WQC 3625

WQC #3625
UTILITY LINE BACKFILL AND BEDDING CERTIFICATION
GENERAL CERTIFICATION FOR PROJECTS ELIGIBLE
FOR CORPS OF ENGINEERS NATIONWIDE PERMIT NUMBER 12 OR
REGIONAL PERMIT 198100049 (UTILITY LINE BACKFILL AND BEDDING)
AND RIPARIAN AREA PROTECTION RULES (BUFFER RULES)
This General Certification is issued in conformity with the requirements of Section 401,
Public Laws 92-500 and 95-217 of the United States and subject to the North Carolina Division of
Water Quality (DWQ) Regulations in 15A NCAC 2H, Section .0500 and 15A NCAC 2B .0200 for
the discharge of fill material to waters and wetland areas as described in 33 CFR 330 Appendix A
(B) (12) and General Permit No. 198100049 of the Corps of Engineers regulations (i.e., including
any fill activity for utility line backfill and bedding) and for the Riparian Area Protection Rules
(Buffer Rules) in 15A NCAC 2B .0200. This certification replaces Water Quality Certification
(WQC) Number 2664 issued on January 21, 1992, Water Quality Certification Number 3022
issued on September 6, 1995, Water Quality Certification (WQC) Number 3101 issued on
February 11, 1997 and Water Quality Certification Number 3288 issued on June 1, 2000 and
WQC Number 3374 issued March 18, 2002. This WQC is rescinded when the Corps of
Engineers reauthorize Nationwide 12 or Regional Permit 198100049 or when deemed
appropriate by the Director of the Division of Water Quality.
The State of North Carolina certifies that the specified category of activity will not violate
applicable portions of Sections 301, 302, 303, 306 and 307 of the Public Laws 92-500 and 95-217
if conducted in accordance with the conditions hereinafter set forth.
Conditions of Certification:
Activities covered by this General Certification do not require written concurrence from the
Division of Water Quality as long as they comply with all conditions of this General
Certification and the conditions of Nationwide 12 or Regional Permit 198100049 as
appropriate. If any condition in this Certification cannot be met, application to and written
concurrence from DWQ are required. Also, Condition No. 6 is applicable to all streams in
basins with riparian area protection rules;
2. In accordance with North Carolina General Statute Section 143-215.3D(e), any request
for written concurrence fora 401 Water Quality Certification must include the appropriate
fee. If a project also requires a CAMA Permit, one payment to both agencies shall be
submitted and will be the higher of the two fees;
3. In accordance with 15A NCAC 2H .0506 (h) compensatory mitigation may be required for
stream and/or wetland impacts. Streamside buffer mitigation may be required for any
project with Buffer Rules in effect at the time of application for buffer impacts resulting
from activities classified as "allowable with mitigation" within the "Table of Uses" section of
the Buffer Rules or require a variance under the Buffer Rules. A determination of buffer,
wetland and stream mitigation requirements shall be made by DWQ for any Certification
involving written concurrences including those for relevant Buffer Rules;
4. The edge of the construction corridor shall not be installed parallel to and closer than 10
feet (3 meters) to a stream and 25 feet in waters classified as HQW. Utility lines shall not
cross a stream channel at other than anear-perpendicular direction (i.e., stream channel
crossings shall not be at an angle of less than 75 degrees or more than 105 degrees to
the stream bank);
5. Any wastewater line that crosses any stream shown on the most recent version of the
1:24,000 USGS topographic map or NRCS (SCS) County Soil Survey as permanent or
intermittent shall be installed either a) with no joints connected within the footprint of a

WQC #3625
stream channel or within 2 feet of the stream banks in the case of plastic or PVC pipes or
b) with properly bedded and supported ductile iron. Otherwise, written concurrence from
DWQ is required;
6. Impacts to any stream length in the Neuse, Tar-Pamlico, Randleman and Catawba River
Basins (or any other river basins with Buffer Rules in effect at the time of application)
requires written concurrence from DWQ in accordance with 15A NCAC 26.0233, .0259,
.0250 and .0243. Activities listed as "exempt" from these rules do not need to apply for
written concurrence under this Certification. New development activities located in the
protected 50-foot wide riparian areas (whether jurisdictional wetlands or not) within the
Neuse, Tar-Pamlico and Randleman River Basins shall be limited to "uses" identified
within and constructed in accordance with 15A NCAC 2B .0233, .0259, .0250 and .0243.
All new development shall be located, designed, constructed, and maintained to have
minimal disturbance to protect water quality to the maximum extent practicable through
the use of best management practices;
7. Measures shall be taken to prevent live or fresh concrete from coming into contact with
waters of the state until the concrete has hardened;
8. Herbicides can be applied in wetlands or other waters only when applied by a certified
applicator, and in strict accordance with product labeling;
9. Placement of rip rap is restricted to the stream bottom and banks directly impacted by the
placement of the utility line. Rip rap may only be used below the normal high water level.
The stream berm must be restored to the original contour after construction. Placement
of rip rap or other materials shall not result in de-stabilization of the stream bed or banks
upstream of downstream of the crossing;
10. That appropriate sediment and erosion control practices which equal or exceed those
outlined in the most recent version of the "North Carolina Sediment and Erosion Control
Planning and Design Manual" or the "North Carolina Surface Mining Manual" whichever is
more appropriate (available from the Division of Land Resources (DLR) in the DENR
Regional or Central Offices) shall be in full compliance with all specifications governing
the proper design, installation and operation and maintenance of such Best Management
Practices in order to assure compliance with the appropriate turbidity water quality
standard;
11. All sediment and erosion control measures placed in wetlands or waters shall be
removed and the natural grade restored within two months after the Division of Land
Resources has released the project;
12. Annual native species suitable for wet locations shall be planted and established within
jurisdictional wetlands for soil and erosion control. Perennials such as fescue are
prohibited;
13. No fertilizer shall be applied within 10 feet (3 meters) of streams. Any fertilizer application
must comply with all other Federal, State and Local regulations;
14. The construction corridor (including access roads and stockpiling of materials) is limited to
40 feet (12.2 meters) in width in wetlands and across stream channels and must be
minimized to the maximum extent practicable;
15. Permanent, maintained access corridors shall be restricted to the minimum width
practicable and shall not exceed 10 feet (3 meters) in width except at manhole locations.
A 10 feet (3 meters) by 10 feet (3 meters) perpendicular vehicle turnaround must be
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WQC #3625
spaced at least 500 feet (152.4 meters) apart. Written concurrence is required if the
maintenance corridor is greater than 10 feet (3 meters) wide except that a maintenance
corridor larger than ten feet is acceptable for gas pipelines as long as mitigation is
provided for additional wetland fills to the maintenance corridor beyond those widths
specified in this General Certification;
16. An anti-seep collar shall be placed at the downstream (utility line gradient) wetland
boundary and every 150 feet (45.7 meters) up the gradient until the utility exits the
wetland for buried utility lines. Anti-seep collars may be constructed with class B
concrete, compacted clay, PVC pipe, or metal collars. Wetland crossings that are
directionally drilled, and perpendicular wetland crossings that are open cut and less than
150 feet (45.7 meters) long do not require anti-seep collars. The compacted clay shall
have a specific discharge of 1 X 10- 5 cm/sec or less. A section and plan view diagram is
attached for the anti-seep collars;
The following specifications shall apply to class B concrete:
a) Minimum cement content, sacks per cubic yard with rounded course aggregate 5.0
b) Minimum cement content, sacks per cubic yard with angular course aggregate 5.5
c) Maximum water-cement ratio gallons per sack 6.8
d) Slump range 2" to 4"
e) Minimum strength - 28 day psi 2,500
17. This General Certification does not authorize any permanent changes in pre-construction
elevation contours in waters or wetlands or stream dimension, pattern or profile. The
permittee will have a specific plan for restoring wetland contours. Any excess material
will be removed to a high ground disposal area;
18. If an environmental document is required, this Certification is not valid until a Finding of
No Significant Impact (FONSI) or Record of Decision (ROD) is issued by the State
Clearinghouse;
19. Stormwater management will not be required for this Certification as long as all other
Conditions are met. However, in the twenty coastal counties, the appropriate DWQ
Regional Office must be contacted to determine if Coastal Stormwater Regulations still
apply;
20. Compensatory mitigation (i.e., restoration, creation or preservation) for wetland losses will
not be required for this Certification if written concurrence is not needed;
21. Payment of a dollar per acre figure into the Wetland Restoration Program for these
impacts is acceptable when compensatory mitigation is required as long as the Wetlands
Restoration Program agrees in writing to accept this payment. Other mitigation plans
must receive written DWQ concurrence;
22. This Certification does not relieve the applicant of the responsibility to obtain all other
required Federal, State or local approvals;
23. Additional site-specific conditions may be added to projects for which written concurrence
is required or requested under this Certification in order to ensure compliance with all
applicable water quality and effluent standards;
24. Concurrence from DWQ that this Certification applies to an individual project shall expire
three years from the date of the cover letter from DWQ or on the same day as the
expiration date of the corresponding Nationwide Permit 12 or Regional Permit 198100049
whichever is sooner;

WQC #3625
25. When written concurrence is required, the applicant is required to use the most recent
version of the Certification of Completion form to notify DWQ when all work included in the
401 Certification has been completed.
Non-compliance with or violation of the conditions herein set forth by a specific fill project
may result in revocation of this Certification for the project and may also result in criminal and/or
civil penalties.
The Director of the North Carolina Division of Water Quality may require submission of a
formal application for individual certification for any project in this category of activity that requires
written concurrence under this certification, if it is determined that the project is likely to have a
significant adverse effect upon water quality or degrade the waters so that existing uses of the
wetland or downstream waters are precluded.
Public hearings may be held for specific applications or group of applications prior to a
certification decision if deemed in the public's best interest by the Director of the North Carolina
Division of Water Quality.
Effective date: 19 March 2007
DIVISION OF WATER QUALITY
By
Alan W. Klimek, P.E.
Director
WQC # 3625
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