NC0020486_Electronic Reporting Requirements_20160422

Water Resources
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
April 22, 2016
Charles F. Gay
USDA — U.S. Forest Service
160 Zillicoa Street, Suite A
Asheville, NC 28801-1082
Subject: NPDES Electronic Reporting Requirements
North Mills River Recreation Area
NPDES Permit Number: NCO020486
Dear NPDES Permittee:
PAT MCCRORY
core, no,
DONALD R. VAN DER VAART
.Sea elm r
S. JAY ZIMMERMAN
Dig ectw
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently published the National Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System (NPDES) Electronic Reporting Rule. The rule requires NPDES regulated facilities to
report information electronically, instead of filing written paper reports. The rule does not change what
information is required from facilities. It only changes the method by which information is provided (i.e.,
electronic rather than paper -based).
EPA is phasing in the requirements of the rule over a 5-year period. The two phases of the rule, and their
key milestones, are:
• Phase 1—Starting on December 21, 2016, regulated entities that are required to submit Discharge
'Monitoring Reports (DMRs) will begin submitting these reports electronically. If you are currently
reporting your DMR data electronically using eDMR, then you simply need to continue reporting
in the same way as you are now. The key change is that, starting on December 21, 2016,
electronic reporting of DMRs will be required, instead of voluntary.
• Phase 2—Starting on December 21, 2020, regulated entities that are required to submit certain
other NPDES reports will begin submitting these reports electronically. Reports covered in the
second phase include Notices of Intent to discharge in compliance with an NPDES general permit,
Sewer Overflow/Bypass Event Reports, and a number of other NPDES program reports.
Incorporating Electronic Reporting Requirements into NPDES Permits
The NPDES Electronic Reporting Rule requires authorized NPDES programs to incorporate electronic
reporting requirements into NPDES permits beginning December 21, 2015. Under the new rule, the
electronic reporting process supersedes the paper reporting process. According to our files, your NPDES
permit became effective March 1, 2016, and contains the requirement to electronically report your
Discharge Monitoring Reports using NC DWR's eDMR system.
In addition to requiring permittees to report information electronically, the rule also requires permittees
to identify the initial recipient for the NPDES electronic reporting data [see 40 CFR 122.41(I)(9)]. Initial
State of North Carolina I Enviromnental Quality I Water Resources
1617 Mail Service Center I Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1617
919 807 6300

recipient of electronic NPDES information from NPDES-regulated facilities (initial recipient) means the
entity (EPA or the state authorized by EPA to implement the NPDES program) that is the designated entity
for receiving electronic NPDES Data [see 40 CFR 127.2(b)]. Permittees are required to electronically
submit the required NPDES information to the appropriate initial recipient, as determined by EPA. By July
18, 2016, EPA must identify and publish on its web site and in the Federal Register a listing of initial
recipients by state and by NPDES data group. Once available, you should use EPA's web site to identify
the initial recipient of your electronic submission.
NC DWR has requested to be the initial recipient for the following NPDES data groups:
1. Discharge Monitoring Reports;
2. General Permit Reports [Notices of Intent to discharge (NOls); Notices of Termination (NOTs)];
3. Pretreatment Program Reports; and
4. Sewer Overflow/Bypass Event Reports
EPA's web site will also link to the appropriate electronic reporting tool for each type of electronic
submission for each state. Instructions on how to access and use the appropriate electronic reporting
tool will be available as well.
For more information on EPA's NPDES Electronic Reporting Rule, visit
http://www2.epa.gov/compliance/final-national-pollutant-discharge-elimination-system-npdes-
electronic-reporting-rule. For more information on electronic reporting to NC DWR, visit
http://deg.nc.goy/about/divisions/water-resources/edmr/npdes-electronic-reporting or contact Vanessa
Manuel at 919-807-6392 or via email at [e-mail].
Sincerely,
Je�fre y 0. Pouf-, r& -
forS. Jay Zimmerman, P.G.
Cc: NPDES File
Central Files
Asheville Regional Office / Water Quality Program