GC 3101

GENERAL CERTIFICATION FOR PROJECTS ELIGIBLE
FOR CORPS OF ENGINEERS NATIONWIDE PERMIT NUMBER 12 OR
REGIONAL PERMIT 198100049 (UTILITY LINE BACKFILL AND BEDDING)
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 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., include any
fill activity for utility line backfill and bedding). This
certification replaces Water Quality Certification (WQC) Number 2664
issued on January 21, 1992 and WQC Number 3022 issued on September 6,
1995. This WQC is rescinded when the Corps of Engineers reauthorize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 DWQ.
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:
1. Activities covered by this General Certification do not
require written concurrence from the Division of Water
Quality (DWQ) as long as they comply with all conditions of
this General Certification and the conditions of Nationwide
12 or Regional Permit 198100049. Any condition in this
Certification which is not met requires notification to and
written concurrence from DWQ;
2. The edge of the construction corridor is installed parallel
to and closer than 10 feet (3 meters) to a stream or if the
utility line crosses a stream channel at less than 75
degrees or more than 105 degrees (i.e., not perpendicular
stream crossing} of the stream bank;
3. Any wastewater line that crosses any stream shown on the
most recent version of the 1:24,000 USGS topographic map as
permanent or intermittent shall be installed with no-seam
piping. If no-seam piping is not able to be installed,
written concurrence from DWQ is required;
4. Construction corridors parallel to streams shall be placed
at the furthest distance from the stream to the maximum
extent practicable;
5. Measures shall be taken to prevent live or fresh concrete
from coming into contact with waters of the state until the
concrete has hardened;
6. 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;
7. That appropriate sediment and erosion control practices
which equal or exceed those outlined in the "North Carolina
Erosion and Sediment Control Planning and Design Manual" or
"North Carolina Surface Mining Manual" (available from the
Division of Land Resources in the DEHNR Regional or Central

Offices) are utilized to prevent exceedances of the
appropriate turbidity water quality standard (50 NTUs in
streams and rivers not designated as trout waters by DWQ; 25
NTUs in all salt water classes, and all lakes and
reservoirs; and 10 NTUs in trout waters);
8. All sediment and erosion control measures placed in wetlands
or waters shall be removed and the natural grade restored
after the Division of Land Resources has released the
project ;
9. Annual species suitable for wet. locations shall be planted
within jurisdictional wetlands for soil and erosion control.
Perennials such as fescue are prohibited;
10. No fertilizer shall be applied within 10 feet (3 meters) of
streams;
11. The construction corridor (including access roads and
stockpiling of materials) is limited to 40 feet (12.2
meters) in width in wetlands and must be minimized to the
maximum extent practicable;
12. 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 spaced at least 500 feet (152.4 meters)
apart;
13. 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
14. This general certification does not authorize any permanent
changes in preconstruction elevation contours in waters or
wetlands. The permittee will have a specific plan for
restoring wetland contours. Any excess material will be
removed to a high ground disposal area;
15. If an environmental document is required, this Certification
is not valid until a FONSI or ROD is issued by the State
Clearinghouse;

16. Stormwater management will not be required for this
Certification. However in the twenty coastal counties, the
appropriate DWQ Regional Office must be contacted to
determine if Coastal Stormwater Regulations still apply;
17. Compensatory mitigation (i.e., restoration, creation or
preservation) for wetland losses will not be required for
this Certification if written concurrence is not needed.
18. 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 the following mitigation provision
is met. Mitigation may be required for additional wetland
fills to the maintenance corridor beyond those widths
specified in this General Certification (condition number
12). Payment of a dollar per acre figure into the Wetland
Restoration Program for these impacts is acceptable as long
as these impacts are considered to be wetland fill by the
Corps of Engineers. Other mitigation plans must receive
written DWQ concurrence;
19. This Certification does not relieve the applicant of the
responsibility to obtain all other required Federal, State
or local approval.
Non-compliance with or violation of the conditions herein set
forth by a specific fill project shall 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, 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: 11 February 1997.
DIVISION WATER Q ALI Y
By
A. Preston rd, Jr. P.E.
Director
gencert.l2
WQC # 3101