase of construction
- Ensuring District staff conduct the post-construction inspection and final stabilization inspection
- Certification of the Notice of Termination upon completion of the project
- Submission of a letter of credit to ensure that upon the potential failure of the project to comply with the permit adequate funds are available to complete and stabilize the site
A link to the draft permit can be found here.
