A general permit ensures consistent permit conditions for comparable facilities. General permits are an efficient and cost-effective option for DEQ because multiple facilities with similar discharge effluent characteristics may be covered under a single permit. General permits identify the applicable conditions for each category or subcategory covered by the permit.
Information on current IPDES General Permits is listed below.
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Owners and operators of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) that meet any of the specific animal thresholds below and discharge to a water of the US must obtain coverage under the CAFO general permit. A CAFO is a facility where “animals have been, are, or will be stabled or confined and fed or maintained for a total of 45 days or more in any 12-month period and where vegetation is not sustained in the confinement area during the normal growing season.”
The production area of 
CAFOs must be designed, constructed, operated and maintained to contain all manure, litter, process wastewater, and the runoff and direct precipitation from the 25-year, 24-hour storm event for the CAFO’s location. Permittees must conduct regular inspections of their facility including drinking water lines, cooling water lines, and storm water conveyances or runoff diversions, and must document the timely correction of any observed deficiencies. Permittees must also develop, submit, and implement a nutrient management plan (NMP) describing the specific practices to be implemented to comply with the CAFO general permit.
Owners and operators seeking coverage must submit a notice of intent (NOI) using the EPA NeT system. As part of their NOI, applicants must submit a NMP describing the steps the facility intends to take to manage the nutrients in the waste generated by their operation.
For additional information, refer to the IPDES User’s Guide to Permitting and Compliance Volume 4—General Permits excluding Storm Water.
Fish processing and concentrated aquatic animal production (CAAP) facilities are defined in IDAPA 58.01.25.010 as a “hatchery, fish farm, or other facility which meets the criteria in Appendix C of 40 CFR Part 122, or which the Department designates under 40 CFR 122.24(c).” Currently, Idaho has two CAAP general permits (IDG130000 and IDG131000) and a permit for fish processing facilities (IDG132000).
Owners and operators seeking coverage must submit a notice of intent (NOI) using the EPA NeT system.
For additional information, refer to the IPDES User’s Guide to Permitting and Compliance Volume 4—General Permits excluding Storm Water.
Aquaculture Facilities Meeting Criteria in 40 CFR 122, Appendix C – Facilities eligible for coverage under these general permits must discharge pollutants to surface waters of the US during at least 30 days per year. The facility must contain, grow, or hold fish in raceways, ponds, or other similar structures and meet at least one the following criteria:
- The facility must produce 20,000 pounds or more of cold water aquatic species per year and feed at least 5,000 pounds of food in any one calendar month.
- The facility must produce more than 100,000 pounds of warm water aquatic species per year.
Aquaculture Facilities Designated as CAAP on a Case-by-Case Basis under 40 CFR 122.24(c) – A facility not meeting the above requirements may still need to seek coverage if, after an on-site visit, DEQ determines the facility is a significant contributor of pollutants based on:
- Location and quality of the receiving water
- Holding, feeding, and production capacities of the facility
- Quantity and nature of the pollutants discharged
- Other relevant factors, such as TMDL determinations for the watershed
The drinking water treatment facility general permit (DWGP) provides coverage for facilities that discharge treated wastewater from water treatment filtration processes (e.g., filter backwash, sedimentation/presedimentation wash-down, sedimentation/clarification, filter to waste) and their delivery systems to surface waters of the US. Currently, seven facilities are covered under the DWGP.
- All operators of facilities covered under a currently-effective DWGP must submit a notice of intent (NOI) 180 days before expiration of the permit.
- A new discharger seeking coverage under the DWGP must submit an NOI 180 days before the anticipated start of discharge.
- Operators of new facilities denied coverage under DWGP will be directed to apply for an individual permit.
- Operators of new facilities applying for coverage under the DWGP that would discharge to a receiving water with an EPA-approved TMDL, may be included in Appendix C of the permit if DEQ determines it is appropriate after the public comment period.
To apply for DWGP coverage, go to DEQ’s E-Permitting system. For assistance, please contact the IPDES E-Permitting Support at (833) 473-3724 or IPDESE-Permitting@deq.idaho.gov
For additional information, refer to the IPDES User’s Guide to Permitting and Compliance Volume 4—General Permits excluding Storm Water .
Owners and operators of facilities that pump and treat ground water and discharge to waters of the US are eligible for coverage under the ground water remediation general permit (GWGP). There are six facilities covered by the GWGP:
- Univar USA, Inc. facilities at Boise Town Square Mall, Westpark, and Five Mile Road
- PacifiCorp Idaho Falls Pole yard
- McCall Oil and Chemical Company
- Boise State University
Operators of construction/excavation dewatering activities, building dewatering, and aquifer pump testing that occur at designated or known contaminated sites are also eligible for coverage. NOIs must include a description of the treatment process including a water balance, the expected flow from the facility, and the receiving water. The NOI must also indicate the nature of the contamination and include the laboratory results for three rounds of influent and effluent sampling. The effluent limits in the GWGP vary depending on the type of pollutants expected at each site and the receiving water being discharged to. Tables 1 through 6 in the permit contain all of the varied limits.
To apply for GWGP coverage, go to DEQ’s E-Permitting system. For assistance, please contact the IPDES E-Permitting Support at (833) 473-3724 or IPDESE-Permitting@deq.idaho.gov
For additional information, refer to the IPDES User’s Guide to Permitting and Compliance Volume 4—General Permits excluding Storm Water.
The small suction dredge mining general permit (SDMGP) covers recreational suction dredging for waters open to mining. The permit specifies limits on maximum nozzle size and cumulative horsepower rating. Additional permits for the operation of small suction dredge mining are required by Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR) and may be required by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, US Forest Service, or the Bureau of Land Management.
NOIs for the South Fork Clearwater River drainage are due 60 days before dredging operations begin. Currently, the permit restricts general permit coverage to the first 15 complete NOIs for the South Fork Clearwater River. All NOIs received for Grimes, Elk, and Mores Creeks will be allocated dredging hours based on the number of NOIs received.
Anyone who had coverage in the South Fork Clearwater River drainage or Grimes, Elk, and Mores Creeks during the previous year must submit an annual report before new coverage is granted. Annual reports must be submitted electronically through the IPDES E-Permitting system.
Any water closed by the permit, regardless of IDWR’s open/closed status, will not be granted coverage under general permit. The waters closed by the permit include:
- Nationally protected areas
- Tribal reservations
- National wild and scenic rivers
- Endangered species habitat areas
- Withdrawn river segments by Idaho Department of Lands
- State protected rivers
- Mercury or sediment-impaired streams without a waste load allocation for suction dredging
Nationally protected and designated critical habitat areas may be open under the general permit only if a federal agency has completed Endangered Species Act section 7 consultation.
Any applicant that wants to submit a paper NOI must first request a waiver from DEQ to be exempt from electronic reporting requirements.
To apply for SDMGP coverage, go to DEQ’s E-Permitting system. For assistance, please contact the IPDES E-Permitting Support at (833) 473-3724 or IPDESE-Permitting@deq.idaho.gov
For additional information, refer to the IPDES User’s Guide to Permitting and Compliance Volume 4—General Permits excluding Storm Water.
| PGP Part/ Pesticide Use | Which Decision Makers Must Submit NOls? | For Which Pesticide Application Activities? |
|---|---|---|
| All four pesticide use patterns | Any decision maker with an eligible discharge to waters of the US containing NM FS listed resources of concern. as defined in the permit | Activities resulting in a discharge to waters of the US containing a NMFS listed resource of concern, as defined in the permit |
| Mosquito and other flying insect pest control | Any agency for which pest management for land resource stewardship is an integral part of the organization’s operations | All mosquito and other flying insect pest control activities resulting in a discharge to waters of the US |
| Mosquito control districts, or similar pest control districts | All mosquito and other flying insect pest control activities resulting in a discharge to waters of the US | |
| Local governments or other entities that exceed the annual treatment area threshold | Adulticide treatment if more than 6,400 acres during a calendar year | |
| Weed and algae pestcontrol | Any agency for which pest management for land stewardship is an integral part of the organization’s operations | All weed and algae pest control activities resulting in a discharge to waters of the US |
| Irrigation and weed control districts, or similar pest control districts | All weed and algae pest control activities resulting in a discharge to waters of the US | |
| Local governments or other entities that exceed the annual treatment area threshold | Treatment during a calendar year of more than either: 20 linear miles or 80 acres of water | |
| Animal pest control | Any agency for which pest management for land resource stewardship is an integral part of the organizations operations | All animal pest control activities resulting in a discharge to waters of the US |
| Local governments or other entities that exceed the annual treatment area threshold | Treatment during a calendar year of more than either: 20 linear miles, or 80 acres of water | |
| Forest canopy pest control | Any agency for which pest management for land resource stewardship is an integral part of the organizations operations | All forest canopy pest control activities resulting in a discharge to waters of the US |
| Local governments or other entities that exceed the annual treatment area threshold | Treatment of more than 6,400 acres during a calendar year |