The Introduction to the Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES) Permitting Program course will educate individuals of the permitting process and compliance standards of Clean Water Act's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.

 The state of Texas assumed the authority to administer the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program in Texas on Sept. 14, 1998. NPDES is a federal regulatory program to control discharges of pollutants to surface waters of the United States. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES) program now has federal regulatory authority over discharges of pollutants to Texas surface water.  A construction general permit (TXR150000) is for construction activities disturbing at least 1 but less than 5 acres or is part of a common plan of development disturbing at least 1 but less than 5 acres.

 At the completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Identify the parameters of coverage and compliance for stormwater and non-stormwater discharges under the Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES) General Permit.
• Identify procedures for permit application and requirements by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).
• Define the terms and describe conditions required in the Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES) General Permit including the Notice of Intent (NOI), Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWP3), and the Notice of Termination (NOT).
• Implement the mandated management and reporting deadline requirements under the coverage of the Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES) General Permit.
• Explain the history of the Clean Water Act and the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) origin.

Throughout the U.S. and the world, erosion is one of the leading contributors to water impairment. Erosion is the process by which soil particles are dislodged by water or wind.  There is a natural rate of erosion on all soils across the planet, this course drives home how to address the artificially increased rate of erosion due to soil disturbance on a construction site. 

This course covers erosion and how it occurs; impacts of erosion on the environment and the economy; the factors that affect erosion; information on vegetation establishment; topsoil and fertilizers; mulch and compost; rolled erosion control devices; and surface roughening. 

Sediment controls are devices or products which slow or pond the overland flow to dissipate water energy so that sediment will fall or settle out.  While the final stabilization aims at reducing the erosion across the site, this important step doesn’t usually occur until the last 10-25% of the project. Therefore, sediment control is the largest single control measure aimed at preventing the discharge of loose sediment from the site until erosion controls and final stabilization can be achieved.

This course is specifically designed for stormwater management and covers proper installation and placement of silt fence; check dams; wattles; inlet protection; pond types; outlet structures; flocculants; dewatering; and turbidity barriers as they relate to stormwater regulations.

Stormwater regulations mandate that construction projects implement effective waste management practices.  Not only are these control measures required for compliance, but historically those with a better understanding of good housekeeping measures and implementing them experience less overall enforcement on their site.

This course covers good housekeeping practices, the proper installation and maintenance requirements of best management practices (BMPs), management of solid waste, sanitary waste, and hazardous waste; concrete washout; dust control; and construction exits.

This course covers inspection rules and protocol; reviewing the SWPPP for compliance; forms in the SWPPP; updating the SWPPP; site inspections of best management practices (BMPs): proper installation and maintenance of devices; and documentation of inspections.  Self-inspection is not only a requirement of the permit coverage for the site, but it also allows for a regular, methodical analysis of the deployed BMP’s. This allows the inspector to identify changes to the site, missing or inadequate control measures, as well as addressing any required maintenance or corrective actions to get the site back into compliance.

This course covers the proper life cycle of a construction [[plan_name]] ([[plan_acronym]]); gathering the information needed; how to prepare the Construction General Permit application notice of intent (NOI); documents and forms; site maps and details; and proper design procedures.