GC3901

Water Quality Certification No. 3901
GENERAL CERTIFICATION FOR PROJECTS ELIGIBLE FOR U.S. ARMY CORPS OF
ENGINEERS GENERAL (REGIONAL) PERMIT NUMBER 199200297 TO AUTHORIZE THE
DISCHARGE OF DREDGED OR FILL MATERIAL WITHIN NON -TIDAL WATERS OF THE
UNITED STATES IN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATED WITH FOREST
MANAGEMENT AND WILDFIRE CONTROL AND SUPPRESSION
WHEN PERFORMED BY THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE OR N.C. DIVISION OF FOREST
RESOURCES OR WHEN CONDUCTED ON FEDERAL OR STATE OWNED PROPERTY AND
RIPARIAN AREA PROTECTION RULES (BUFFER RULES)
Water Quality Certification Number 3901 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 02H .0500 and 15A NCAC 02B .0200 for the
discharge of fill material to waters and wetland areas as described in Regional (General) Permit
Number 199200297 and for the Riparian Area Protection Rules (Buffer Rules) in 15A NCAC 02B
.0200.
The category of activities shall include any fill activity for the construction of fire plow lines for the
purpose of training forest fire equipment operators by the U.S. Forest Service or N.C. Forest
Service within non -tidal waters of the U.S. in the State of North Carolina.
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.
Activities meeting any one (1) of the following thresholds or circumstances require written
approval for a 401 Water Quality Certification from the Division of Water Quality (the
"Division'T
a. Any stream relocation; or
b. Any impact associated with a Notice of Violation or an enforcement action for violation(s)
of DWQ Wetland Rules (15A NCAC 02H .0500), Isolated Wetland Rules (15A NCAC 02H
.1300), DWQ Surface Water or Wetland Standards, or Riparian Buffer Rules (15A NCAC
02B .0200);or
c. Any impacts to streams and /or buffers in the Neuse, Tar - Pamlico, or Catawba River
Basins or in the Randleman, Jordan or Goose Creek Watersheds (or any other basin or
watershed with Riparian Area Protection Rules [Buffer Rules] in effect at the time of
application) unless the activities are listed as "EXEMPT" from these rules or a Buffer
Authorization Certificate is issued through N.C. Division of Coastal Management (DCM)
delegation for "ALLOWABLE" activities.
In accordance with North Carolina General Statute 143- 215.3D(e), written approval for a 401
Water Quality General Certification must include the appropriate fee. If a project also requires a
CAMA Permit, then one payment to both agencies shall be submitted and will be the higher of the
two fees.
Activities included in this General Certification that do not meet one of the thresholds
listed above do not require written approval from the Division as long as they comply with
the Conditions of Certification listed below. However, a courtesy copy of the Pre -
Construction Notification (PCN) application form must be provided to the Division. If any
of these Conditions cannot be met, then written approval from the Division is required.
Conditions of Certification:
1. Wildfire training activities which impact one acre (0.405 hectares) or less of wetlands at
locations previously approved by the Division in Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, Cumberland,
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Water Quality Certification No. 3901
Dare, Greene, Hyde, Jones and Onslow Counties may be conducted without prior notification
to the Division.
2. No Impacts Beyond those Authorized in the Written Approval or Beyond the Threshold of Use
of this Certification,
No waste, spoil, solids, or fill of any kind shall occur in wetlands, waters, or riparian areas
beyond the footprint of the impacts depicted in the Pre - Construction Notification, as
authorized in the written approval from the Division or beyond the thresholds established for
use of this Certification without written authorization, including incidental impacts. All
construction activities, including the design, installation, operation, and maintenance of
sediment and erosion control Best Management Practices shall be performed so that no
violations of state water quality standards, statutes, or rules occur. Approved plans and
specifications for this project are incorporated by reference and are enforceable parts of this
permit
3. Standard Erosion and Sediment Control Practices
Erosion and sediment control practices must be in full compliance with all specifications
governing the proper design, installation and operation and maintenance of such Best
Management Practices and if applicable, comply with the specific conditions and
requirements of the NPDES Construction Stormwater Permit issued to the site:
a. Design, installation, operation, and maintenance of the sediment and erosion control
measures must be such that they equal or exceed the requirements specified in the
most recent version of the North Carolina Sediment and Erosion Control Manual.
The devices shall be maintained on all construction sites, borrow sites, and waste
pile (spoil) projects, including contractor -owned or leased borrow pits associated with
the project.
b. For borrow pit sites, the erosion and sediment control measures must be designed,
installed, operated, and maintained in accordance with the most recent version of the
North Carolina Surface Mining Manual.
c. Reclamation measures and implementation must comply with the reclamation in
accordance with the requirements of the Sedimentation Pollution Control Act and the
Mining Act of 1971.
d. Sufficient materials required for stabilization and /or repair of erosion control
measures and stormwater routing and treatment shall be on site at all times.
e. If the project occurs in waters or watersheds classified as Primary Nursery Areas
(PNAs), SA, WS -1, WS -11, High Quality (HQW), or Outstanding Resource (ORW)
waters, then the sedimentation and erosion control designs must comply with the
requirements set forth in 15A NCAC 04B .0124, Design Standards in Sensitive
Watersheds.
4, No Sediment and Erosion Control Measures in Wetlands or Waters
Sediment and erosion control measures shall not be placed in wetlands or waters.
Exceptions to this condition require application submittal to and written approval by the
Division. If placement of sediment and erosion control devices in wetlands and waters is
unavoidable, then design and placement of temporary erosion control measures shall not be
conducted in a manner that may result in dis- equilibrium of wetlands, stream beds, or banks,
adjacent to or upstream and downstream of the above structures. All sediment and erosion
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Water Quality Certification No. 3901
control devices shall be removed and the natural grade restored within two (2) months after
the area has been stabilized following the fire plow training activity.
5. Construction Moratoriums and Coordination
If activities must occur during periods of high biological activity (i.e. sea turtle nesting, fish
spawning, or bird nesting), then biological monitoring may be required at the request of other
state or federal agencies and coordinated with these activities.
All moratoriums on construction activities established by the NC Wildlife Resources
Commission (WRC), US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), NC Division of Marine Fisheries
(DMF), or National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to lessen impacts on trout, anadromous
fish, larval /post - larval fishes and crustaceans, or other aquatic species of concern shall be
implemented. Exceptions to this condition require written approval by the resource agency
responsible for the given moratorium.
Work within the twenty -five (25) designated trout counties or identified state or federal
endangered or threatened species habitat shall be coordinated with the appropriate WRC,
USFWS, NMFS, and /or DMF personnel.
6. Work in the Dry
All work in or adjacent to stream waters shall be conducted so that the flowing stream does
not come in contact with the disturbed area. Approved best management practices from the
most current version of the NC Sediment and Erosion Control Manual, or the NC DOT
Construction and Maintenance Activities Manual, such as sandbags, rock berms, cofferdams,
and other diversion structures shall be used to minimize excavation in flowing water.
Exceptions to this condition require application submittal to and written approval by the
Division.
7. Riparian Area Protection (Buffer) Rules
Activities located in the protected riparian areas (whether jurisdictional wetlands or not),
within the Neuse, Tar - Pamlico, or Catawba River Basins or in the Randleman, Jordan, or
Goose Creek Watersheds (or any other basin or watershed with buffer rules) shall be limited
to "uses" identified within and constructed in accordance with 15A NCAC 02B .0233, .0259,
.0243, .0250, .0267 and .0605, and 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. All buffer rule requirements, including diffuse
flow requirements, must be met.
8. If concrete is used during the construction, then all necessary measures shall be taken to
prevent direct contact between uncured or curing concrete and waters of the state. Water
that inadvertently contacts uncured concrete shall not be discharged to waters of the state
due to the potential for elevated pH and possible aquatic life/ fish kills.
9. For all work not associated with emergency wildfire fighting, heavy equipment must be kept
out of buffer areas at least 50 feet wide on both sides of all perennial and intermittent streams
shown on the most recent version of the 1:24000 USGS topographic map or county soil
survey. During wildfire fighting operations these 50 -foot buffers should also be maintained
when possible.
10. Compensatory Mitigation
In accordance with 15A NCAC 02H .0506 (h), compensatory mitigation may be required for
losses of equal to or greater than 150 linear feet of streams (intermittent and perennial)
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and /or equal to or greater than one (1) acre of wetlands. For linear public transportation
projects, impacts equal to or exceeding 150 linear feet per stream shall require mitigation.
Buffer mitigation may be required for any project with Buffer Rules in effect at the time of
application for activities classified as "Allowable with Mitigation" or "Prohibited" within the
Table of Uses.
A determination of buffer, wetland, and stream mitigation requirements shall be made for any
General Water Quality Certification for this Nationwide and /or Regional General Permit.
Design and monitoring protocols shall follow the US Army Corps of Engineers Wilmington
District Stream Mitigation Guidelines (April 2003) or its subsequent updates. Compensatory
mitigation plans shall be submitted to the Division for written approval as required in those
protocols. The mitigation plan must be implemented and /or constructed before any impacts
occur on site. Alternatively, the Division will accept payment into an in -lieu fee program or a
mitigation bank. In these cases, proof of payment shall be provided to the Division before
any impacts occur on site.
11. Berms that separate the roads from any canals, ditches, or streams shall be repaired after
the completion of any training activity.
12. The applicant shall submit an annual report on the use of this General Certification to the NC
Division of Water Quality no later than December 31 of each year. This report shall include a
summary of all training activities authorized by this General Certification, the areas where the
permit was used, the lengths and widths of fire plow lines constructed, and any problems
encountered or violations of the Conditions contained in this General Certification of the
General Permit.
13. If an environmental document is required under the National or State Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA or SEPA), then this General Certification is not valid until a Finding of No
Significant Impact (FONSI) or Record of Decision (ROD) is issued by the State
Clearinghouse.
14. In the twenty (20) coastal counties, the appropriate DWQ Regional Office must be contacted
to determine if Coastal Stormwater Regulations will be required.
15. This General Certification does not relieve the applicant of the responsibility to obtain all other
required Federal, State, or Local approvals.
16. The applicant/permittee and their authorized agents shall conduct all activities in a manner
consistent with State water quality standards (including any requirements resulting from
compliance with §303(d) of the Clean Water Act), and any other appropriate requirements of
State and Federal Law. If the Division determines that such standards or laws are not being
met, including failure to sustain a designated or achieved use, or that State or Federal law is
being violated, or that further conditions are necessary to assure compliance, then the
Division may reevaluate and modify this General Water Quality Certification.
17. When written authorization is required for use of this certification, upon completion of all
permitted impacts included within the approval and any subsequent modifications, the
applicant shall be required to return the certificate of completion attached to the approval.
One copy of the certificate shall be sent to the DWQ Central Office in Raleigh at 1650 Mail
Service Center, Raleigh, NC, 27699 -1650.
18. Additional site - specific conditions, including monitoring and /or modeling requirements, may
be added to the written approval letter for projects proposed under this Water Quality
Certification in order to ensure compliance with all applicable water quality and effluent
standards.
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Water Quality Certification No. 3901
19. This certification grants permission to the director, an authorized representative of the
Director, or DENR staff, upon the presentation of proper credentials, to enter the property
during normal business hours.
This General Certification shall expire on the same day as the expiration date of the
corresponding Nationwide and /or Regional General Permit. The conditions in effect on the date
of issuance of Certification for a specific project shall remain in effect for the life of the project,
regardless of the expiration date of this Certification.
Non - compliance with or violation of the conditions herein set forth by a specific project may result
in revocation of this General 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, including state or
federally listed endangered or threatened aquatic species, 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: March 19, 2012
DIVISION OF WATER QUALITY
2
Charles Wakild, P. E.
Director
History Note: Water Quality Certification (WQC) Number 3901 issued March 19, 2012 replaces
WQC Number 3681 issued November 1, 2007; WQC Numbers 3643 and 3644 issued on March
19, 2007; WQC Number 3350 issued on March 18, 2002; WQC Number 3125 issued on February
11, 1997; and WQC Number 2862 issued on January 24, 1994. This General Certification is
rescinded when the Corps of Engineers reauthorizes any of the corresponding Nationwide and /or
Regional General Permits or when deemed appropriate by the Director of the Division of Water
Quality.
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