Missouri State Overview

The state of Missouri and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Water Pollution Control Branch (DNR) are chiefly responsible for, “The issuance of permits to build, erect, alter, replace, operate, use or maintain existing point sources of water pollution.” Each of these General Permits are critical pieces to making Missouri’s stormwater management program effective in the preservation and protection of Water Quality Standards (WQS) within the state. 

The Missouri DNR mandates that a project site operator or owner seeking authorization to discharge stormwater and certain non-stormwater discharges is required to apply for general permit coverage if his/her project site will: (1) incorporate land disturbing activities on an area of one (1) or more acres; and (2) disturb less than one (1) acre when part of a larger common plan of development or sale that will disturb a cumulative total of one (1) or more acres over the life of the project. Coverage under the general permit also authorizes the discharge of stormwater and certain non-stormwater discharges from smaller projects where the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (Department) has exercised its discretion to require a general permit.

As per the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, construction or land disturbing activity is defined as clearing, grubbing, excavating, grading and other activities that result in the destruction of the root zone and/or land disturbance activity that is reasonably certain to cause pollution to waters of the state.

The main requirement and central focus of the Construction and Land Disturbance General Permit is the development and implementation of a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP). The project site owner or operator is required to have a SWPPP developed prior to the issuance of a general permit and is required to be specific to the land disturbing activities at the project site.